It’s the flare of flame and the glow of coals that immediately grab you at Kura; the smoky worship of binchotan charcoal that lights up the room and powers a menu the layperson could describe as “delicious things on sticks”.

Yes, we’re talking the Japanese art of yakitori. And here, in a sleek dining room hidden almost too discretely under an apartment building in Brunswick East, the sticks are seriously good.

Chalk that up to the talents of Ken Ibuki, a former Nobu and Chef’s Table at Kisume chef. At this casual robata-yaki his pursuit of yakitori perfection means swatches of soft eel, glazed into caramel sweetness, or chicken skin, a textural one-two of crisp and soft. There are bouncy chicken hearts and grunty beef intercostal, which invites a vigorous shake of the togarashi spice mix to spark it into brilliance.

It also means he’s offering things less often seen in Melbourne, such as chochin – creamy egg yolk orbs punctured on the end of the chicken thigh sticks after being poached in tare (a mix of sweet soy, mirin and sake).

Related review: This new Collingwood eatery delivers elegance without pretension 

The best seats in the house overlook the kitchen action but the drop-in feel of the long, skinny room belies the seriousness of intent behind the operation.

Look no further than the sake list compiled by co-owner Kelvin Low (of Elysian Whisky Bar fame). One of the city’s best, it strays into premium territory with the price tags to match but is decent enough to cater to rice wine novices with tasting notes and waiterly advice.

While we’re talking drinks, the miso butter Old Fashioned is a stunner, the classic cocktail value-added with an almost indecently rich umami kick. The same miso butter lends its addictive qualities to charry corn cobs, leavened with a squeeze of lime as a citrus counterpoint.

The hardworking wood fire also does good things in the non-sticks area, from a bowl of ruggedly blistered edamame to a single king prawn, split and ladled with yuzu koshu butter and fried capers, the creature so fresh and the shell so charry good that you can crunch it up, head and all, if that’s your bent.

Ibuki’s kitchen is no one-trick pony reliant on binchotan’s famously clean char. His sashimi plate is textbook – salmon, tuna – jazzed up with the opt-in addition of alfonsino, its skin just- seared for a strip of delicate crunch.

Oysters with a ponzu dressing are a mouthful of bracing brininess, while miso soup with neck clams bobbing around still in their shell and fried tofu puffs is all clean comfort for those in need of a culinary hug.

There is a simple caveat to Kura’s excellence. Like the rest of Melbourne, it’s groaning under the weight of staff shortages and the expectation of diners following the scent of an exciting new venue. Our advice? Practice patience, order more sake, and enjoy the show.

Related review: This new Richmond bistro is slinging more than just smashed avo