Hokkaido Revisit 2017 三回目の北海道の旅 - Ginneko 焼鳥専門 ぎんねこ

Visited 03.11.2017 (Fri)

New discovery. In the past, the first thing that came to my mind whenever people mentioned about Asahikawa was Shoyu based ramen. However, during my one month long study trip in Higashikawa-cho, I discovered another soul food which holds important significance to the locals here in Asahikawa. This local favourite is grilled half young chicken named Shinkoyaki 新子焼き and its history traces all the way back to post World War II reign, when Japan was in the state of recovery. As meat was expensive and not consumed frequently in the olden days, Shinkoyaki was deemed a delicacy and at the same time, a vitality booster for the commoners during the recovery period. The word Shinko 新子 has two different meanings. Konoshiro gizzard shad (known as kohada コハダ in Japanese) is a type of fish that has four different names, each given at a particular stage of its lifespan. When the fish is at its smallest phase, it is called Shinko and is known to be a high class delicacy. On the other hand, the word means young in the culinary world. Therefore, while normal grilled (grown) chicken is called Sanzokuyaki (山賊焼き), Shinkoyaki is used to differentiate grilled young chicken from the former. Its popularity has also given rise to an association being set up to promote this soul food to a bigger audience and currently, there are about 10 registered restaurants offering this local flavour.

Shinkoyaki introduction (in Japanese): https://shinkoyaki.com/

5.7 Koji Furari-to, the alley where Ginneko is located in.

Presenting Shinkoyaki! The thigh portion was lightly seasoned with salt while the breast and wing portion was dressed with their secret sauce

Yummy. On my last night in Hokkaido, I made my way to Ginneko ぎんねこ, a small restaurant established in 1950 and a yakitori specialist, to try their version of Shinkoyaki for dinner. Ginneko is one of the many restaurants tucked in this alley named 5.7 Koji Furari-to (5.7小路ふらりーと), which has been around even before World War II and has been carefully refurbished/preserved to evoke a sense of nostalgia. When I thought I would be the earliest diner at 5 pm, I was surprised to see a restaurant packed with customers after opening the sliding door. Fortunately, I managed to squeeze into the last available counter seat. In Ginneko's version of Shinkoyaki, locally grown chicken which are about 6 weeks old are selected and are grilled over direct heat produced from high grade charcoal known as bincho-zumi 備長炭. Ordered the "half and half ハフとハフ" version in which the grilled half young chicken is further divided into two portions, each with a different seasoning. The thigh portion was lightly seasoned with salt while the breast and wing portion was dressed with their secret sauce which has been aged over a long period of time. In both versions, the skin was grilled to crispy golden brown on the outside while the meat was very tender with all the wholesome savory meat juices locked in. Kudos to the chef who has perfected the grilling technique while battling the intense heat and choking fumes to serve up this delicious dish that will make one yearn and return for more.

I think I have found another reason to return to Asahikawa again!

Requested to take a group photo before I bade farewell to them!

Remember. As a foreigner, I always find it a bit daunting to visit local restaurants/Izakaya due to the inherent language barrier and uncertainties. Having said that, the amicable and warm hospitality displayed by the locals usually comes aptly to overcome this fear on most occasions. In this particular instance, I sat in between two groups of diners, a group of three friends who are in their fifties and a solo traveller from Osaka. The initial awkwardness was inevitable since we were all seated so close to one another (almost rubbing shoulders), but after realising that I was a foreigner (when I requested for an English menu), they started chatting with me and the casual conversation extended throughout the entire dinner. I could not thank them enough for their friendliness which helped to break down the barrier and also a beer treat from them when least expected! Such acquaintances made during overseas travels always form part of the memorable moments and experiences that I can reminisce every now and then.

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Ginneko 焼鳥専門 ぎんねこ
070-0035 旭川市５条通７丁目5.7小路ふらりーと
Located in 5.7 Furari-to food alley.
Opening hours: 1300 - 2200 hrs, closed on Mondays.
Ginneko: http://www.ginneko.co.jp/
5.7 Koji Furari-to (5.7小路ふらりーと): http://furari-to.net/f_index.html

How to get there?

(1) By foot. It takes about 10 minutes to walk from Asahikawa JR Station 旭川駅.