Charcoal Charcoal Yakitori brings wagyu, whisky and flame-cooked fare to Robina
Yakitori is one of the few foods that are equally at home at street-side stalls as they are gracing the menus of fine-dining establishments. Cooked over binchotan charcoal – which is regarded by many chefs as the best in the world – yakitori is in a culinary class of its own. Mouthwateringly tender with a hint of smokey flavour, yakitori, when paired with a crisp, cold lager, is a gift for your taste buds. If you too possess an appreciation for the edible art form, take a seat at Robina’s Charcoal Charcoal Yakitori.
There are prizes for guessing Charcoal Charcoal Yakitori’s specialty. The quaint 50-seater quietly popped up along Robina Town Centre Drive in December (next door to Nando’s) and has been luring the local yakitori-loving populace with that unmistakable aroma of flame-licked fare. The venue is the handiwork of Harper Sun and her husband, who has previously owned three restaurants and a bar overseas. The idea for the venue was to fill a gap in the local dining scene for delicious food after 8:00 pm. “Around 8:00 pm in Robina, it’s hard to find many good restaurants open, so we decided to offer yakitori, wagyu skewer, tap beer, whisky, sashimi and ramen,” Harper says.
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Charcoal Charcoal Yakitori is a fusion of Asian and Western cuisines, with an elevated menu that spans from land to the sea. Begin with a taste of wagyu-beef tataki or a selection from the sashimi bar, which offers New Zealand king salmon alongside kingfish, tuna and Japanese scallops. The oysters, which are grilled over charcoal to preserve the natural flavours while creating a slightly caramelised surface, are a must before heading into the land-based section of the menu that shines a spotlight on M8-9 wagyu beef. For an unexpectedly delicious combination, try the wagyu yakitori delicately threaded with pineapple and garlic-thyme butter. There is also a selection of free-range chicken, which is segmented and skewered in the afternoon to ensure maximum tenderness. For those feeling extra adventurous, there’s neck, tail and diaphragm, alongside more mainstream cuts of thigh, breast and tenderloin. There’s a scattering of meat-free morsels including zucchini with miso mayo and a couple of different mushroom varieties.
Beyond the menu, Charcoal Charcoal Yakitori is an ode to sustainability, adorned with handcrafted wine racks and furniture fashioned from recycled timber. The pair dedicated a lot of time to selecting the texture and colour of the hard and soft furnishings to create a warm and inviting feel, the kind of place you feel instantly at ease. Some of the decorative paintings scattered around the restaurant were found in second-hand stores, while others Harper painted herself.