Torien

Blacked-out windows mark the entrance to this NoHo sibling to Tokyo's Torishiki; diners are then buzzed in at street level, both of which add to the mysterious proceedings. A staff member then pulls back a curtain—et voila—you're here. Inside, Executive Chef Hideo An may be found working his skills like a master pianist—turning, fanning, saucing and brushing. It's a pristine workspace and the menu is a tribute to the yakitori tradition. Naturally, chicken takes center stage, though binchotan charcoal plays as vital a role as the fowl itself, with the aroma becoming one with the space and skewer. Begin with an appetizer like their nikomi, and though chicken is the focus, there are vegetable skewers like broccoli or Brussels sprouts.