Kokoronokori is a combination of Kokoro (heart) and Nokori (leftover) - these are the commonly discarded aorta or blood vessel above chicken hearts. While this part is usually thrown away, we collect them until there’s enough to form a skewer, which would need around 20-30 chicken hearts per skewer.

Preparing the aorta takes a lot of patience. Not only do we have to carefully remove the blood vessels away in one piece, we also remove the blood clots from every tube. This process is one of the most time consuming for us, taking an average of 30 minutes to assemble just 1 skewer. With the time and effort needed, plus our daily number of chickens sourced, means we might get only 1 ½ skewers, maybe 2 skewers a day if we’re lucky. 

The texture of Kokoronokori is slightly gamey and crunchy, with the shape and fat marbling creating a texture that allows it to absorb most of the smokiness of Binchotan. Our meticulous process also makes sure that there are no bitter or pungent clotted blood tastes.

Kokoronokori is rare nowadays in Yakitori, due to the effort and manpower needed to prepare it. While the cost is not high, it is still a low profit dish for the time needed. However, we still continue to serve this dish to keep the methods and tradition of Kokoronokori alive, and to share this rare and unique dish with our guests.

This level of detail is ensured throughout every part of Roku Nana. We want every moment and interaction that guests have to be planned and designed by us. A fully curated experience.