A new izakaya restaurant called Moku Yakitori-Ya is coming to 312 Eighth Ave. in the Richmond District. Co-Owner Daniel Cheng confirms that he and his brother Richard hope to open their restaurant by December, but with permitting and license hurdles to overcome in the coming weeks, it’s possible that they might not be ready until January.
The Cheng brothers have worked in Japanese cuisine for around ten years before venturing to open an establishment of their own. In opening an izakaya restaurant, they want to create an affordable place for friends to gather after work for drinks and delicious bites.
While a menu of skewers and small plates is still being conceptualized, Cheng says that they plan to have a small, rotating curation of beers and sochu that would perfectly complement their food. That being said, he notes that he and Richard are newcomers when it comes to owning and operating their own restaurant, so they have been taking extra care every step of the way to do everything right.
Moku Yakitori-Ya will be taking over the space that was previously home to Halu, which the Chengs used to frequent regularly. The former Japanese tapas restaurant was a favorite among Richmond locals who were sad to see it shut down during the pandemic.
In opening their new restaurant, the Cheng brothers hope to serve up the same quality food and drink everyone used to enjoy in that space. Cheng says that he has been in contact with the owners of Halu, who not only have given the brothers their blessing, but are also the first guests invited when the space finally reopens as Moku Yakitori-Ya.
Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that the Chengs worked in omakase restaurants for the ten years. They actually worked in Japanese cuisine for ten years, some of which were at omakase restaurants prior to opening Moku Yakitori-Ya.
