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Grill Masters Unite: The Ultimate Guide to Yakiniku in Japan
Japanese barbecue, also known as yakiniku, will have you rethinking everything you thought you knew about grilled meat. Like most types of BBQ, Japanese grilled meats follow a simple concept and are ideal for communal events. However, there’s so much more to these juicy delights.
Use our yakiniku guide to learn everything you can about the cuisine, including its preparation, dining scene, and variations. After that, you can invite family and friends for an authentic Japanese-style BBQ.
Introduction: The Art of Yakiniku
To Japanese people, Yakiniku is much more than a term for “grilled meat.” It refers to an entire cooking style. Bite-sized pieces of meat are placed on a griddle or gridiron and heated over burning charcoal, an electric grill, or a gas stove. The cooked meat and veggies are removed from the hot metal, dipped in savory sauce, and eaten.
Common types of meat used in yakiniku are regular beef, Wagyu beef, striploin, offal, pork, chicken, and sirloin sashimi. They are typically accompanied by carrots, shiitake mushrooms, bell peppers, cabbages, and garlic. Sometimes, yakiniku might feature seafood like squid, shrimp, and shellfish. The most common sauce used is called yakiniku sauce. It’s made with soy sauce, sugar, sesame seeds, garlic, and other ingredients.
Yakiniku is more than a dish. It's also a culinary tradition with a special role in Japanese cuisine. People enjoy it at home or in specialty restaurants during social events and celebrations.
The yakiniku style of Japanese BBQ originated from Korean cuisine. It was introduced to Japan by Korean immigrants who opened restaurants in Tokyo and Osaka in the 1940s.
The following are the key reasons to embrace this Japanese-style barbecue:
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It’s easy to make and doesn’t require many ingredients.
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It allows everyone in a gathering to grill their own meats, even in restaurants.
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You can customize yakiniku to your tastes, be it vegan, gluten-free, or pescatarian.
What is Yakiniku?
Yakiniku is basically Japanese-style barbecue. It involves eating bite-sized meat and vegetables dipped in sauce while grilling on a gridiron or iron plate placed over hot charcoal or flames.
Yakiniku stands out from other types of barbecue for several reasons. One of them is its use of a savory, soy sauce-based marinade. Another reason is the communal style of the dish, which allows diners to grill the meat themselves. Yakiniku also features thin-sliced meat, unlike other variants like Korean BBQ that use thick cuts.
Japanese BBQ culture has been shaped by the culinary tradition of cooking your own food, similar to that of hot pot dishes. Even in yakiniku restaurants, the chef serves raw ingredients and places a tabletop grill on the table. The diners are completely responsible for the grilling. There are many such eateries scattered across Japan, especially in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka.
Top Yakiniku Restaurants in Tokyo
Tokyo is home to most of the modern yakiniku restaurants in Japan. While some of them offer a wide range of BBQ options, some are famous for serving certain types of meats or cuts from specific parts of a cow.
The following are some of the best yakiniku restaurants in Tokyo:
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Yakiniku Washino Shinjuku: Famous for their delicious kobe beef, Yakiniku Washino is one of the highest-rated BBQ restaurants in Japan’s capital city. The establishment uses only the highest-quality ingredients and focuses on providing premium hospitality.
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Yakiniku Futago Ginza: This restaurant offers various options, including Wagyu beef belly, lean meat, oxtail, and skirt steak. Its specialty dish is the extremely fatty Kuroge Wagyu beef rib BBQ.
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Yakiniku Onuki (Shinjuku): The popular yakiniku restaurant stands out from others thanks to its special sauce. The original recipe for this sauce first appeared about 45 years ago in the first Yakiniku Onuki branch, which was located in Shizuoka Prefecture. This sauce offers a unique sweet flavor and pairs perfectly with the available wine.
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Yakiniku Horumon Araiya Shibuya: This is the place to dine if you want affordable, high-quality Wagyu barbecue. It offers all kinds of delicious meat cuts, including thick-cut liver and thinly sliced large intestine. However, its most famous dish is the grilled pork chin.
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Yakiniku Yazawa: Yazawa Meat is a fairly popular Kuroge Wagyu beef distributor in Tokyo. The company also operates its own yakiniku restaurant next to Tokyo Station in Chiyoda. It sells both common and rare cuts, raw egg, and yam-based sauce.
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Sumibi Yakiniku Nakahara: Sitting in the heart of Chiyoda City, it offers a more traditional experience than most. You can grill the eatery’s specialty Wagyu tongue over hot charcoal.
Yakiniku Dining Experience in Kyoto
As you may have noticed, Wagyu beef is one of the most sought-after meats when it comes to yakiniku dining. The meat comes from a special breed of cattle native to Japan, particularly the Kansai region, where cities like Kyoto are located. If you’re exploring Kyoto, don’t forget to stop by one of the following Japanese BBQ restaurants for a unique yakiniku dining experience:
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Kyoto Yakiniku Dokoro Renzou: Located at the center of the city, this BBQ place is the perfect stop in the middle of a sight-seeing journey. You can enjoy Wagyu beef, rare cuts, and desserts at affordable prices.
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Pontocho Yakiniku Yamakawa Main Store: At this restaurant, you can rent a private room for yourself and up to three other members of your party. This is the perfect spot to enjoy rare cuts of Kobe beef in style.
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Nikuryori Arakawa: When it comes to Kyoto-style meat and wine combinations, few places are as prolific as Nikuryori Arakawa. The space is a small one, but it makes up for it in delicious food and endearing hospitality. You might even get a welcome greeting from the owner.
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Yakiniku Genshu Goshu: This high-end BBQ restaurant is located in Sakyo-ku, one of the quieter parts of Kyoto. It relies on Omi beef, a popular Wagyu brand in Japan. Be sure to take in sights of the scenic garden outside the private rooms while you enjoy premium yakiniku.
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Yakiniku Yamachan: Located in the Nakagyo ward, this restaurant features grilled short ribs, tongue, and skirt steak. It does not use aged meat and gets most of its meat from Tamura-gyu.
Must-Try Yakiniku Dishes
There is a wide variety of cuts used in yakiniku dishes. Restaurants offer all kinds, including beef, chicken, pork, offal, and seafood. We can’t explore them all, but we can discuss a few must-try meat dishes for anyone visiting a yakiniku restaurant. Check them out:
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Kalbi: Also known as karubi, it’s a boneless short rib from beef. It’s the most popular type of yakiniku dish in Japan. Karubi is typically grilled as a relatively thick cut. It’s juicy, fatty, and umami-rich.
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Tan: The extremely chewy beef tongue pairs well with lemon sauce.
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Harami: Also known as skirt steak, it’s derived from a cow’s diaphragm. Due to its chewy, tender, and umami-rich nature, it’s best to use string-flavored sauce when grilling tan.
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Butabara: This is the Japanese term for pork belly. It’s the most popular pork cut in the BBQ scene. Pork belly is extremely fatty and melts easily when grilled.
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Horumon: It’s a loose term referring to the internal organs of animals, especially the intestines. Horumon is a staple in izakayas because of how well it pairs with alcohol.
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Momo: The low-calorie, tender, and light chicken thigh is the go-to option when making yakiniku with chicken meat. This tender meat is a healthier option.
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Rosu: Another healthy option, this Japanese beef loin meat is light and less fatty than other cuts. Try it with salt-based sauce and thank us later.
The Best Yakiniku Sauces
Although there are many different types of yakiniku sauces, they generally share similar characteristics. These sauces tend to be sweet, savory, and spicy. `You can make yours at home and enhance the flavor of yakiniku.
Mix soy sauce, sugar, sweet onion, garlic, Korean chili paste (gochujang), grated ginger, and toasted sesame seeds in a jar. Microwave the mixture for half a minute and add sesame oil. Mix well, and your homemade yakiniku sauce is ready to enjoy.
If you don’t have the time to make your own sauce, you should go for store-bought versions. We highly recommend Ebara Grilled Meat Dipping Sauce (Garlic Flavor), Jojoen Yakiniku BBQ Sauce, and Somi Yakiniku Sauce.
How to Yakiniku Like a Pro
The following are tips and techniques for grilling yakiniku to achieve the perfect char and flavor, whether at a restaurant or home.
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Preheat the grill before cooking to keep the meat from sticking to it.
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Be patient while grilling the meat. Cook them one at a time.
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Take note of which meats are lean and which are fatty. It’s best to alternate between the two kinds while cooking.
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If you notice some juice on the surface of the meat, turn the slice over.
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Incorporate seafood into the grilled dish for better nutritional balance.
Why Yakiniku is a Must-Try in Japan
Next time you visit Japan, you can’t afford to miss this culinary experience. It gives you access to high-quality fresh meat, unlike those sold in other countries. The communal nature of the dish also makes it ideal for parties and get-togethers among friends.
If you like variety in your cuisine, then you’ll love the different cuts of yakiniku. Dishes sold at its specialty restaurants also have a wide range of pricing options, from budget-friendly to high-end.
Closing Thoughts: Yakiniku's Place in Japanese Culinary Culture
Yakiniku represents a fusion of simplicity and depth in Japanese cooking. Be sure to explore it firsthand when you get to Japan. There are also special Japanese BBQ restaurants in the United States and other countries that can offer you a taste of the grilled dish.
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