About | Yakitori Momiji

AboutYakitoriMomiji

Chef tending yakitori skewers over charcoal

Yakitori skewers arranged on a wooden tray

Yakitori is one of Japan’s most respected culinary traditions - a craft that can take a lifetime to master. Every part of the chicken is prepared differently, from the way it is cut and skewered to its distance from the binchotan charcoal. The fire demands constant attention, leaving no room for shortcuts.

At Momiji, each skewer is prepared by hand and adjusted moment by moment. The chef reads the fire, controls the heat, and removes each piece at exactly the right time. In the hands of a yakitori master, chicken becomes something entirely new.

Momiji brings this tradition to Toronto through an intimate counter experience, inviting guests to discover the depth, precision, and possibilities of yakitori.

The Whole Bird

Chicken is the most common ingredient in the world, and perhaps the most overlooked. In the tradition of Japanese yakitori, a skilled chef works the entire bird: the thigh, the heart, the oyster, the neck, the skin. Each cut behaves differently over fire, with different fat content, different texture, and a different moment when it is ready. Many of these cuts are discarded by most kitchens in Canada. At Momiji, none of them are. Leaving any part of the bird unused is a failure of the craft.

Raw heritage chicken skewers arranged on a tray

Our Heritage Chicken

Two years in development, one dedicated farm partner, and a heritage breed conceived specifically for yakitori at Momiji. Free-range, rice-fed, and raised for one purpose.

Learn About Our Chicken

Chef holding yakitori skewers over binchotan smoke

Slow Grilled Over Binchotan

Our charcoal is binchotan, imported from Japan. It emits far-infrared heat that penetrates all the way through to the centre of each skewer. The chicken is cooked from within, not charred from the outside. Chef Takuma grills at a greater distance from the charcoal than most, letting the fat render gradually so the juices stay locked inside. Every skewer is adjusted by hand, by feel, every service.

Born and raised in Yaizu, Shizuoka, Chef Takuma’s connection to cooking began at home with his parents. After graduating from Tsuji Culinary School in Osaka, he began his career at Michelin-starred French restaurant Cosimo Plus, where he worked across both the kitchen and guest service while earning his sommelier certification.

Drawn to the focus and intimacy of counter dining, Takuma spent five years training at a Michelin-starred yakitori restaurant in Osaka. There, he mastered precise skewering, binchotan fire, and the art of cooking directly in front of each guest.

He now brings that experience to Toronto, opening Momiji alongside with Chef Masaki Saito.

日本の焼き鳥を、トロントへ。

火と手仕事を、一串に。

焼き手、拓真。