Kuma no Yakitori

Kuma no Yakitori began in Osaka in 2014 as a members-only yakitori counter and opened its Bangkok branch at Rain Hill on Sukhumvit 47 in 2024. Owner-chef Yoshinari Takagi, a former professional footballer who trained in several kitchens, runs a minimalist 12-seat counter, with a private room for seven. The Bangkok branch accepts guests without membership.

The meal is a seasonal tasting menu that pairs charcoal-grilled skewers with small dishes. Reviewers describe eight skewers covering thigh, heart, breast, skin, wings and tsukune, alongside homemade tofu topped with uni, uni cream chawanmushi, tamago kake gohan and roast duck. The Essential menu costs 2,800 baht and the longer themed menu, recently titled The Resonance of Dashi, 4,200 baht, both plus service and tax, with a 1,000-baht deposit.

Suits diners who want yakitori as a full tasting meal rather than a bar snack, at a mid-range price. Book through Chope; the counter fills quickly at weekends. Torisawa 22 on Sukhumvit 49 is close by for a second yakitori counter in the same neighbourhood.