One of Kagawa’s local delicacies: Honetsukidori Kashiwa and springy chicken with bone

Day 1 of our 10-day self-driving trip in Shikoku, postponed by 2 days

Although the trip was delayed by two days, by the first day, the weather had actually cleared up—there wasn’t much wind or rain. So during the day, we just walked around town and did a bit of shopping. In the evening, we decided to try one of Kagawa’s famous local dishes: Honetsukidori Kashiwa chicken with bone (骨付鳥). After spending several days in Shikoku, it felt like a shame not to try one of the region’s specialties.

It was a short walk from our hotel, Toyoko INN Takamatsu Hyogomachi, to Sanuki Honetsukidori Kashiwa (さぬき骨付鳥かし羽). The restaurant seemed to be quite popular and had many customers inside. With a sense of excitement, our family decided to give this bone-in chicken dish a try for the first time.

Orders are placed using a tablet on the table. After ordering, it takes a little time to grill the bone-in chicken, so it doesn’t arrive right away. In the meantime, we were served Calpis and some chilled drinks, along with chicken oil rice. Later on, some cabbage was also brought out, which pairs well with the chicken.

After about 10 minutes, the chicken with bone was served. It was a large, grilled chicken leg with an incredibly rich aroma, especially the strong peppery scent.

We used scissors to cut the meat into pieces. The chicken was incredibly springy and juicy, with a tight texture. It had a salty and savory flavor, somewhat reminiscent of German pork knuckle in richness, but of course, it was chicken. It was delicious, chewy, and full of character—no wonder it’s one of Kagawa’s specialties. In fact, the next day when we were preparing to return to Taiwan, we saw it featured on a billboard inside Takamatsu Airport as one of the must-try local dishes.

This meal was truly special and memorable.