Chef Aaron Rayor launches Oishii Yakitori pop-up dinner series.

There’s something nostalgic about meat on a stick. For many of us, memories of scurrying around carnivals and county fairs as a kid come to mind, but for Aaron Rayor—executive chef at Carmel’s Cantinetta Luca—it’s Japanese barbecue, instead.

Growing up in northern Torrance, a suburb of Los Angeles, Rayor was immersed in diverse dining. But his favorite? Japanese yakitori. Now, he’s poised to debut a yakitori concept of his own: Oishii Yakitori.

On Tuesday, Dec. 18, he’ll take over Stationæry for the first of several pop-up dinners highlighting Japan’s signature skewers of barbecued meat. “It’s not fancy food, but it’s food I just want to eat all the time and enjoy with friends. It’s an experience. This is about having a good time, having a drink, eating and enjoying the company,” he says.

Rayor envisions these yakitori popups as a pet project that stretches his culinary muscles while he continues to lead the kitchen at Cantinetta Luca. Joining Rayor will be Tony Travanty—former chef-owner of the shuttered Lorella restaurant in Ashland, Oregon—and Steven Siglin from local Edible Ambassador catering. Travanty will lead development of Oishii Yakitori’s fermentation program, while Siglin will help foster relationships with local farms.

For Rayor, the decision to pursue this concept stems from a lifelong appetite for Japanese yakitori, “Growing up, I was immersed in the culture, even though I’m not from that culture. I’ve been going to the same yakitori restaurant since I was nine years old. Those are the childhood flavors that I miss.” He’s quick to emphasize his new popups will be influenced by traditional yakitori infused with lessons learned throughout his culinary career, “I’m going to take it and make it my own. I can give people a great meal from what I’ve learned throughout all of my cooking career and put it into these chicken skewers.”

Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of Oishii Yakitori’s concept. Yakitori is deeply rooted in Japanese culture and cuisine, where simplicity belies careful technique.

Yakitori starts on a custom barbecue, in this case, one Rayor sourced from Mutual Trading Company in Los Angeles. High-end Japanese binchotan charcoal provides the heat—and a lot of it. “This type of charcoal burns very clean and very hot,” Rayor explains. “The meat gets very hot on the outside, so it creates that skin that keeps the juices inside the skewer. And because it’s grilled over charcoal it has that distinctive flavor.”

Beyond specialized tools, there’s a deceptive amount of skill and technique required too, “You have to take the time to skewer each part well. If you don’t, you end up with a skewer that rolls over on the same side and you can’t cook it properly. It requires a lot of patience and time.”

While yakitori literally means “grilled chicken,” any number of meats, and even vegetables, can be grilled. But Rayor is keeping the menu for the inaugural pop-up dinner simple and focusing on chicken, with some vegetarian options. (He does tease future popups may add pork and even elite A5 Japanese Wagyu beef to the menu.)

Rayor has partnered with local pastured poultry purveyor Fogline Farm for Oishii Yakitori’s debut dinner, “It’s simple street food, but we’re trying to source the best quality stuff we can use and to highlight the whole animal.” The famed fowl farm in Soquel will provide 60 chickens and the team plans to use every part of the bird, from breast and thigh to less conventional cuts. Those offal cuts—tail, neck, oyster and skin—are Rayor’s favorites. “The most adventurous thing is probably going to be the gizzard.”

“We’re highlighting all these individual cuts of chicken cooked over the charcoal, but they’re not prepared exactly the same,” Rayor emphasizes. Some may be glazed with herbs and reduced chicken stock, others with traditional yuzu kosho—a fermented paste made of chilies, yuzu citrus peel and salt—and still others miso and shoyu. “We’re glazing flavors not to overpower the chicken, but to highlight what it is.” Each skewer will carry two pieces of meat and be priced a la carte, so Rayor recommends ordering three or four skewers per person.

For vegetarians, selections will include shishito chile peppers and umami-rich tomatoes and mushrooms. Alongside yakitori, look for onigiri—rice rolled around meat or vegetables and wrapped in nori. And of course beer (by the glass and pitcher) and sake will also be on offer for the evening.

“We’re not trying to change the world here, we just want you to come and have a good time. Have beers, have sake maybe, be in good company.”

Oishii Yakitori won’t take reservations—it’s first come, first served—so diners will sign in on the waitlist upon arrival. The debut dinner at Stationæry on Tuesday, December 18 kicks off at 5pm and continues until 10pm, or until sold out. It’s cash only, so stop by an ATM ahead of time.

For news on future Oishii Yakitori popups, follow @oishii.yakitori on Instagram.