**********Unfortunately, This Restaurant Has Closed Down**********
Recommended by: Amy/Emmy? from Hokkaido Ramen Santouka.
Description on the Junkichi Robata Izakaya website: Junkichi Robata Izakaya is an upscale authentic style of Japanese cuisine utilizing a live fire charcoal grill. Dating back centuries to northern Japan where fishermen would gather around a communal hearth for warmth and to prepare their food, fishermen were searching for a way to prepare their meals aboard their vessels and created a way to enclose the charcoal to protect their boats from the high heat and thus robata was created. Originally a method for northern Japanese fishermen to be able to cook aboard their vessels the definition of Robata is a charcoal grill guests can be seated around used to slow cook skewers of the freshest ingredients over hot coals and can literally be translated to “fireside-cooking”.
Neighborhood/Type: Capitol Hill
Address: 224 Broadway East. Seattle, WA 98102
What we ate/drank: ASAZUKE- house made Japanese pickled mixed vegetables, ginger, kombu kelp, shaved red chili pepper, SHISHITO PEPPERS, TORIKARA-deep-fried crispy organic free-range chicken w/original soy sauce flavor, shishito pepper, lemon, YAKI-GAKI-grilled shucked oysters , chives w/homemade soy sauce, BATTERA-vinegar marinated mackerel, shiso leaf, gari ginger, roasted sesame seeds ,whiteboard kelp, seven spice seared tuna, avocado, cucumber, spicy tuna tartar, flying fish roe, serrano pepper, cilantro, bbq sauce, spicy mayo, habanero sauce, tempura crunch, JUNKICHI TSUKUNE- duck & organic free-range chicken, shrimp, jew’s ear fungus, meatloaf Junkichi Style , GINDARA SAIKYO-black cod marinated in sweet saikyo miso, grated daikon radish, vinegared tiny gingerroot
Comments: Robata means “fireside cooking” in Japanese and is basically Japanese barbeque in which fatty meats and vegetables are cooked over coals. The coals used are not the black chunks we put in our normal outdoor barbeque, but compressed wood. Something with fatty content is best for robata because the intense heat creates a tasty crust. The tradition started in Northern Japan where fisherman took lit coals out on to their boats so they could grill food while out to sea. It was difficult to start fires on wooden boats, so bringing lit coals from the mainland to be used for meals was the main option. Izakaya is casual, informal dining with normally small dishes sorta like Japanese tapas.
We went to Junkichi Robata Izakaya for dinner and met up with friends one of which is from Japan. We relied on her to do most of the ordering although our server had really good suggestions and more than able to answer all our questions about preparation, taste profile and how big the servings would be. Being on Capitol Hill and having a more modern feel, I was worried about how authentic the food might be at Junkichi Robata Izakaya, but my friend assured us it’s very authentic preparation with more local ingredients. In the grand scheme of things, authenticity matters less to us than being tasty. You often here people say that Un Bien and Paseo are not authentic Caribbean sandwiches. Who cares?! They damn good!
As mentioned Junkichi Robata Izakaya has a modern feel to it and an open kitchen with various ingredients laid out at the counter near the open prep area. They also have a small patio out front. I’ll admit the food is a little on the higher-priced side, but the food preparation and tastiness of every dish we had was spot on. They also have a wide variety of food so it feels like you can go back over and over and try many different dishes. Having a group and sharing dishes is definitely the way to go.
All the dishes were good, but the one dish I would order over and over again would be the Yaki-Gaki, the grilled oysters. The oysters are monster huge and normally my preference for oysters is raw, but the char from the grill along with the oyster juice left over in the shell is sooo good. See the rest of our ratings down below.
A funny note. As mentioned above the local who recommended Junkichi Robata Izakaya worked at Hokkaido Ramen Santouka. When we walked in to Junkichi we noticed the little robot that is supposed to recognize you if you sign up and have been there before. We said, “That’s the same robot they have at Santouka.” We later discovered that Junkichi Robata Izakaya and Hokkaido Ramen Santouka are owned by the same company! So we wondered whether or not this was a genuine favorite of a local or if she was “trying to keep it in the family”. Regardless, both restaurants are at the top of our favorites list.
Ratings:
Atmosphere: 4.75
Service: 5
Food/Drinks: 5+
Bang for the Buck: 4.25
Overall: 4.75
Locals Only Factor: “Locals Only” grading-We’ll assign a grading as to how “local” a place is.
-
- Well known or Touristy. Most locals don’t go there unless they have business dinners or visitors in town.
- Most locals know about it
- Locals “in the know” know about it
- Only those who live close by know about it.
- You’re in on the secret. Don’t tell anybody!
Eavesdropping Convos: None
Servers recommendations to visit in the future: Brandon suggested Ooink down the street as a favorite.
Bonus recommendations to visit in the future: Our friends we dined with suggested Kamonegi.
Related: