Our friend Ilene first took my husband and me to this restaurant six years ago. It was a Tuesday and we loved it so much that I insisted on returning on Thursday. While not fancy, Nanbankan is a near perfect dining experience for me — the food is consistently excellent, the atmosphere very comfortable and you are greeted by the paternal owner who makes you feel like you’ve entered his home.

And though the food from the kitchen is yummy, you go for the unique meal of skewers of meats, seafood and vegetables that are cooked over a large charcoal grill that sits in the middle of the restaurant. We love to eat at the bar which provides a front row view of these masters of yakitori which are served off the grill piping hot.

I’ve brought lots of friends who love to cook and they have all been amazed with some of these menu recommendations: chicken wings, burdock with pork, lamb with garlic, chilean sea bass, yaki onigiri (grilled rice balls with your choice of salmon, spicy cod roe or pickled plum inside), chicken meatballs. Great for a date or take the family. Our girls who are both under the age of five love it too.