Isu/Sadang – Toriaez – Great-Value Binchotan Yakitori for Round Two

Hi, it’s Solyn. This time we went to Toriaez.

This is a place I keep coming back to for round two. After wrapping up dinner somewhere else, two of us will duck in here for a few skewers and a drink — quality yakitori at a price that never feels like a splurge.

Getting there

Toriaez sits on the first floor of a building on Dongjak-daero 27ga-gil, about a 5–10 minute walk from Isu Station (Chongshin University), which is served by both Line 4 and Line 7. The last stretch runs down a lively restaurant alley strung with paper lanterns, so the walk over is half the fun.

The vibe

Seating is limited, but there’s a run of bar-style counter seats facing the grill — so coming in alone never feels awkward. The lighting is on the dark side, but it reads warm rather than moody.

It’s usually busy — you can tell from the warm glow spilling out through the windows as you walk up — and that’s exactly when the place shines: it’s at its best as an easy second stop after your first round.

What I ordered

Before the skewers arrive, the table gets a small plate of crisp cabbage with a savory miso dip — a simple, refreshing opener, and it’s on the house.

This round we went with garlic, ginkgo nuts, heart, gizzard, and a whole wing — a mix of cheap-and-cheerful skewers and one bigger one to round it out.

A few reference prices from the menu (per skewer unless noted):

• Garlic (마늘) — 1,500 KRW (~$1.10)
• Ginkgo nuts (은행) — 1,700 KRW (~$1.25)
• Heart (염통) — 1,900 KRW (~$1.40)
• Gizzard (모래집) — 1,900 KRW (~$1.40)
• Chicken skin (닭껍질) — 2,300 KRW (~$1.70)
• Negima (chicken & scallion) — 2,500 KRW (~$1.90)
• Whole wing (통날개) — 3,800 KRW (~$2.80)
• Tsukune (chicken meatball) — 4,900 KRW (~$3.60)
• Highball — 6,000 KRW (~$4.40)

The ginkgo nuts and garlic came out first, glossy and smoky straight off the binchotan.

Then the rest of the round landed together — heart, gizzard, and the bigger skewer sharing a plate. The chicken heart is a highlight: springy, clean, and not the least bit livery.

The gizzard skewer is all about texture — firm and crunchy, exactly the way it should be.

Midway through, the table was a happy spread of skewers, sides, and drinks all at once.

The whole wing is the one splurge of the set — blistered skin, juicy inside, and well worth the extra won.

👍 The good

The value is the headline. This is a binchotan (white charcoal) skewer joint, and finding this kind of price-to-quality ratio on proper charcoal yakitori is genuinely hard — and the taste doesn’t drop off to get there.

The table is already set up with salt, shichimi, pepper, and soy sauce, so you can mix your seasoning exactly to your own liking.

And with the turnover the place gets, the draft beer pours fresh and tastes great.

Would I come back?

Absolutely — I already do, regularly. For two people it’s low-stakes on the wallet and high on quality, which is exactly what you want from a round-two spot.

— Solyn