With a prime location adjacent to Chinatown favorites Sparrow + Wolf and Lamaii, Robata En looks poised to bolster one of many pockets of exceptional dining along Spring Mountain Road while advancing its own innovative culinary style.

Chef Ramir DeCastro opened Robata En— the long-simmering follow-up to his exciting Japanese restaurant Yonaka—late last year. Known for artful presentations and distinct combinations of flavors and ingredients, Yonaka closed in 2013 when DeCastro decided its location at Flamingo and Decatur—with its limited parking—wasn’t the best spot for the evolution of his concept.

“At the end, I was trying out this concept of modern kaiseki, and I already knew I wasn’t going to renew the lease,” he says. “After Yonaka closed, I was able to really sit down and jot down more ideas, and I also had the chance to work with other chefs from Japan, China and Europe. I was inspired by the things I found and things I have learned since then, and I want to share that food with everybody.”

Robata En, a larger space taking over a former Korean barbecue spot, continues to use Japanese techniques and fresh ingredients from all over the world, serving familiar plates like chicken karaage ($12), raw oysters and a wide selection of nigiri and sashimi, but it expands with a robust offering of meat and seafood grilled over natural binchotan oak charcoal. Standout selections include tsukune, or chicken meatballs served with marinated Jidori egg ($8); Kurobuta pork belly with soy and calamansi ($8.50); foie gras with coffee balsamic kabayaki ($18.50); and miso-marinated black cod ($36).

DeCastro continues to experiment with unorthodox combinations when it comes to the robata menu. “Being a chef, you always have some unfinished business. You get addicted to it in the sense that it’s innate to you to feed people,” he says. “And seeing their reactions and having smiles on their faces really inspires me to try something new.”

When restaurant capacities are permitted to return to normal and business conditions improve, Robata En will change its menu more often to reflect seasonal ingredients. For now, DeCastro offers an eight-course tasting menu for those dining in, with the rest of the menu available for takeout.

Some of Yonaka’s beloved raw fish dishes are back, including the sake orenji ($17) with Scottish salmon, orange supreme, yuzu tobiko, Thai chili and ponzu. Other cold plates include sea urchin-topped Wagyu beef tartare ($25) with pineapple and anchovy

aioli, tuna tataki ($17) and halibut ($22) with umeboshi, tomatoes, almonds and grapes. On the hot side, there’s flash-fried octopus with plum salsa ($23); pan-roasted branzino ($23) with grilled cherry tomatoes and spicy lobster emulsion; and uni pasta ($26) finished with Calabrian chili and organic egg yolk bottarga.

For diners looking to share something special, there’s sushi and sashimi omakase ($33-$45) and Kobe A5 Wagyu beef from the Miyazaki Prefecture ($28 per ounce), seared to perfection on the charcoal grill.

“I’m overwhelmed at how people who supported Yonaka have taken time to come and support us here,” DeCastro says. “It’s really dawned on me how many people liked it as they come in and talk about their favorite dishes. It’s always been my goal to leave you with something memorable, and that they are remembering different components of a dish and what it tastes like and the texture is astonishing.

“With Robata En, we’re just trying to go a little bit further.”

ROBATA EN 4480 Spring Mountain Road #500, 702-331-0619. Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday, 5-10 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 5-11 p.m.