Mokkun

A pleasant, wood-cured aroma reaches the table as soon as the dishes arrive—an immediate signal of what Mokkun does best. For those unsure of where to start, the sampler platters make an easy introduction: the 5-item smoked assortment and the complete smoked selection both offer a taste across the kitchen's repertoire. House-smoked bacon, salmon, and rich cheese share space with scallops that have developed concentrated umami alongside a moist, tender texture, showing off different facets of the smokehouse approach on a single plate.

The à la carte bites are equally tuned to drinking. Staples like the smoked potato salad and the seared cured mackerel (aburi shimesaba)—which layers an open-flame char on top of the cured smoke—are natural companions for a first glass. Other options, like smoked daikon pickle (iburigakko) matched with cream cheese, deliver a lingering sweet-salty richness, while yakitori skewers such as chicken hearts or negima offer a welcome change of pace between drinks.

Heartier options round out the meal toward the end, including an izakaya-style smoked carbonara with a rich, smoky sauce, and chilled soba drizzled with smoked chili oil. Drink options are wide-ranging, extending from highballs and tea-based highballs to sours and sake, suiting lively evenings out with friends when an unpretentious spread is in order. As dinner hours can fill up completely, reserving a table beforehand is recommended.