Japanese binchotan-charcoal skewers, made canonical in Vegas by Raku since 2008: pork belly, chicken thigh and skin, asparagus wrapped in beef, all cooked over imported white-oak charcoal.
Where to eat it: 1 restaurant across 1 city.
Robata grilling came to Las Vegas with chef Mitsuo Endo at Raku on Spring Mountain Road in 2008. The kitchen runs imported Japanese binchotan, white-oak charcoal that burns at 800C with almost no smoke. Endo's skewers cover the full Japanese izakaya canon: kushiyaki of pork belly, chicken skin, chicken thigh with green onion (negima), asparagus wrapped in beef, quail eggs and Japanese mushrooms. Raku earned multiple James Beard nominations and became the off-Strip room Vegas chefs ate at after their own shifts ended. Endo opened Sweets Raku in 2011 and Raku NYC in 2018.
Tip from the editors. Don't over-baste with tare or the skewers caramelise and char before the centre cooks; brush only in the last quarter of cook time.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Raku in Las Vegas is Mitsuo Endo's Spring Mountain izakaya since 2008, binchotan-charcoal robata that drew chefs from the Strip and earned multiple James Beard nominations.
Signature: Robata skewers, Agedashi tofu, Foie gras with caramelised onion
Order: Agedashi tofu (made in-house daily) plus a run of robata skewers chosen at the counter.
Tip: Booking is essential. Late-night kitchen runs to 03:00 for after-shift industry diners.
More cities are in research. Want robata skewers covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.