Robatayaki

[rks]

Hi, I'm new to this board. National Geographic issued a special edition magazine on food around the world, and they covered the Japanese style of Robata Yaki. I've never seen a Japanese restaurant of this style here in the US.

It's described as a mix between American grill, Spanish tapas, and Irish pub conviviality.

What are typical items on the menu?

[torakris]

robatayaki are really a lot of fun.

The main foods consist of basically anything on a stick that can be grilled, though some places offer homestyle type dishes as well. The more famous places really put on shows and they can be similar to the teppanyaki style Japanese restaurants in the US, but with grills.

Here is a good description:

http://www.tastingmenu.com/archive/2002/11...11-november.htm

scroll down to Nov 23

and welcome to egullet!

[anil]

The last I saw a place similar to what was described in NG, was @ Melia Corbici in SJO Costa Rica last year. The Chef was in the middle, and one sat around him, and he cooked up whatever was offered to one as a menu. I have not seen this in NYC - maybe I've not looked too hard.

Edited May 15, 2003 by anil (log)

[smallworld]

Interesting link and a great description of Inaka-ya. I've long wanted to eat there but it's just so expensive. The meal described in the link probably went well over 15,000yen (and he didn't mention what he was drinking).

Maybe when my parents visit me here in September I'll go all out and take them there.

I've never tried robata-yaki at all. Kristin, can you recommend any robata-yaki places? I've always wanted to try it.

I thought his comments about Almond were funny. Sure, it's famous, but I guess nobody told him it's famous only as a meeting spot- you're not actually supposed to go inside!

[herbacidal]

i was just wondering about the difference between robatayaki and yakitori?

does it refer at all to the style of service?

thanks.

[rks]

thanks for the informative link torakris. It resembles a Korean barbecue style restaurant plus the fanfare.

Has anyone visited this style restaurant in New York if there are any?

[margaret]

As far as I know, there are no full-on robatayaki places in New York. A friend of mine has been talking about opening one up, but nothing yet.

If you want grilled Japanese foods, there are plenty of yakitori and yakiniku restuarants.

[tissue]

I thought yakitori was about chicken...

???

[torakris]

I too have not been to many robatayaki, those I did go to were about 13 or 14 years ago when i was new to Tokyo and so I can't remember any names, just that they were in Roppongi and Shibuya!

Yakitori is just that, just yakitori, while robatayaki will grill anything, absolutely anything.

Ok Smallworld, let's leave the husbands at home and try out Inaka-ya! It will be much cheaper that way!

Maybe BON could join us, BON are you out there?

[herbacidal]

I thought yakitori was about chicken...

???

so yakitori is just chicken,

but robatayaki is anything grilled?

is yakitori a subset of robatayaki?

Yakitori is just that, just yakitori

so again, yakitori refers specifically to chicken?

[skchai]

so yakitori is just chicken,

but robatayaki is anything grilled?

is yakitori a subset of robatayaki?

Yaki -> roasted / cooked

Tori -> bird

Somewhat confusingly, however: Chicken is the only bird, other than occasionally duck, that is served at yakitori restaurants (unless you count quail eggs). Also, some "yakitori" may contain non-poultry animal products, such as the somewhat popular asparagus-and-bacon.

Robatayaki is more general but also implies a different ambience, a bit more elevated and never "yatai" (food cart). Also the use of a paddle to get the food from the "robata" (flame grill).

If you live in the Bay Area, check out Kirala in Berkeley. For more info, you can look at a description here, at the menupage, or here, at citysearch.

[smallworld]

so yakitori is just chicken,

Skchai explained it quite well, and I'd just like to add that yakitori is grilled chicken on skewers. The skewers are what makes it yakitori.

is yakitori a subset of robatayaki?

Yakitori is a subset of 'kushi-yaki' (things grilled on skewers.).

Both robata-yaki and kushi-yaki (and therefore yakitori) are subsets of 'yaki-mono', grilled things.

but robatayaki is anything grilled?

Nope. Robata-yaki is not really a style of cooking, more like a style of restaurant. The actual grilling is the same as other places, the difference is mostly atmosphere.

Robata-yaki became very popular during the bubble years in the 80's, when people had lots of money to spend and wanted to be entertained in novel ways. 'Robata' means fireplace or hearth, and robata-yaki restaurants are supposed to remind those in the city of an old house out in the country, where people used to eat and keep warm around and open hearth. These places are supposed to (remember, I've never actually tried robata-yaki) be rusticly decorated, with the chef and staff in traditional garb.

Some pictures:

http://www.tastingmenu.com/media/20021116-...web/default.htm

[herbacidal]

thanx, that's what i needed. clears everything up for me.

[lambretta76]

I guess I'm dredging up an old thread, but no sense in starting a new one and having to explain it all over again. Well, Jewel Bako Robata came and went here in NYC and I never got to see what the buzz was about (it was apparently the only authentic robata-yaki establishment EVER in the US).

Anyways, is this still popular in Tokyo and, if so, are there any places that do this style of cooking justice without breaking the bank?

[torakris]

Here is a good Japan Times article about Robatayaki. In addition to Inaka-ya, where they say it is about 10,000 yen ($100) a person, they offer a couple cheaper places.

[lambretta76]

So - it looks like I'm either going to shell out an arm and a leg or I'm going to go to some place that isn't all that good. I guess this is a style of food I'm going to have to pass on. Thanks, though!

[JasonTrue]

Robata-ya are essentially casual, after-work places frequented mostly by salarymen, more than by women. Izakaya, especially hip and trendy ones, might have a higher ratio of women as customers.

They need not be stratospherically expensive. Newspaper hype will tend to focus on the extreme cases. You'll be paying pretty much the same as at any izakaya or grown-up restaurant (e.g. anything outside the family restaurant realm): 400-1000 yen for most single-serving beverages, nibbles from 350-1200 yen, and occasionally a small per-seat charge that includes some sort of pickle or tsukudani-like appetizer.

This is simple food. Jaga-bata, grilled animal bits, shioyaki, yaki-onigiri, etc. It's humble food, for the most part. Japan has continued to have stratospherically priced restaurants even post-bubble, but that doesn't mean you have to eat in them every day to get passable food. Robata-ya are not generally extravagant ventures, and you'll go away happy at most of the busy ones.

So - it looks like I'm either going to shell out an arm and a leg or I'm going to go to some place that isn't all that good. I guess this is a style of food I'm going to have to pass on. Thanks, though!

←

[fenyx66]

I went to Inaka-ya the other day when my mother and sister flew in to visit. I thought I would write up a short review. The food portions are small, and the prices are high, but the quality is excellent, not to mention the service is outstanding and the atmosphere is inviting and energetic. The three of us ate and drank until we were satisfied and the bill came out to a little over 40,000 yen (around $400 US). We found the restaurant and walked in and were greeted with a smile and very generous Irashaimase. Then they asked us what our reservation name was, I said we didn't have reservations, and he told us to wait a minute. When the host came back, he asked us if we could finish eating by 8pm, and since it was only 5:15pm we said of course. We finished dinner by 7, and we didn't feel rushed. Several of the staff could speak English fairly well, so we didn't have a problem ordering. We ordered 3 plates of beef (2 sticks each with 3 cubes of Kobe beef per plate), one grilled red snapper, 2 plates of grilled prawns (2 prawns per plate), grilled bamboo, grilled eggplant, grilled potatoes (from here I will omit grilled, it's a little redundant for a robatayaki restaurant ) ginko nuts, sweet potatoes, asparagus, and 3 enkai-sized bottles of Sapporo beer (I think that is everything ). I had never had kobe beef before and it was so good, the inside was still a little red and the outside had that wonderful grilled taste with a dash of salt. It was served with a dipping sauce. The bamboo wasn't very special, so I would leave that off next time. The eggplant was great, I would order more next time.

Our cook was Mr. Ono Hidenori (he said we could just call him Hide). His English wasn't so great, but he made pretty good conversation, and I got to practice my Japanese with him. We sat on the side, instead of in front of the cooks, so we were closer the cooks and could see the food cooking, I think this was the best. He explained some of the Japanese tools he was using, such as the wasabi grater he was using was just a paddle lined with shark skin (I liked the fresh wasabi taste). He even told us that the Rolling Stones were going to eat there the next night, then he pull a photo album from somewhere behind him and we got to see the pictures of him and various celebrities that had eaten there (Tom Cruise, the cast of Narnia, Some of the cast of the Lord of the Rings including Peter Jackson and Elijah Wood, Toby Macguire, Cameron Diaz, and the list goes on). Everyone was so friendly and the food was so good. I would go back if I were rich, or if I were getting married. My sister said I could propose to my girlfriend there and have the cook hand her the ring on the paddle in front of the entire restaurant, I think it's a good idea because she would have to say yes.

My sister took some pictures that I can post as soon as she emails me digital copies, but just google Inakaya and I know you can find some pictures. It was so delicious, it might just be one of the best meals I have eaten in Japan.

[torakris]

Thanks for that report!

I have really been wanting to go there, but 40,000 for 3 people?! That is my eating out budget for 4 months!

I would love to see your pictures!!