Ryobo (両忘)

Two minutes from both Yotsubashi and Shinsaibashi stations in central Osaka, Ryobo builds its reputation around a smoke-finished rice dish served at the close of the meal, a signature that food writers have singled out as a highlight worth the visit alone. The restaurant runs a set course priced at ¥13,200 per person and keeps flexible hours that stretch into lunch on weekends, opening from noon on Saturdays and Sundays and from 5:00 PM on weekdays. Typical dinner spending lands in the ¥15,000 to ¥20,000 range including drinks, making it one of the more special-occasion-oriented yakitori restaurants on this list.