Yakitori Hibahihi brings binchotan-fueled izakaya to Montreal

Hiroshi Kitano and Hideyuki Imaizumi have been best friends for a decade. They met at Kinka Izakaya, where Hiroshi was working the line after moving from New York and Hide was a regular customer. Someone pointed him out—same age, same era, also about to open his own place. Hiroshi went to visit Hide's then-new spot in Old Montreal, Marusan, was invited upstairs, and saw the drum kit and the record collection. They've been inseparable since.

For years, they talked about building something together. But Hiroshi had Otto Yakitori to run, then Kitano Shokudo, then Ohayo. Hide had Marusan at Time Out Market Montréal, then Osmo x Marusan. The timing was never right.

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