Intestinal fortitude

I'm what you might call an adventurous eater. There aren't many dishes I won't at least try, and offal (or organ) meats don't bother me. My wife Sue is also pretty brave when it comes to trying new things. But there are times when my experimental nature gets to be a bit too much for her. Unfortunately for her, we were joined on our recent visit to the Japanese restaurant Aburiya Raku (Raku for short) by our friend Jim, who's at least as adventurous as I am. As a result, a few of our less mainstream menu selections may have slightly ruined her appetite.

The truth is, Raku has plenty to offer those with conservative tastes. At its heart, it's a robata restaurant, offering skewers of various meats and vegetables cooked over a charcoal grill. They include assorted cuts of chicken ($1.50-$8), American "Kobe" beef ($3-$28), pork ($2.50), lamb ($5), duck ($4-$12) and seafood ($5-$7). There are also small portions (mostly vegetable) of the broth pot Oden for $1.50 each, as well as rice, noodle or soup bowls made with everything from rice balls to foie gras ($4.50-$15). As the prices indicate, everything is delivered in fairly small portions, which allows for plenty of mixing and matching.

What will likely give pause to the squeamish is the large number of less mainstream meats. The chef here clearly believes in using as much of an animal as possible. So in addition to "Kobe" filet and skirt steak, you'll also find the cow's liver and tongue (the latter offered raw, sashimi style). From our friend the pig, they use the ear and the cheeks. But the most ominous dish has got to be the "meat guts": thin slivers of cow intestines.

While placing our order, Sue steered a middle road, while Jim and I excitedly tried to outdo each other ordering the most outrageous things on the menu. Unfortunately for her, the craziest dishes arrived first: the raw tongue; the guts; the ear. So by the time the more mainstream food arrived, her appetite was a little diminished by watching her dinner companions devour obscure animal parts as she gamely sampled, and then rejected, most of them.

Nonetheless, everyone at the table loved the Kobe skirt with garlic as well as the beef liver, both of which were wonderfully seasoned. Our foie gras bowl was excellent. The grilled squid was also delicious: infused with a deep charcoal taste. But the highlight of the more traditional meats was definitely the grilled yellowtail, which boasted that same charcoal taste in a much more tender cut of fish.

Jim and I also liked most of the other dishes, although there are a few I probably wouldn't order again now that my curiosity has been satisfied. The tongue was more notable for its chewy texture than it subtle earthy taste, while the guts were well-spiced, but not terribly impressive. On the other hand, I really liked the thin ribbons of fresh raw squid. And I was even more impressed with an absolutely amazing combination bowl of poached egg, sea urchin and salmon roe, as well as a visually stunning gutted-and-fried whole flying fish.

The only dish I really didn't enjoy was the pork ear. While I was amused by the fact the curly thin strips looked like a 3D ear-shaped jigsaw puzzle, they were basically two strips of rather tasteless extra-fatty pork wrapped around a winding piece of cartilage.

To provide you with courage to sample some of those dishes, Raku offers a nice sake selection, as well as beer, wine and an interesting Japanese alcoholic beverage called ShoChu (straight or mixed with various fruit juices). But be warned: As affordable as the general menu is, your bar tab can get away from you pretty quickly here. Prices are a little steep, and portions are very small.

The dining room is small, casual and clean, and packed with a primarily Japanese clientele on the night of my visit. The staff is extremely friendly, and happy to explain the menu to first-timers -- although most of the people in the room seem to be regulars. The restaurant has the feel of a hidden gem, where those in the know go to get food you won't find anywhere else in town. The fact it's buried in the back of a small Chinatown strip mall adds to that vibe. (Look for the Ozzie's bar on Spring Mountain road, then head all the way to the back corner of the mall.).

The more exotic dishes at Raku really shouldn't scare you away -- there are plenty of accessible, delicious options. But if you think you have the guts, why not see if you can stomach theirs?