Yakitori Tsuta: Intimate San Diego Yakitori Experience with Expertly Grilled Chicken

Wow! Pretty sure only has room for 10 people a seating. Talk about intimate. The food all so good, started with a chicken consume so much flavor! It's chicken and one duck dish we got served. And it's all so delicious. chicken neck wow! Chicken "tail" yes please. Even drying the cartilage, is interesting all texture. Sake selection well thought out and the wines they had delicious

Very unforgettable yakitori experience. Things are perfectly balanced and you can taste that the chef pays attention to every detail. Every skewer is done perfectly with crispy (but not burnt) outside and juicy inside. The condiments (salt, garlic, ginger, sauces, yuzu etc) are applied gently and never on your face. The sake selection is great. I could write a full essay to talk about every course but would rather not spoil things here and leave to you to taste them.

Fantastic guided dinner experience. A lot of fun, elevating the simple yakitori to an event surrounded by chawamushi, delicious dessert and chicken broth soup, of all things. Reservations well in advance required.

Yakitori Tsuta by Chef Tsuchiya is seriously a hidden gem in San Diego. We recently traveled to Japan and could not really satisfy our yakitori needs & kept comparing to Yakitori Tsuta back in the states lol. The chicken ramen here is DELICIOUS and we couldn’t find a similar tasting broth in Japan..! The minute we got back, we had to get our fix. We always order a La carte cause we want everything on the menu! The flavors are so clean & high quality - no other yakitori place in San Diego can compare. Other than yakitori we highly recommend the sesame tofu, pickles, marinated miso cheese, egg&chicken rice bowl and the rice ball. Please be patient with the chef as it is only him who is prepping, cooking & grilling all at the same time and only one other server (he’s so awesome too!). Be prepared for a long meal, but it is definitely worth it.

We drove 100 mi (one-way) for dinner at the charming, 10-seat Yakitori Tsuta in San Diego. When hubby and I heard abt this reservation-only spot, he wanted to go bc yakitori, me bc chef's choice/tasting menu. This was phenomenal. After service, we spoke to the chef/grill master Tatsuro Tsuchiya. He shared that he starts his day at 08:00 to break down chicken and prep and works until first service at 17:30 (second service is 20:15). There are six seats at the counter and four at the lone table. He puts so much energy and focus into his craft...and his dedication is apparent in his food. My favourite dishes? Lotus root/renkon for the childhood memories it evoked; the soul satisfying ramen that's served pre-dessert; and the yakitori tail which was surprisingly tender & juicy. It's def worth a visit.

We did the omakase dinner at yakitori tsuta. Overall it was a great experience. The appetizers were interesting and I loved the smoked chicken and duck. The chawamushi was savory with huge umami, but also still felt fresh due to the vegetables. Great sake selection and you can choose your own cups. All the skewers were great. I loved the chicken skin, wing, and quail eggs and we needed up getting extra of those. The heart was also interesting because they prepared it differently than we were used to. The meal ended with ramen then dessert. Both were tasty. By the end we were stuffed and really enjoyed our meal. 100% recommend their omakase and we will be back!

As a Japanese national, this place is an authentic high-end Japanese restaurant. Food is excellent. I suggest not coming here with American attitude of being picky. Rather, come here to appreciate the authentic Japanese food as is. The chef curates the menu so that most everything is enjoyable for open-minded Americans while maintaining the authenticity. I'm certain that this place will earn Michelin Stars in no time and be difficult to get reservations for. Be prepared to pay pretty penny for it especially if you are doing omakase. We paid about $275 + tip for 2 people with 2 drinks each. But it was worth it for sure. We will definitely be coming back.

My Japanese friend kindly invited us to a charming yakitori restaurant, and we had a delightful experience. All the food was fresh, prepared, and cooked right before our eyes. It was wonderful to watch each piece being expertly seared. Some items, such as the chicken cartilage or neck, might not appeal to everyone, but the chef was happy to offer substitutions. The restaurant's intimate setting, with only six seats, reminded me of my trips to Japan; it felt like stepping back in time. The meat was flavorful and tender. They also offered intriguing desserts, including an interesting edamame ice cream and a refreshing yuzu sorbet. The sake selection was excellent. While the skewers were a bit pricey, the overall experience was well worth it.