If some Japanese joints here are missing their regular salaryman clientele, it's probably because they've decamped to Inakaya Robatayaki. The 50-seat restaurant, barely a month old, is packed every night and you need to make reservations at least two days in advance.

And once you've had the Inakaya experience, you'll be wanting to go back.

There's a convivial atmosphere in the noisy restaurant, owned by Mervyn Goh, 36, who runs the Akashi chain of restaurants. Servers shout orders to the chefs, who then shout back to confirm.

More shouting ensues when the food is served. At 8.30pm and 10.30pm, chefs, wait staff and customers stop what they are doing to perform a clapping routine. It's all very festive.

Customers sit around one of three U-shaped counters, each presided over by two chefs. In front of them, seafood on ice, seasonal vegetables and other food are laid out. Just tell the wait staff what you want. A few minutes after the shouting routine, the food starts arriving.

The chefs, who kneel on an elevated platform all night, serve the food to customers with unerring accuracy on long wooden oars. Well, robatayaki started with fishermen grilling their catch over a charcoal fire, using the oars to move the food around.

Despite its rustic roots, robatayaki is now so very refined. Top-notch ingredients are sprinkled with a special Japanese sea salt and grilled over a gas-powered grill. There are two dipping sauces, one for vegetables and seafood and the other for beef and pork. Simple, elegant and so delicious.

Do not leave Inakaya without trying the Wagyu beef skewers ($30 each), which are so tender and succulent.

Tontoro or grilled belly pork ($20 an order) arrives with crisp skin and springy meat. Chicken wings ($12 for two) come with impossibly crisp skin and juicy meat. Another good thing to order is red rockfish or kinki ($75 each), grilled expertly and tasting like it just leapt out of the Sea of Japan.

Don't pass up the niniku or garlic ($8 each) either. Large heads with huge cloves are first boiled, then grilled. Peel off the skin and you'll find soft cloves which taste like potatoes infused with the flavour of scallions or leeks.

I also liked the yaki onigiri or grilled rice ball ($5 each). The plain rice balls are transformed on the grill, developing a crisp, crunchy outer skin while remaining soft inside.

Despite ordering everything that took my fancy, I managed to scrape only the surface of what was on offer. There are still big fat crab legs, maitake mushrooms and various clams to try.

Clearly, a return visit is called for.

Inakaya Robatayaki
01-01 Orchard Parade Hotel
1 Tanglin Road
Singapore 247905
Tel: 6732-1866
Opening hours: 6.30pm to 1.30am daily

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