Moku Yakitori-Ya: The Richmond’s Izakaya

By Sean Rinn

The most unheralded dining experience in Japanese cuisine is closer to going to a pub than ordering a spicy tuna roll at the sushi bar. Japan has its own version of a bar and grill called an izakaya where yakitori and kushiyaki, grilled chicken and other meats, are served skewered with a beer or two. 

In Japan, bars and izakayas alike can be found all over the place but they are usually tucked away in alleys. Their classically small size usually sits no more than 10 people at a time. They are designed to be intimately sized for the customers to share laughs, a couple drinks and walk out with some new friends. 

The Richmond District has its own izakaya on Eighth Avenue near Clement Street called Moku Yakitori-Ya, which opened in October of 2021 by brothers Richard and Daniel Cheng. 

The restaurant’s name derives from Moku, which means wood in Japanese. The meat is skewered on wood and grilled on charcoal to create a smoky flavor, so Moku had to be part of the name, according to Richard, the restaurant’s main grill master. 

Like all pubs, the personality on the inside matters. Once you peel past the curtain attached to the door, you enter a snug spot with a bar seating about 10 and a couple of tables behind that. Moku Yakitori-Ya has a rotating food menu written in chalk on a blackboard. The only menu you are given at your seat is for drinks. 

The chill vibe of this hangout creates a relaxed environment through the charming decoration and soft music in the background so you can actually hear the story being told by the person next to you, whether that’s good or bad depends on your company. The first thing I noticed were multiple surfboards on the wall. Why surfboards?

“I surf a lot,” said Richard, perfectly encapsulating the feeling of the place with his calm and direct answer. Straightforward, to the point, delivered in a relaxed manner. 

The rest of the restaurant is similarly decorated, not that it is a surf themed joint because it is not, but that it is the kind of place that does not take itself too seriously. It is as if Richard picked through pawn shops and garage sales for quirky finds that he thought were awesome or made him chuckle. 

Humor is sprinkled throughout, like with a sign that reads: “Forecast tonight: alcohol, low standards and poor decisions.”  When I turned my attention to the mounted television, I was delighted to discover a Japanese game show combining a skateboarding competition with American Ninja Warrior. Luckily, I saw someone wipeout. 

An Orion Beer poster hung up on the ceiling like in a college dorm room, and an Ultraman movie poster accompanied it on the wall connected to it. 

Along the bar and scattered all over the hood of the grill vent are stickers repping both Japan and San Francisco. Just to mention a few of the many that caught my eye included the beloved rock station KFOG, Aqua Surf Shop in the Sunset, various Tokyo train tickets and Orion beer. 

The decoration gives off the feeling of going over to a buddy’s house for a cookout, which is exactly what Richard loves about his spot. 

“We like barbecuing and we like drinking. That whole environment having customers order some food and share some drinks is always a good time,” Richard said.

Richard’s origins for how he got into the restaurant industry were also characteristically chill. 

“I mean, I just like to feed people,” he said. 

The opportunity to enter the restaurant industry presented itself shortly after Richard finished high school. A friend of his who inherited the Fuji Japanese Restaurant in West Portal needed assistance. Like a good friend would, Richard offered a helping hand. 

“After that, I pretty much stayed in the restaurant industry,” he said. 

Richard stayed long enough to open his own spot, which he accomplished in 2021 during the height of the pandemic, taking over for the beloved restaurant, Halu. 

As COVID-19 wielded its scythe under a dark hood causing the closure of restaurants in waves, Richard was not scared of opening his own place during the tumultuous times of global disaster.

“I’ve always wanted to open my own spot, and [COVID] was an opportunity, but there were obstacles after that. People obviously weren’t dining out much,” he said. “In the beginning, it was pretty tough. But I would say two or three months after that, I think people were sick of cooking at home and they flooded the restaurant. So that was pretty awesome.”

As Moku Yakitori-Ya grew its customers, the momo, chicken thigh skewers, harami and wagyu skirt steak skewers, quickly became popular among many other solid skewer options and small plates. 

The labor-intensive process requires cubing everything on the menu into large quantities and storing them efficiently so as not to run out. After strict preparation, Richard said the key to good yakitori is the charcoal grill and their dipping sauce. 

“The tare, which is the dipping sauce,” he said. “We’ve had that going for about three years now. So, the longer it’s going, we kind of have a mother sauce and then as it ages it gets better, so I would say ours is pretty decent now. Most of it we dip in the tare, and then with the charcoal we grill the meat giving it that smoky flavor.”

Richard enjoys everything about owning his own spot, from the connection with people who walk through the door, to the little things that other people may find annoying if they were in his position.

“I smell like binchotan, smoked meats all the time, and I love it,” Richard said. “I love how casual it is. Just the kind of laid-back customer, not too serious. We just have a good time.”

If you’re searching for a good time, something casual, not too serious, then stop by Moku Yakitori-Ya to kick it with Richard. Enjoy hot food from the grill and cold beer at the Richmond’s izakaya. 

Moku Yakitori-Ya is located at 312 Eighth Ave., just off Clement Street.