The cluster of waiting diners is the tell—you’ve arrived.

The door slides open. A lantern is set down outside. Slip past the curtain. Sumibiyaki Arashi doesn’t just meet expectations—it surpasses them.

The tranquil room, conceived by Studio Roslyn, soothes. Dried branches stretch shadows across lime-washed walls. A Douglas Fir counter runs the length of the space, each seat equipped with brutalist condiment sets from Shikikado Ceramic Studio in Japan. A vessel for discarded skewers resembles a hollowed bone. The atmosphere, however, energizes. Hip hop pulses from overhead. Service is conversational. Guests lean-in on elbows, laughing, trading sake with chef and owner, Peter Ho.

Sumibiyaki means grilling over binchōtan; here, the prized Kishu charcoal from Wakayama prefecture is used, smokeless and pure. The format is omakase, centred on yakitori and interspersed with seasonal plates.

One such dish opens the evening. As Ho slices shima aji, his wrist snaps at the finish, splitting the fire-kissed skin. On the plate, it rests in housemade ponzu, scattered with chives. The skewer sequence launches: chicken breast, thigh, then heart, and drumette (served with red and green yuzu koshos). It continues. The standout is chicken knee, cartilage carefully removed.

Between skewers come small interludes—grated daikon glossed with sweet soy, or rotating pickles (turnip, leaf, cucumber); half an ajitsuke tamago overlaid by a slice of Wagyu; cubes of fried then grilled tofu; silken chawanmushi; a six-hour chicken paitan broth; an onsen egg over soboro don; and more. 

The pace matches the rhythm of Ho’s hand at the grill. Try to keep up.