There was a time when yakitori shops were hole-in-the-wall grills, often under railway tracks, where cheapness made up for the lack of sophistication and rotgut sake or rocket-fuel shochu were the libations of choice. Much has changed, though, and "upmarket yakitori" no longer seems a contradiction in terms.

No one has done more to refine the art of grilling chicken than Toshihiro Wada, the master of Bird Land. He first set up shop some 15 years ago in the back alleys of nether Asagaya, but it didn't take long before Tokyo's knowledgeable bird fanciers began beating a path to his door. They came, not just because Wada cooked delectable yakitori, some of the best in town, but because he brought a modern gourmet sensibility to this most traditional of cooking styles.

The decor at Bird Land was cheerful; there was no smoke in the air; jazz played on the sound system. He offered Guinness or Belgian Lambic beer to go with the food, and a wine list that ranged from basic Chilean plonk to Montrachet 1er Cru and Veuve Clicquot. And as an appetizer, he served chicken liver pate, as good as at any French bistro, with sliced baguette -- it was radical, a stroke of brilliance.