Notes from Tokyo: Hachibei Yakitori

You know the minute you walk into this elegant little yakitori shop that you're going to eat well. Owner Katsunori Yashima is SERIOUS about his yakitori, and no matter how many meals you've already eaten when you walk in the door, near midnight, you're instantly hungry. It smells like chicken, like meat, like charcoal and like sake, which is what creates the steam.

The chicken is fantastic - every part is here - along with vegetables, velvety beef tongue, and pork belly that slides easily down the throat. (There's also a wide variety of other dishes: sushi, even dessert. But it's the yakitori that you come for.)

Yakitori Hachibei is also a great place to go when you're craving a break from sake: the wine list is long.