I discovered yakitori the proper way, in a Tokyo back alley, at a counter in a nondescript izakaya, squeezed between male suits and labourers. The chef barked out orders as he flipped skewers of chicken thigh, heart and impossibly crisped skin, crackled into submission over a floor-level grill. The air was thick with tare-scented smoke, and the rhythm was relentless – order, cook, serve, repeat. There was no plating, no ceremony, just skewers dragged straight from flame to hand.
But tradition, like fire, catches on. And it was Yardbird in Hong Kong that took this primal, hole-in-the-wall experience and sanded down its rougher edges for a crowd that wanted its yakitori with better lighting and a natural wine list. Chef Matt Abergel stripped it back to its core – beak-to-tail cooking with a singular focus on chicken – but framed it in a setting that felt more Brooklyn than Shinjuku. It is on my bucket list; for now, I have his cookbook, Chicken and Charcoal, to ponder.
Its influence, of course, has spread – it has a Michelin star and featured on the World’s 50 best list – and my most recent brush with this style of cooking was in Athens, where Birdman delivers Yardbird’s brand of modernised, binchotan-fuelled chicken worship, in the kind of slick operation that repackages a centuries-old format as the only way to eat.
Bringing something of that ilk, but with a broader menu, is Hana Izakaya on Capel Street, which was opened by the people behind Musashi at the beginning of February. The menu leads with charcoal-grilled skewers – chicken, beef, pork belly, prawn, squid, octopus and vegetables – cooked over binchotan (Japanese charcoal) and served salted or glazed in tare (Japanese sauce). Tempura joins sushi – hosomaki (salmon, tuna, avocado), nigiri (eel, sea bream, ikura), indulgent rolls (flamed salmon, soft-shell crab) – plus udon and Japanese curries. Sake, plum wine and a wine list with a few bottles hitting the €30-€40 mark keep things lubricated. A 200ml flask of cold sake (€9.50) sees us through.
Hana Izakaya review: This fun and friendly Dublin restaurant is a solid addition to the city. It will do well
Chilangos restaurant review: Bold, tasty and unapologetically real Mexican street food
Three new Michelin stars for Galway, Laois and Kildare restaurants show trend for great food outside Dublin
Ireland’s first Michelin star: ‘It made the front page of the London Times, but only got a mention in the Examiner’
Thankfully, they let you order in waves here, which is exactly how an izakaya should run – no forced commitment to a full meal plan up front, just rounds of food as you fancy. In fact the service is notably good. Plates of sushi fly past, mostly soft-shell crab rolls, a house favourite, but we go for sashimi – three pieces of bluefin tuna (€9), generous, nicely cut, fresh tasting. Tuna hosomaki (€9.50 for six pieces) though, is a let-down, looking suspiciously like they’ve been prepped hours ahead, the nori (seaweed) soft and chewy. The ikura nigiri (€6.95) is better. The nori, although not toasted, is notably crisper, and the salmon roe has a briny pop.
The skewers, which I had expected to be a highlight, are less convincing. Octopus (€6.95) arrives, well-charred, looking promising, but the first bite gives it away. It’s been in the fridge, finished too briefly on the grill, barely warm inside. Tender and lacquered, yes, but lacking the deep, caramelised intensity binchotan should give a good tare. Without it, yakitori feels one-dimensional.
The minced chicken (€5.95) is forgettable (the chicken is from Poland and not free range), although the chicken thigh (€5.95) fares better in flavour. So too does the beef belly (€6.50). Both are properly cooked through, though, once again, I find myself searching for the flavour of the tare; it tastes more like a straight-up soy sauce glaze.
Then come the fried dishes, and here’s where it picks up. Gyoza (€8.50) are blisteringly hot and pleasingly crisp-edged, packed with a chicken and vegetable filling that looks properly house-made, rather than pulled from a freezer bag. Prawn and vegetable tempura (€12.50) is even better – light enough batter, if not the most intricate lacy sort, but fried to a satisfying crunch. Aubergine is the standout, craggy outside, silk-soft inside, the dipping sauce warm and properly seasoned.
There’s just one dessert option, a matcha Basque cheesecake (€9.50), which leans deliciously into its savoury side, creamy, with an almost roasted popcorn-like depth. A strong finish.
Hana isn’t quite in full flow the night I visit, but there’s plenty to like. The menu covers a lot of ground, and a final scan suggests a smarter approach next time: dodge the grill unless they’ve got the fire properly roaring. The chicken doesn’t justify its place, so skip it in favour of smaller dishes – fried avocado and soft-shell crab – and go in again on the tempura. It’s a fun, friendly spot with plenty to graze on – a solid addition to the city. It will do well.
Dinner for two with a bottle of sake was €93.75.
The verdict: A fun, friendly spot for grazing.
Food provenance: Glenmar seafood, Doyles Meat, chicken from Poland (not free range); and pork (not free range).
Vegetarian options: Many options, including avocado dragon roll, grilled mushroom skewers, tempura and tofu katsu curry.
Wheelchair access: Fully accessible with an accessible toilet.
Music: Vindu and Japanese lo-fi.
