The biggest izakaya in Asoke pulls in the crowds with a charming courtyard shrouded in faux cherry blossom petals. The yakitori might not be in the same, charcoal-smoked big leagues as a place like Gen (see below), but then neither are the prices. Pull up your seat alongside the after-work Japanese expat crowd, and don’t forget to order in the high balls.

 

This brainchild of Kenichi Nagata, the man behind Sukhumvit Soi 26’s Jidori Cuisine Ken, stands out as the only Japanese-style house in Ekkamai’s Acmen complex. Gen goes well beyond its grilled chicken-specializing sister to serve up a wider variety of meat grilled on binchotan charcoal. While the freerange chicken still stands as one of the stars (try the slightly-roasted breast with yuzu kosho paste), Nagata also does some fine Japanese wagyu.

 

It’s owned by Ootaya and doesn’t look like much. But this Japanese eatery is actually a boon for connoisseurs seeking out soba noodles from imported Hokkaido flour, tofu made fresh daily, and free-range chicken. The latter is the house specialty, to be had cooked over the coal grill in the middle of the restaurant, perfectly seasoned and lightly glazed. Note that you’ll need to book a day in advance to snag a seat.

 

Japanophile foodies mention Jidori with eyes rolled to the ceiling and tongue lolling thanks to its awesome, charcoal-grilled chicken skewers—crisp exterior, very little charring, and a moist, perfectly cooked interior. But before you even start to eat, take in the atmosphere. The space has all the authenticity and log cabin charm of a genuine Tokyo tavern—although the service is so polished and the food’s presentation so delicate, calling this place a tavern feels a bit rude.

 

Hidden behind two low-key entrances, the Tokyo-hailing yakitori restaurant sits adjacent to Ekkamai’s newest sake bar, Orihara Shoten. Take a seat at the sizable counter and see the chefs grilling all parts of a chicken, from neck, heart and liver to breast, wing, achilles tendon and tail. There are also other meat and vegetable skewers as well as salad, soup and rice bowls on offer. A long list of sake curated from the next door sake bar is available too.