"Step into the Japanese tavern dishing out rich ramen bowls, gyoza, and kushyaki (skewers) from a robata grill"
The glow of charcoal illuminates a plume of smoke in the open kitchen at Indigo Road Hospitality Group’s latest Upper King outpost. While wood textures and warm lighting imbue an understated calm, the buzzing dining room drowns the clatter of skewers hitting the robata grill. Like any good fire, people gather to it, ogling the steady stream of nibbles from a long, ample bar and salivating over the aromas that fill the beer garden patio with its neon highballs and a fine sake list. Shokudô announces itself as a proper izakaya.
This modern Japanese tavern resonates with the energy of a neighborhood pub, where meals unfold over small plates of shared bites and a steady flow of drinks. Helming the kitchen is chef-partner Masatomo “Masa” Hamaya, whose resume stretches from Tokyo to some of the country’s most respected Japanese establishments, including Uchiko in Austin and San Francisco’s Michelin-starred Ame.
Charleston has embraced more Japanese cuisine in recent years, but Shokudô expands beyond sushi counters and omakase experiences. Here, the emphasis is on conviviality proffered through full bellies and an artful drink—skewered duck meatballs and raw, dry-aged tuna passed around the table; bowls of ramen slurped late into the evening; and a ridiculously rich pair of Wagyu and uni dumplings for those with thicker wallets in the crowd.
Indigo Road founder Steve Palmer hesitated to call the spot an izakaya, because it’s risky to step outside the formulaic and invest in unfamiliar concepts. But a small-plate tavern that offers Japanese culinary culture from raw beef hand rolls to clay-pot fish seems perfectly placed in the tourist gulch of our modern downtown. The grilled edamame alone—blackened and peeking through pats of garlic soy butter—justifies wading through a throng of bachelorettes to reach the front door.
And a sip of The Yuzu-al Suspect—vodka bittered by matcha, spiked with absinthe, and soured by yuzu and lemon—reveals a cocktail program that rivals the good eats. Here, the warm hospitality that we’ve come to expect from Indigo Road establishments provides an unhurried night, from the first curl of charcoal smoke to the last sip of namazake.
479-B King St.
Sunday-Thursday, 4-10 p.m.
Friday & Saturday, 4-11 p.m.
Closed Tuesday
(843) 789-4299, www.shokudochs.com
