Haza Yakitori proves to be surprisingly family-friendly

Owner Henry Lin wants everyone to feel welcome at Haza Yakitori, 3399 S. Jones Blvd. From 5 to 7 p.m., the lounge features a happy hour with smaller tasting portions of many of the dishes and drink specials. Later in the evenings, patrons can enjoy a variety of entertainment from live jazz music and comedy to salsa dancing with a live Cuban band. The doors stay open until midnight, but if patrons are enjoying themselves, Lin sticks around until 2 a.m.

No matter the time of night, all ages are welcome, and earlier in the evenings, Lin is quick to crack out a high chair and kids' plastic dishes and plug cartoon videos into the video projector.

"I have kids, and I wanted them to have room to move," Lin said.

Haza, featuring a single letter from the name of each member of Lin's immediate family, opened about seven months ago.

According to the restaurant's website, hazayakitori.com, yakitori food — a sort of Japanese-style tapas served primarily grilled on sticks — became popular in World War II. During the war, Japanese factories hustling to keep up with demand employed and housed entire families. After their shifts, employees would meet to unwind, talk, eat and drink. The places they gathered, often no more than a room, became social houses or izakaya. Among the quick, simple dishes they served was yakitori.

After the war, yakitori could be found served from carts as street food. As the economy grew stronger and meat was easier to come by, yakitori was considered food for folks who couldn't afford better. Standing-room-only eateries popped up in narrow alleyways between buildings. Eventually, the cuisine became popular as bar food.

The factory history of the cuisine is part of what inspired Haza Yakitori's industrial design with steel and wood tables, a concrete floor and exposed ducts and beams. To the left of the entry is a long and narrow bar, a tribute to the narrow alleyways were yakitori was once served.

Unlike the small, traditional eateries in Japan, Haza Yakitori is big with space Lin designed to be flexible. Along the walls, he installed built-in benches and tables. The center of the room features a lounge area with cushioned seats and coffee tables surrounded by curtains that double as projection screens. All of the center furniture is mounted on wheels to allow it to be moved swiftly to accommodate dancing.

On the menu, diners will find grilled dishes, including lamb chops, vinegar grilled mackerel and salt grilled squid legs. And there are fried dishes, such as Japanese-style chicken, pork chops, breaded soft-shell crab, calamari, vegetable tofu and garlic shrimp tempura. Yakitori dishes, served skewered and presented on plates or standing in a bucket bouquet, include a wide variety of vegetables such as seasoned corn, eggplant, shiitake mushroom, green bell pepper, cauliflower, broccoli and bacon-wrapped asparagus. Seafood yakitori include scallop, shrimp and capelin fish. Sirloin and smoked pork yakitori is offered, too. A wide variety of chicken yakitori includes: all-white meat, chicken wings, chicken hearts, and there's even chicken skin yakitori, crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

Traditional soups, salads and noodle dishes round out the menu. Haza also serves wines, sake and beer. But you won't find any sushi.

"Everyone does sushi; it's just not unique enough," Lin said.

Engraved metal menus mounted on clipboard-sized wood blocks are left at the table, and patrons are encouraged to order as they go.

Hours are from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily. Call 702-835-3350.