Which Yakitori do you like? with Tare or Shio?
If you travel to Japan for a visit, you might already have plans to experience authentic Japanese cuisine and Japanese foods, like Sushi, Ramen or Shabu Shabu. But, we also recommend tasting a few local Japanese foods, one example is Yakitori 焼き鳥. Yakitori is skewered grilled chicken, and it is one of the most popular snacks(fast food) served at an Izakaya, or Japanese style casual bar and grill.
Enjoying a cold beer with Yakitori is the perfect combination!
There are various kinds of Yakitori, and they are usually called by the part of the meat being grilled. For example, Motsu is giblets, Reba is liver, etc. Basically, these specific meats are served at specialized Yakitori restaurants or Yakitori deli shops, often found in a local shopping street Shou-tengai.
Yakitori with Tare. (Sweet sauce). I bought them at a deli near my house. You can even buy Yakitori at Supermarkets.
How to order Yakitori at an Izakaya Restaurant
The Yakitori served at Izakaya Restaurants/Bars is usually chicken pieces. If you order a Yakitori by saying:
One (dish of) Yakitori please
at an Izakaya restaurant, you will receive Yakitori of grilled chicken pieces, which will consist of 2 or 3 skewers in a serving.
(At old-style Izakaya Bars, it often allows to order skewers one by one, individually, but you need to tell which part of meat you like to have.)
Ordering Yakitori is not difficult. However, you need to remember one thing, the waiter/waitress will ask you which flavor of Yakitori you like to have, Shio or Tare.
Shio is salty 塩 and Tare タレ is barbecued or with a Teriyaki kind of sweet sauce.
So, if you don't understand Japanese and when the waiter/waitress says something to you when ordering Yakitori, just say "Shio" or "Tare" to tell which you like to have.
Or, you can order by saying this:
One Yakitori. Tare. (One dish of Yakitori with Tare sauce, please.)
Or
One Yakitori. Shio. (One dish of Yakitori with salt, please.)
In Japanese, try this.
Yakitori Hitotsu. Tare de. 焼き鳥を一つ。タレで。
(One dish of Yakitori with Tare sauce, please
Or
Yakitori Hitotsu. Shio de. 焼き鳥を一つ。塩で。
(One dish of Yakitori with salt, please)
Hitosara ni Nanbon arimasu ka? 一皿に何本ありますか？
How many skewers are on one dish?
Enjoy!
