You can’t judge food by its appearance at the newer HATCH Yakitori + Bar located in DTLA’s The Bloc, especially when it comes to the restaurant’s delicious Japanese-style black karaage fried chicken on a stick.

The Japanese-style black karaage fried chicken on a stick may look like coal, but the chicken has an exquisite blend of taste, texture and aroma. (photo by Jill Weinlein)

When the signature dish was first delivered to my table, I was hesitant. The two-day brined chicken thigh is by far the ugliest item on the menu and looks like dry, black coal, or a meteorite from a far-off galaxy. Still, I reluctantly squeezed a slice of grilled lime on top, dipped it in a black ranch aioli and took a bite. The chicken has an exquisite balance of taste, texture and aroma. The chefs use thigh meat, which contains a high concentration of myoglobin, giving the chicken its dark color and umami-rich taste. The chefs then deepen the karaage’s color and flavor by rolling the dark meat in squid ink powder, deep frying it and skewering it. The innovative menu was created by Executive Chef Daniel Shemtob in collaboration with owner-partners, Akarad “AK” Tachavatcharapa and Nara Latip.

The Japanese stick style menu is one of two components that makes HATCH Yakitori + Bar unique. The other is its creative Japanese twist to cocktails. Bar Director James Fastiggi stirs things up by pairing fresh and innovative flavors with the exciting food.

When I requested a drink to start my culinary adventure, Fastiggi recommended the “Wassup Bae” made with Roku gin, wasabi, cucumber, lemon juice, lemongrass syrup and a whisper of charcoal salt on the rim. It’s a millennial favorite, he said.

Next, I sipped a refreshing green Matcha Highball made with Iwai whisky, coconut lemongrass nigori, lemon juice, house-made honey syrup and matcha powder. Poured into an ice-filled Collins glass and served with a metal straw, Iwai whisky offers tasting notes of pear, quince, red fruits and vanilla. This drink paired well with the avocado tuna toast on crispy rice with scallions and sesame seeds.

While enjoying a “Mushroom Party” stick, I sipped a pleasing “The Rum Tum Tum” cocktail. It’s made with house-made tepache, a fermented pineapple liquor popular in Mexico, and combined with Greenbar spiced rum, lemon juice, Demerara syrup and Angostura bitters. This tropical vacation in a glass pairs perfectly with the three types of grilled mushrooms on the “party” stick.

Next, we enjoyed a Yuzu Sour with a plate of hamachi. The cocktail is a refreshing twist on a Pisco Sour and is presented with a pretty design on the creamy, egg-white foam. It’s also prepared with Iwai whisky, yuzu liqueur, lemon juice, and simple syrup.

The prettiest drink on the menu, “For Goodness ‘Sake,’” was bright pink and decorated with an edible flower. It gets its dazzling color from a pour of prickly pear juice, dry sake, Tito’s vodka, lychee juice and pear syrup. This drink went well with cigar-shaped chicken meatballs, served on a stick with savory egg yolk dipping sauce.

A crowd favorite was the slightly sweet and spicy “Mangorita,” made with Lunazul tequila, house-made mango syrup, agave nectar, lime juice, orange bitters, serrano pepper and a salt and pepper rim, and a perfect accompaniment to the Wagyu Beef A5 Nigiri. For this bite-sized dish, chef Daniel cuts a thin slice of fine Japanese beef with delicate, evenly distributed marbling. He then brushes on an in-house soy sauce and lightly sears the beef with a cooking blowtorch before topping it with a crispy garlic chip.

The “Tokyo Drift” drink has a pour of Kaiyo whisky, Angostura and orange bitters, and a magic citrus elixir developed by Fastiggi. It was inspired by a savory sauce made by Chef de Cuisine Erick Cielo and goes nicely with the Agedashi tofu, served deep fried and topped with umami flavor, paper-thin bonito fish flakes, and green chive ribbons.

Besides cocktails, the bar also serves sake, American and Japanese beers on draft including Asahi, Sapporo, Orion and Kirin, as well as Coedo Shiro Hefeweizen Wheat Beer, Samurai Blonde Ale, Delicious IPA and the Cali Creamin’ Vanilla Cream Ale. Kyoto Matcha IPA and Kyoto Kuromame Black Soybean Ale are served in bottles, along with an 8% alcohol content Hitachino Ginger Brew. During Happy Hour oysters can be ordered on the half shell, grilled or fried accompanied by ume mignonette at a discounted price. Special plates are available and house sake, wine and beer by the glass are available at special prices.

HATCH Yakitori + Bar is open for lunch Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and for dinner Monday through Thursday from 5 to 10 p.m. and Saturday through Sunday from 6 to 11 p.m. Happy Hour is every Monday through Friday from 5 to 6 p.m. $$ 700 W. 7th St. (213)282-9070.