Robata Yokoyama

The focal point of Robata Yokoyama's open kitchen is genshiyaki, a traditional Japanese cooking method in which skewered whole fish and seasonal ingredients stand upright around glowing charcoal embers. The gentle, radiant heat renders fat cleanly while sealing in moisture, yielding blistered, juicy mackerel, roe-filled Pacific herring, and thick fillets of black cod cured gently in sweet Saikyo miso. In contrast to that low-and-slow hearth roasting, skipjack tuna is given a rapid flash over straw-fueled flames—warayaki—imparting a deep campfire aroma to the seared skin while leaving the center cool, ruby-red, and tender.

Hearty Pork Rice Bowls and Lunchtime Fish Sets

While seafood anchors the concept, the kitchen also highlights Yamagata Shonai pork. Slices grilled over charcoal and brushed with a glossy, sweet tare sauce crown the signature butajyu pork bowl, which is also offered with a simple salt seasoning that showcases the sweetness of the pork's natural fat. From Tuesday through Friday, the lunch counter turns out affordable teishoku sets served with Yamagata Hitomebore rice and hearty tonjiru pork-and-vegetable soup. Guests can build their midday meal around salt-grilled yellowtail, dried mackerel, roe-packed herring, or straw-seared bonito.

Izakaya Plates and Regional Sips

In the evening, the focus widens to a roster of drinking snacks: oversized, thin-skinned shumai dumplings bursting with savory meat juices; fresh oysters grilled over kelp to absorb oceanic dashi; and horse meat sashimi accompanied by koune, the prized chewy, collagen-rich mane fat. To drink, there is a curated selection of sake from across the country, shochu, fruity highballs and sours, and Houou Biden's aged plum liqueur, which macerates Tochigi Miyanoume plums in aromatic ginjo sake. For a final course, cold kake udon showcases double-aged Sanuki noodles with an elastic bite, while a sake gelato made with Hakurakusei junmai ginjo delivers a refined, adult dessert.

Seating includes a lively counter facing the grills, standard tables, and private dining rooms. Mobile ordering via smartphone is supported throughout the dining room, making it equally comfortable for solo diners watching the hearth or groups lingering over charcoal-grilled fare.