There are two common types of restaurants that serve grilled food in Japan: Robatayaki and Yakitori.

Yakitori restaurants get their name from ‘Yaki’ which means ‘grilled’ and ‘Tori’ which means ‘chicken.’

These are more like small neighborhood pubs that serve beer and chicken kebobs to commuters before they catch their trains home.

Robatayaki restaurants get their name from - ‘Ro’ which is a square charcoal-fueled hearth that peasants gathered around for warmth and ‘Yaki’ which means ‘grilled’ because they also grilled their food there.

These can be very upper scale restaurants that provide a wide range of exotic menu choices and are highly entertaining.

Yakitori House
This Japanese-style ‘pub’ is a great place for a snack or a small meal.

Teppan Edo
This is a modern version of a robatayaki. It's the more formal sit-down restaurant, although parties may be combined to fill all eight seats around the grill.

It takes its name from ‘teppan’ which means an iron plate or steel sheet.

Guests are seated around three sides of the grill, so they will all be able to watch the chef’s performance behind the grill. He will cook, season, and serve the meal with great flourish – for the amusement of all the guests.

If you’ve never been to a Japanese Grill Room, this is definitely worth seeing and the food is terrific. However, because the grill is extremely hot and very accessible, this is not a good choice for families with small, active children.

Tip: If you love Japanese noodles and would like extra, ask the chef before he starts to cook. He’ll be happy to accommodate you for a very small fee.
That’s also (before the cooking starts) the best time to mention any dietary restrictions or allergies.