Kushi are Japanese skewers, bamboo or metal. Threaded with a sardine, a prawn, peppers, pork belly or chicken hearts, they're grilled over makeshift charcoal braziers and served up to passersby in Tokyo. In Belltown, you get to sit. In fact, you'll be served on the new open-air deck along Second, a 40-seat expanse at sidewalk level, while executive chef Billy Beach grills your mushrooms or gizzards (over imported coals) inside.
This is Kushibar, from the folks who brought you Umi Sake House. It opens to the public next week with an ambitious menu of more than 80 items on skewers and 20 or so bowls of soups and noodles. I'm looking forward to stir-fried yaki udom "street style" as well as the usual suspects (chicken broth with pork, corn, egg, scallions). Skewers will cost $2 to $5 apiece, with happy hour combo platters available. Ramen will run $8 to $15. House beers on tap include Sapporo and Oly (now part of Pabst, alas).
Official opening (with liquor license) after Labor Day.
Kushibar, 2319 Second Avenue, 206-448-2488 
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