Like people who thrive after a move, Aki is one of those restaurants that was underappreciated at its old home in the Ala Moana vicinity, but bustling at its new venue in Kaimuki.

In a case of being so close yet so far, the restaurant was in a high-traffic area but largely hidden on Makaloa Street on the backside of Walmart. Every day hundreds of pedestrians were milling around on Keeaumoku Street within 500 yards of Aki, but had little reason to turn the corner and walk that underdeveloped stretch. Drivers also had little reason to take notice of the recessed restaurant while on Makaloa en route to someplace else, or with eyes focused on finding street parking.

Even so, you would think the owners would have been hesitant to move into Unit 103 in the 11th Avenue Atrium, which has seen a long string of short-lived restaurant tenants come and go over a dozen years. The restaurant to occupy this spot the longest in recent memory was Jawaiian Irie Jerk, which has a new home down the street on Waialae Avenue.

Part of the problem was that it always looked like a makeshift space that didn’t inspire confidence about the cleanliness of the kitchen. In its transformation from Aina Haina Garden Shop to a mixed-use retail and restaurant space, the building never lost its cobbled-together ambience, and Unit 103 in particular always looked like an afterthought — cramped, dark and recessed.

It is now bright, clean and beautiful enough to turn heads, which is what happened to me when I was en route to another restaurant. I spotted the new gleaming Aki and had to check it out.

Over the holidays, the restaurant’s robata grill was a particularly welcoming beacon, an indication of warmth on chilly evenings.

Where the old Aki gave the impression of being an all-around izakaya, in this more intimate space, the grill stands out as the centerpiece. As soon as you’re seated, you’re handed a checklist of robata specialties to choose from because, depending on traffic, the wait time is approximately 20 minutes for skewers off the grill.

Not that I was watching the clock, because there is a lot to enjoy before the skewers arrive.

The menu opens with small bites such as cold tofu ($5), edamame ($5.50) and a juicy, dashi broth-infused rolled omelet ($7).

From there, most people will likely gravitate to sushi, although I prefer the riceless sashimi, with five pieces recently priced at $14 for ahi, $15 for yellowtail, and $16 for specials of mackerel and $45 for bluefin otoro. The bluefin was too rich for me over the holidays, but if you just want a taste of the fatty tuna, it’s $20 for two pieces on sushi. I vicariously enjoyed it when diners seated next to me ordered the sushi and it arrived fatty and glistening. I could imagine the deliciousness, which they confirmed. I was happy with my thick slices of yellowtail.

The menu is like a greatest-hits compendium of popular dishes. The deep-fried specialties, for instance, comprise only four dishes: a beef-filled croquette ($6.50), chicken karaage ($7.50), oysters ($8.50) and tonkatsu ($12).

The grilled dishes also number four: whole squid ($13.50), salmon belly ($15), miso butterfish ($16.50) and hamachi collar ($18), which was on nearly every table. I’d pass on the oysters, which have more breading than shellfish, but I’d order the hamachi collar over and over again. It always takes effort to wrest the meat from around the bones, but it’s worth the trouble.

There’s a little bit of oden, which I have yet to try, and Aki’s atypical hot pots are also popular. You have a choice of a spicy stew of beef intestines ($20, with a minimum of two orders) or pork belly in a soy milk and Szechuan sesame broth (same price).

The soy milk made it sweet, and I’m still not sure how I feel about the sweet broth vs. a dashi or meat-stock nabe. It was pleasant, but I guess the bottom line was that I’m not a big sweets eater, so I found it distracting. But the pork belly and vegetables were excellent, so I would probably order it again.

In between the starters and hot pots that should close a meal, came the meat and vegetable skewers that had been grilled over Japanese white binchotan charcoal — said to produce no smoke, but billowing white smoke throughout the evening suggested otherwise. Luckily for the small space, the ventilation system works pretty well.

Of the skewers, yakitori fared best with the charcoal. I loved the chicken wings ($3), thighs ($3), breast meat with wasabi ($2.50) and tsukune (meatball, $3.50), plus the shiitake ($2.50).

Otherwise, the smoke overwhelmed the flavors of rib-eye ($6), pork belly ($3) and pork-wrapped asparagus ($3.50). At the best robata or yakitori restaurants, you’ll never see the smoke or taste much of it. The meat itself should shine through.

For dessert there’s warabi mochi ($5.50), and I was smitten by a candylike green tea creme brulee ($9). Did I say I didn’t care for sweets earlier? It’s all about context. In some dessert forms like this, it’s fine.

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