KEN Yakitori Bar Anzac Shop

We do Japan an injustice if we think of it as overly refined and abstract : for every kaiseki (silver service) restaurant – replete with tatami matting, soft recorded koto music, and discreet, hushed voices – there is also the dim cavern filled with cooking smells, the clink of glasses, and the sounds of camaraderie and eating. This is more Ken Yakitori’s style. The moment you’re shown to your table a hunk of crispy, cold cabbage on a plate is plonked down in front of you – gratis – with some miso, or mayonnaise, dip (the dip costs) . Your drinks come swiftly whilst you decide on your meal.

Yakitori is the speciality, but Ken also offers other fare. Items like beef, pork, octopus and mackerel flesh things out a bit; and there’s a salad menu. Check out the website, www.kenyakitori.co.nz

Ken makes no apologies for its focus on yakitori. This is more than enough to base one meal on. The website not only looks at yakitori, but also at the charcoal which is used for grilling – its history, the varieties available, and the special types used in Japan, an indication of the care taken in preparing food in Japan. You’re in good hands. Enjoy.