History

Yatai yakitori traces to the Edo-period dockside stalls along the Nakagawa river, where charcoal grills were the simplest cook fire. The format codified after the Second World War, when the Fukuoka city government licensed yatai positions on the Nakasu canal and Tenjin grid. Today around 100 yatai run on the canal and Showa-dori, of which a third do yakitori as the primary order. The chicken is locally raised, the charcoal is binchotan or sub-binchotan, the seasoning is salt or tare; the format is fast.

Common allergens: Soy

Make it at home

Yield 2Hands-on 30 minTotal 45 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 400g boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2cm pieces
  • 8 spring-onion whites, cut into 3cm lengths
  • 8 bamboo skewers, soaked in water 30 minutes
  • 60ml shoyu
  • 30ml mirin
  • 30ml sake
  • 30g sugar
  • Sea salt and ground white pepper

Method

  1. Combine shoyu, mirin, sake and sugar in a pan, simmer 5 minutes until syrupy. Cool. This is the tare.
  2. Thread chicken and spring onion alternately on each skewer, 4 to 5 pieces per skewer.
  3. Heat a charcoal grill or grill pan to medium-high. Season half the skewers with sea salt and white pepper.
  4. Grill 3 minutes per side until lightly charred. For the salt skewers, finish with a squeeze of yuzu. For the tare skewers, brush with the tare in the last 30 seconds and flip twice to glaze.
  5. Serve immediately, two skewers per person, with cold beer.

Tip from the editors. Charcoal is the difference. A grill pan works at home but binchotan delivers the smoke that distinguishes yakitori from a kebab.

Where to eat yatai yakitori

Yatai yakitori in Fukuoka

Nakasu Yataigai ★ 4.6

Street Food¥¥nakasuUntil 02:00Cash only

The Nakasu yatai canal runs from 18:00-02:00 every night, the densest concentration of street stalls left in Japan. Ramen, oden, yakitori, gyoza, tempura.

Try: Yatai street stall menu

Tip: Cash only at most stalls. Three minutes from Nakasu-Kawabata Station.

Hakata-ku, Fukuoka 810-0801, Japan

Tenjin Yatai Row ★ 4.5

Street Food¥¥tenjin18:00-02:00, closed WednesdaysCash only

Tenjin's yatai row runs along Showa-dori from 18:00, with stalls running ramen, yakitori, oden and one stall serving fugu sashimi. Many have English menus.

Try: Yatai stalls along Showa-dori

Tip: Closed Wednesdays. Cash only. Walk-in, no reservations Cash typically expected.

Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0001, Japan

Hide-Chan Yatai ★ 4.4

Japanese Ramen¥nakasu

Hide-Chan's Nakasu yatai pours Hakata tonkotsu at the canal-side stall for under 1,000 yen. The post-drinking late-night close most locals order.

Try: Hakata tonkotsu ramen at the canal yatai

Tip: Cash only; six counter stools. Walk-in only.

Hakata-ku, Fukuoka 810-0801, Japan

Mamichan Yatai (Tenjin) ★ 4.2

Street Food¥¥tenjinUntil 01:00, closed WednesdaysCash only

Mamichan on the Tenjin yatai row runs yakitori plus Hakata classics with an English menu, the most-visited Tenjin stall after midnight for English speakers.

Try: Yakitori and Hakata classics, English menu

Tip: Closed Wednesdays. Cash only. Counter for ten, walk-in only.

Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0001, Japan

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