What is the difference between Robatayaki and Yakitori?

The art of Japanese grilling is simple.

The purpose is to enhance the natural flavor of meat, seafood or vegetables, not to add spices, sauces or other spices.

Japanese chefs will provide dishes that are completely non-smoky, and the smoky taste is often a double product of grilling.

However, there are different types of Japanese grills, and in order to achieve the correct expectations, one must understand the differences between them.

On all types of authentic Japanese grills, the following points should be noted:

• Grilled food, like food, is also a tradition and ceremony.
• Charcoal grills are essential, and Japanese chefs do not like to use natural gas. It is better to use white charcoal than black charcoal.
• In the restaurant environment, the grill is the main attraction of the restaurant, although the specific form depends on the type of Japanese grill.
• The ingredients are of high quality.
• Spices, sauces and other flavors are rarely used, and the simple grill makes the dishes unique.

Two popular Japanese grill techniques are Yakitori and Robatayaki.

So what is the difference between the two, and what can you get from your dining experience?

What is Yakitori?

Yakitori is the simplest form of Japanese grill.

"Yaki" basically means grilling, and "tori" means chicken. This technique involves grilling every part of the chicken to perfection.

Chicken is always placed on the kebab, and the bones can be put in or taken out according to which part of the chicken is grilled.

Vegetables and other ingredients are not part of the dishes.

However, a dipping sauce made with rice wine and soy sauce should be provided to give the chicken a salty and sweet taste.

In Japan, restaurants have a Yakitori grill built on the table, and diners can cook chicken themselves or cook meat at the table.

The plates are relatively small and can be grilled on the table.

This dish is cooked on low heat to ensure that the meat is well-done and remains tender, without any smoky flavor.

However, this does mean that there is a long waiting time between cooking and eating.

What is ROBATAYAKI?

Yakitori is the simplest form of Japanese grill, Robatayaki is the ultimate grilling experience.

"Robata" refers to charcoal grilling, and "yaki" refers to grilled food.

Some dishes can be placed on kebabs, other ingredients can be cooked separately.

Unlike Yakitori, Robata is not limited to grilling one kind of food, it can include beef, pork, vegetables and other ingredients.

What is emphasized again is the perfection of the barbecue to enhance the natural flavor of the food, not the marinade or frosting and spices.

Dipping sauces can be provided according to the type of dishes ordered.

Robatayaki is a social event, just like Australian barbecue.

The grills are usually placed in the center of a restaurant or room, surrounded by horseshoes and bar-style seating.

The order is for the waiter, and then the waiter shouts to the chef who is cooking in the middle of the room.

Robata's cooking and eating style can be quite noisy and extended, small dishes are ordered for a period of time.

The main difference between Yakitori and Robatayaki is that the first type only serves chicken, and the second type is a different kind of meat and vegetables.

The style of the grill is also different from the large grill provided by Robata that can cook multiple dishes at the same time and the small independent grill with Yakitori.