There's no mistaking the kind of cuisine offered at Yakitori Ogawa. All 15 seats in this compact, one-counter grill look directly onto the open kitchen where skewers of premium poultry are slowly, carefully tended to over glowing charcoal.
Both the look and the location are classic. Ogawa lies in the heart of Arakicho, a small but long-established nightlife center just to the west of Yotsuya. Just two years old, it's still a newcomer. But it fits in perfectly, with its noren curtain in front of the sliding door and the colorful tunics worn by the grill master and his crew.
However, Ogawa is not rooted in the old ways. Instead of following the standard izakaya (traditional tavern) mode — where customers linger all evening, drinking and ordering yakitori a few sticks at a time — it operates more like a sushi or tempura restaurant, with a fixed menu and tempo. Once you are in and seated, you can relax, lean back and wait for each course to arrive.