Izakaya Fusion Grill Keitan

Binchotan-grilled yakitori with daily happy hour and karaoke room experience.

Keitan makes Japanese charcoal grilling easy to explore through yakitori flights, so you can sample a range of ingredients instead of settling on a single skewer. Keitan at 35 East 3rd Avenue in San Mateo builds its menu around Japanese binchotan-charcoal grilling. Yakitori flights make the range easy to explore: the signature assortment brings together ribeye, pork belly, cumin lamb, garlic shrimp, mushrooms, asparagus and negima chicken, while a dedicated chicken flight features several cuts and preparations. A garden flight highlights grilled vegetables and pineapple. Individual skewers include chicken thigh with scallion, chicken hearts, gizzards, cartilage and slowly grilled chicken skin. Seafood specialties such as yellowtail collar, tiger prawns and surf clam broaden the charcoal-grilled selection. Small plates, tempura, ramen, udon and rice dishes provide alternatives to a meal composed entirely of skewers. The drinks list covers beer, wine, sake, shochu and fruit-based Japanese beverages. For yakitori in downtown San Mateo, Keitan's emphasis on binchotan grilling and tasting flights gives diners a structured way to sample different ingredients and textures.