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.
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Common allergens: Soy
Make it at home
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
- Combine shoyu, mirin, sake and sugar in a pan, simmer 5 minutes until syrupy. Cool. This is the tare.
- Thread chicken and spring onion alternately on each skewer, 4 to 5 pieces per skewer.
- Heat a charcoal grill or grill pan to medium-high. Season half the skewers with sea salt and white pepper.
- 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.
- 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
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.
TryYatai street stall menu
TipCash only at most stalls. Three minutes from Nakasu-Kawabata Station.
Tenjin Yatai Row ★ 4.5
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.
TryYatai stalls along Showa-dori
TipClosed Wednesdays. Cash only. Walk-in, no reservations Cash typically expected.
Hide-Chan Yatai ★ 4.4
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.
TryHakata tonkotsu ramen at the canal yatai
TipCash only; six counter stools. Walk-in only.
Mamichan Yatai (Tenjin) ★ 4.2
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.
TryYakitori and Hakata classics, English menu
TipClosed Wednesdays. Cash only. Counter for ten, walk-in only.
More cities are in research. Want yatai yakitori covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.