Barbecue, bar-b-que, BBQ. Whatever way the sign over the door is spelled, it’s a subject that can generate almost as much heat as the cooking process itself. There are few meat eaters who don’t have strong opinions and preferences, but one thing is undisputed: When barbecue is done well, it tastes magical.
In Tokyo, sadly, decent smokehouses have always been too few and far between to properly test the validity of this very American assertion. Or rather, they were until the arrival last October of the very excellent Freeman Shokudo.
Working on a tight budget, Brooklyn emigre and erstwhile reggae DJ Jeremy Freeman and his wife, Maiko, have put together a brilliant little no-frills diner that has its priorities absolutely straight. They’ve kept the decor simple, but found room for a high-end analog sound system complete with massive speakers, while loading up a fridge with as much limited-edition craft beer as they can cram in.