Torisashi

(鶏刺し, Chicken Sashimi)

Torisashi is raw chicken sashimi, made by slicing chicken meat that's sometimes only been lightly seared on the exterior, while the interior remains pink, making most of us fear for our lives. The name of this notorious dish is a compound – tori means bird or chicken, while sashi refers to sashimi.

In the Kagoshima prefecture, torisashi has a cult-like following, and it's usually served with ground ginger or mirin-sweetened soy sauce on the side. In other parts of the country, these pink slices of chicken are accompanied by sesame seeds, salt, green onions, or wasabi.

Many parts of the chicken are used for torisashi - hearts, gizzards, breasts, thighs, and liver. The chickens are slaughtered in a specific way and immediately refrigerated so that no salmonella-causing bacteria can appear on the meat. If you finally decide to tick torisashi off your bucket list after all of this, you can find it in numerous izakaya bars.

Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan

Serve with

Plant

Wasabi

Wasabia Japonica, better known as wasabi, is a plant native to Japan that is harvested for its lumpy rhizome, which is predominately used as a popular sushi condiment.... Read more

Condiment

Jiang you

Used in China for more than 2,500 years, soy sauce is one of the world's oldest condiments, made by fermenting a combination of salt, enzymes, and mashed soybeans. It ... Read more

WHERE TO EAT The best Torisashi in the world (according to food experts)

Mark Wiens and 6 other food critics.

"The chicken sashimi was actually incredible!"

Aleli Dorado-Suguitan and 4 other food critics.

"For those who’d like a fun izakaya experience, Toriki offers fantastic hospitality, a boisterous atmosphere, and delicious chicken which the chef deftly carves himself. His bestsellers include Torisashi (chicken sashimi)."

Robbie Swinnerton and 3 other food critics.

"The platter will feature slices of sasami, the lean, tender meat from the inner breast, together with fattier chunks of breast meat (mune), and also slivers of chicken heart (hatsu). The chicken is superbly fresh. It comes from a heritage breed of gamecock known as Amagi Shamo, raised on the Izu Peninsula, and the flavor is outstanding. Order a round of sake, just as you would with fish sashimi, and savor the contrasting flavors and textures."

Favy Japan and 1 other food critic.

"Masakichi is located in Meguro, a 5 minute walk from Musashi-Koyama Station on the Meguro line. This place serves excellent yakitori. Are you game enough to try the chicken sashimi? Not only this place said to be one of the best yakitori restaurants in Tokyo, it's affordable for a Michelin-recognised restaurant!"

Live 2 Makan and 1 other food critic.

"The piece de resistance was their Chicken Sashimi. Raw chicken was never recommended but in Japan, these were prized and showed the quality of the chicken they used. In Toriyoshi, they used the local chicken that came from Date."

Picrumb and 1 other food critic.

"Torishige has been around and loved by the locals for more than 65 years acquiring reputations for its outstanding customer satisfaction. In that sense, there is not much to say about the restaurant except that you would be amazed of their exceptional yakitoris with the highest quality if you ever had a chance to visit here.The recommendations is the fresh chicken sashimi."

Thomas Zacharias

"This modern yakitori elevates grilled poultry and elevates to ensure every skewer, from its 600-day aged chicken gizzards to the duck shoulder, is unique and delicious. The showstopper, though, is the chicken sashimi, prepared with specially bred chicken processed just a couple of hours before being served."

Stasa Vranjes

"All those chicken lovers should come to Yatagarasu, one of the best restaurants in Nara. They only serve poultry dishes using the freshest poultry from the nearby farms. You will get the chicken you have never tasted before, so tender and tasty. If you have never tried chicken sashimi before, then this is definitely the right place for you. You will love it."

Melody Fury

"Naturally, the meat was exceedingly fresh. The flavour was mild and the texture was comparable to a firm fish’s. The dark meat’s texture was springier while the white meats were more tender. Minced ginger, micro greens, and citrus accompanied the delicate meats. If sampled with my eyes closed, I would have compared this to a firm hirame, minus the oceany taste."

Picrumb

"When you order, order Sashimi which is a raw flesh of chicken. Never had raw chickens before? Well, it has to be super fresh to serve customers such food and those chicken must be raised in the farm with special handlings. The taste of the chicken sashimi is just superb though."