Warayaki-ya わらやき屋

Roppongi Warayaki-ya

Wara means rice straw and yaki means burning — and that tells the whole story. Whether you order chicken, fish or vegetables, the food will be held briefly above flaming straw, giving everything a slightly burnt aroma. The leaping flames turn the open kitchen into a circus performance, while the fragrance of burning straw evokes the ghost picnics past.

The magician in the kitchen

Unless we have a group, when we order every single item from the warayaki-list, we usually go for katsuo (bonito) and potatoes. Eat more than that and the smokey flavour becomes a bit overwhelming. The katsuo is lightly seared outside, raw on the inside and arrives with a choice of sliced raw garlic, wasabi, ginger, salt and onions. Garlic seems to go very well with katsuo and fortunately we both like it - we just have to be careful not to arrange to meet anyone for a drink after dinner.

Katsuo no tataki

Warayaki-ya has several locations - among them in Akasaka, Shinbashi and Roppongi. The food is similar, but somehow only the Roppongi shop has the real ambience.

On a warm summer evening last year, kids were playing with tiny firecrackers outside

On summer evenings, the sliding doors are thrown open and it is even possible to sit on the narrow wooden terrace.

Food: 7/10 (very good) 


Ambiance: 8/10 (cool)


Price-performance: 7/10 (good value) 

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Address: 6-8-8- Roppongi, Minato-ku

Tel: +81 (3) 5410-5560