Yakitori Washokudo review: More than meets the eye at Japanese skewer joint, part of Ginza Nana Alley

Voltron: Defender of the Universe was an 80s Japanese “super mecha anime” series about five young pilots flying robot lions that, when combined, become Voltron, defender of the universe: “loved by good, feared by evil”. Ginza Nana Alley is a similar beast. Five tiny Japanese restaurants in a small maze of alleys down an alley in the city that, when combined, become Ginza Nana Alley, loved by fans of Japanese food and booze, feared by evil. Not sure about that last part, but Ginza Nana Alley is the hero Perth didn’t know it needed before the opening in November 2024. There’s Ginza Midai, a reservations-only, 12-seat counter or kappo restaurant specialising in clear oden broth. Onomichi Ramen Mitsuya serves Hiroshima-style ramen noodles. Tonkatsu Kubota does pork cutlets and other Japanese comfort food. Monkey and Bird is a retro cafe serving tea and coffee during the day, before transforming into a 10-seat cocktail bar loaded with Japanese whisky and shochu. And there’s Yakitori Washokudo, which literally translates as “traditional grilled chicken”. Together, they are VOLTRON: DEFENDER . . . sorry, they’re Ginza Nana Alley. Can you tell that this place excites me? This brilliant five-pronged venue comes courtesy of Daisuke Hiramatsu, chef and owner of the neighbouring and very popular Hifumiya Udon Noodle House, which becomes rowdy izakaya Jigoro after dark. Like those other cartoon robots, the Transformers, there’s more than meets the eye with everything created by the culinary imagination of Hiramatsu-san. On a recent Thursday night, Myra and I hunted down Yakitori Washokudo for a pre-Fringe feed. The smoky aromas from the hibachi grill reached us before we’d even pulled up a stool at the counter commanded by chef Naoyuki Suzuki, formerly of Northbridge’s more high-end Japanese joint James Parker. One of Perth’s few yakitori masters, Suzuki commands the small grill, firing skewers of chicken, vegetables and other goodies over coals for diners sitting cheek by jowl. It was hot in the city, as Billy Idol once sang, so we each grabbed a glass of Sapporo lager from Hokkaido, also the origin of the plump scallops the hard-working chef seared in a kombu butter. These heroes in a half shell arrived with a bit of roe attached and almost too hot to handle in a bubbling pool of butter. Big scallops, big seafood flavours — just gorgeous. Unsurprisingly most of the menu is different cuts of chicken, ranging from wings and thighs to skin, hearts and gizzards. We tried the thigh with scallion (spring onions) done in a tare sauce, the tenderloin in plum glaze, and skin. All cost $6 or $7 per skewer. All arrived charred, tender and glistening from Suzuki’s liberal glazing. Likewise, the Wagyu beef tongue skewer ($16) from the kushiyaki menu was chewy but flavoursome, while the flame-seared aburi duck was six thin slices of sweet meat accompanied by three simple yet effective sauces (dashi soy, salt and sesame oil, and chopped ginger), for $19. The oyster mushroom kushiyaki ($7) was a highlight. The mushroom really soaks in smoke for the best-value and biggest flavoured morsel at this humble kappo. Chicken karaage ($17) is a perfect Japanese bar snack, ideal with a few beers and sake. The crunchy balls of deep-fried chook, suspiciously pink inside but well-cooked, at Yakitori Washokudo were spot-on. Hopefully, the two lads sharing a two-litre bottle of cold sake next to us managed to consume a few chicken karaage before they got too drunk. If they were wearing ties, the garment would have been around their heads in the time-honoured tradition of salarymen staggering around Shinjuku Golden-Gai. Kampai! If you don’t want beer or sake, there are vending machines selling everything from Suntory’s Boss Coffee cans and bubble teas to hilariously named sports drink Pocari Sweat. The service was fast but not furious. The painfully polite waiter apologised — “sorry, it took so long” — when delivering dishes straight from Suzuki’s grill quicker than Takashi’s Nissan Fairlady Z33 in Tokyo Drift. I’m not joking. We sat down when Yakitori Washokudo opened at 5pm and all our dishes had arrived, along with a delicious cold sake from Kyoto, by 5.18pm. Myra and I finished our fun, and fast, meal with a serve of houjicha or roasted tea ice-cream ($7), which was more earthy than the usual matcha green tea ice-cream. We had time up our sleeves, so we popped into Monkey and Bird, which reopens as a bar at 6pm. This cute bar is named after the tropical wallpaper, which features — you guessed it — monkeys and birds. See if you can find the bug-eyed slow loris clinging to a frond. The coffee jelly ($8) looked too good to resist, so we ordered one to share while we contemplated the drinks list. The affable young bartender from Osaka with topnotch ice carving skills made me a wasabi gin and soda, while Myra got him to add a splash of cranberry juice to her kamikaze to make it a cosmopolitan. Given the drink’s popularity during the height of Sex And The City, perhaps we could call this a Sam-ikaze. Or not. Either way, it was a delicious cocktail. Monkey and Bird is one menagerie to which I plan to return. Hopefully the dreary piano musak will be replaced with a punk rock soundtrack a la brilliant Osaka bars like Rockrock. As we sipped our drinks, we vowed to revisit Ginza Nana Alley soon, perhaps for an omakase at Ginza Midai or maybe a steaming ramen bowl at Onomichi Ramen Mitsuya. Plus, of course, a nightcap at Monkey and Bird. Yakitori Washokudo Ginza Nana Alley, shop 3, ground Level, 100/104 Murray Street, Perth. OPEN Wednesday-Monday, 5-11pm. Closed Tuesdays. CONTACT Instagram @ginzananaalley BOOKINGS No THE VERDICT Authentic Japanese yokocho or alleyway dining in the heart of Perth. Five tiny venues, one giant Voltron-esque saviour of anyone battling hunger or thirst and happy to bump elbows with fellow diners. Long may Ginza Nana Alley rule the universe. 15/20