Tsukuneya Robotais / Once upon a time, the building at the corner of University Avenue and Dole Street was a Pizza Hut. More recently it was the cheap but hygienically challenged college bar Old School. Will its new incarnation as an atmospheric and inviting Japanese bistro break the spell of quick turnover and sticky floors? If the cozy, orange glow emanating from the lanterns on the lava rock outdoor dining area is anything to go by, the answer is probably yes.

The purpose of visiting a proper robata is not to eat and run; patrons spend hours nibbling skewered snacks and knocking back (at least) beer and sake. Tsukuneya Robata is true to these principles, so much so that its name refers directly to its house specialty: Tsukune refers to a mixture of minced chicken and yam, skewered and grilled over charcoal. Tsukuneya Robata offers a menu page’s worth of variations on this dish, ranging from a traditional, teriyaki-glazed staple, to a spicy wasabi mayonnaise-drizzled variant, to an ill-advised attempt at fusion, a ‘fondue’ tsukune, served in a bubbly mixed-cheese and onion sauce, dabbed with some sort of salsa. Much better is the lightly salted tsukune, although when they say ‘lightly,’ they aren’t kidding. The shiitake mushroom skewers are bolder and better. Despite its mildness, the tsukune menu works, no doubt due in part to the hotter burning, less smoky binchotan charcoal used in the kitchen.

But Tsukuneya Robata is not a kebabstand. There is plenty more on offer than meat on a stick: paitan nabe, for instance, an elaborate, do-it-yourself chicken soup, is an unusual choice for a robata with a tsukune-based menu. Whether this is meant to showcase the strengths of a particular chef, or simply to provide diners with a memorable, hands-on experience is unclear. Those who brave the nabe have a portable gas range brought to their table bearing a pot of thick, yellow chicken broth. Accompanying it is a plate laden with raw, minced chicken, Chinese cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, shredded scallions and decent cuts of chicken thigh. The ground chicken is added first, followed a few minutes later by the cabbage. The thigh meat quickly follows, then the remaining vegetables. Diners stir the pot with a beautiful wooden ladle provided by the staff, then strain the contents into small bowls containing a delicious ponzusauce, mixed at their discretion with the standard pickled ginger. Ponzu, a shoyu-based sauce, infused with bitter citrus flavor, winds up being one of the dish’s most memorable features. Nabe is traditionally considered winter food in Japan, perfect for these last few weeks of O’ahu’s cool, rainy season. Granted, 2006 seems like an odd year to begin encouraging the public to handle raw chicken, but if you’re going to let that scare you off you might as well stick to chain restaurants.

And then there’s the tofu–beautiful, gentle tofu–nature’s most sustainable protein source for vegan backpackers and Nepalese day laborers. Tsukuneya Robata loves the gentle soybean, but isn’t afraid to smack it around like a drunken deckhand in the name of culinary diversity. The not-for-the-faint of heart favorite is natto–fermented soybeans with the pungency of the white cheeses found all over the eastern Mediterranean–wrapped in a thick tofu skin and fried. The wedge-shaped pieces look innocent enough, like simple fried tofu triangles, but the surprise inside is something else entirely. Conversely, the plain, cold tofu is as simple and elegant as the fish sauce that accompanies it. And the bulky, fried, tofu-and-potato croquettes are the ultimate comfort food–the pommes frites of the Pacific Rim. Finally, on the tiny dessert menu, the cheesecake is the item of record, much cakier than its western equivalent, and served with an adzuki bean compote that is grainy but enjoyable.

The waitstaff appear to be mostly UH undergrads. Most of them are probably new to the intricacies of Japanese dining but appear to have absorbed a remarkable amount of information about the Japanese food and dining etiquette in general and about Tsukuneta Robata’s lengthy menu in particular. This kind of expertise is helpful for those who have never boiled their own chicken at a restaurant table before.

One of the best decisions behind the opening of Tsukuneya Robota may be its location, caddy corner from UH Manoa’s main entrance, giving, among other things, impoverished grad students a place to knock back 24-ounce bottles of Kirin lager.

But why mess with a formula? Tsukuneya Robotais in fact a successful Nagoya-based chain, making its first entry into one of Honolulu’s most crowded restaurant markets–high-end Japanese eating/drinking spots. In doing so it has already carved a niche: spacious and family-friendly, with food that is homey without being homely.

---