If you happened to be dining at Yakitori Hachibei in recent weeks and spotted a stalkerish presence peering at you through the window, that could have been me or a hundred other souls unable to get a table yet unwilling to leave. Those of us on the outside were mesmerized by the view; it was as if we were peering into a living diorama.

I don’t know why, but while I’ve been in countless restaurants I’ve deemed beautiful, this one has a hypnotic effect. Maybe it’s the incongruity of an upscale yakitori emporium set amid the grime of downtown Honolulu. Maybe it’s the glow of a paper lantern that snakes across the restaurant. Or, on a chilly evening, the warm smokiness emanating off the grill where chef Katsunori Yashima presides like a maestro commanding an orchestra. He exudes a masterful, Zen presence at the heart of a room swirling with activity.

Hachibei’s roots are in Fukuoka, Japan, where Yashima’s grandfather, Tokichiro, owned a butcher shop. Yashima’s father, Takemi, came up with the idea to open a yakitori restaurant using meat from the family shop, but it was Katsunori who was able to open a small restaurant in 1983. Its success enabled him to open a restaurant in swanky Roppongi Hills five years ago, and now, Hawaii.

Here, Yashima has a ready-made audience of Japan transplants who bring a new presence to Chinatown, a place many feared at night. Apparently, the hunger for good food outweighs the risk of being accosted or stepping in something unpleasant.

The restaurant opens at 6 p.m. Good luck getting a reservation. Chances are you’ll be invited to return at 8:30 when early parties leave. The downside is that some items can sell out before the second seating. Many are booking follow-up reservations before they leave.

Yakitori can seem like such a simple proposition. Chicken + stick + fire = yum. Yet there are variables such as marinade, grill time and quality of meat. I recently had some dry, rubbery yakitori that made me appreciate Hachibei even more.

Their naturally raised chicken is sourced locally from J. Ludovico Farm. With the Japanese palate for light, subtle flavors, there were times when morsels of chicken were bland by Hawaii standards, but I could still appreciate the tender texture and clean flavor of the meat.

Considering its 35-year history, there’s a lot more to the menu today than meat, so your vegetarian friends can keep you company with such items as shiitake, shishito peppers, cherry tomatoes or avocado grilled on skewers ($2.80 per stick).

There are also starters such as a goma salmon ($9.80) done up poke style in shoyu-sesame sauce, and a delicious combination of sweetened cream cheese tofu and pungent miso pickled cheese ($6.80) that together add up to magic. Another dish not to be missed is the mentai dashimaki tamago, with the savory cod broth suspended within the egg so the resulting roll is soft, melting on the tongue into a languid pool of flavorful soup.

I usually enjoy mentai, but when it comes to yakitori, it turned a serving of mune (chicken breast, $2.80) a little too fishy tasting. Other chicken breast options: wasabi shoyu; and ume (sour plum), the best one. But none was particularly exciting. It’s best for those who think of chicken only as a clean white nugget.

For the rest of us there are chicken gizzards ($2.80), chicken livers ($2.80), fried chicken wings ($2.80) and juicy tsukune ($2.80), the sizable chicken meatball flavored with onions and chives.

One selection that earned an encore was the tare bara ($2.80), pork belly dipped in a mildly sweet shoyu sauce. Those who can’t get enough pork can order select veggies wrapped with pork ($3.80 per skewer).

Other specialty dishes include kalbi merguri ($5.80), presented kebab style, the meat interspersed with cherry tomatoes, green bell pepper and onions; and a beef sukiyaki ($5.80) skewer accompanied by silky raw egg yolk for dipping.

Keep refreshed with sake ($10.80 to $13.80), bottled beer ($5.80 to $7.80), highballs ($5.80 to $6.80) or a range of chuhai ($5.30 to $6.80) blending shochu with such ingredients as lemon, lemon with salt, honey or a combination of mint, honey and lemon.

Many are praising one of the restaurant’s finishing touches, perfectly grilled onigiri ($5.80) sandwiched by two shiso leaves. Another option is the house chicken ramen ($8.80), which arrives in a custom ceramic bowl playfully mimicking an instant ramen container’s design. Alas, I enjoyed the presentation more than the sweet broth.

For dessert, Yashima and managing partner Robert Yamazaki proudly showcase their wives’ specialties, homemade sesame seed pudding ($5.80) and a chilled chocolate brownie cake ($6.80) worthy of Hachibei’s reputation.

At some point Yashima will be returning home to continue overseeing his Japan operation. Let’s hope he leaves the grilling here to equally skilled hands.

Nadine Kam’s restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Advertiser. Reach her at nkam@staradvertiser.com.