There’s a place for the manicured emblems of Japanese staples, like tempura and yakitori, where the batter is feathery and the bulletproof origins of the chicken mean you could eat them rare. There’s also a place for grubbier takes of these staples, which deliver their own brand of pleasures.

Sakutto and Skewers, two unrelated restaurants, fall somewhere in the middle of this spectrum and price their experiences accordingly. You’ll find the nondescript storefront for Sakutto among a cornucopia of foot massage parlors, karaoke bars aglow with naughty slogans, and elderly uncles merrily clipping their toenails. Do not be deceived. As you enter, you’ll find a dressy izakaya barely the width of a singular train carriage and two, maybe three, chefs tending to berths filled with hot oil, shielded by walls of glass.

No one (except me) will admonish you for dousing your food in tempura sauce. Nor will they lecture you on which of the 6 flavored salts to use, depending on what shows up on your plate. Food is batch-cooked to order, and a la carte prompts an unfussy, choose-your-own-adventure experience. Late on a Friday, I dined happily on sweet, pristine oysters shaped and sized like the head of a lacrosse stick. Then I dove into the tempura — all knockouts save for a soggy piece or two. Don’t miss the monkfish liver.

Nearby, at Skewers, the experience may be a little more austere, but it shouldn’t prevent you from dining at the bar and striking up a conversation with Roy Koh, the chef-owner. His craft shows: the tare is restrained, as is the seasoning generally, which means his gently-priced, diligently-grilled skewers won’t send you into an oil-slicked stupor, as some establishments do here. When in an adventurous mood, order the cartilage (crisp), kidney (caramelized), or butterflied heart (tender and rich). But the easygoing ones, like tsukune and thigh, are home runs too.

🙏 Aun for the recommendations. Less