Your Guide to Japanese Barbecue in Beijing

Joey Knotts, Contributing Editor | Aug 12, 2021 11:35 am | 2 comments | 339 reads

Sick of sushi? Japanese cuisine has so much more to offer. Take a look below at some of the Japanese barbecue that Beijing has to offer.

Yakinuku barbecue

In the same cook-it-yourself vain of hot pot, Yakinuku allows diners to play chef for themselves, except that the meat is grilled rather than boiled. If that reminds you of the Korean barbecue experience, that’s no coincidence – the Japanese adopted the practice from Korean influence in the mid-20^th century. But there’s a key difference: While Korean barbecue tends to be smothered in sauces, the Japanese recognized that their high-quality beef is better on its own.

Our Beijing recommendation for this style of barbecue is Gyu.Tetsu, a moderately-sized shop in Maizidian that’s only been open for a couple of years now. Even though they opened in a neighborhood known for its Japanese cuisine, it was immediately able to make a splash on the scene with its beef quality that knocked the competition out of the park while keeping around a similar price point.

Another advantage the restaurant has is that it has maintained the right to use charcoal, while others have had to switch to electric grills due to regulations. The charcoal allows a much higher temperature – up to 800 degrees Celsius – and of course adds a unique flavor that electricity just can’t match.

A typical meal at Gyu.Tetsu might begin with the tender beef tongue, followed by the tougher steaks and even a few other meats like roast pork. Really adventurous diners might even opt for the foie Gras with steak on a grilled bun – though typically the staff will help out with cooking this one.

Gyu Tetsu 牛铁日式烧肉酒场
Daily 5.30pm-midnight. 10 Zaoying Nanli Road, Chaoyang District (next to the McDonald’s, second floor) (132 4070 4803)
朝阳区枣营南里10号

Yakatori

Yakatori refers to grilled chicken skewers, and its typically found at izakaya style diners. It’s also just about the only time that eating slightly undercooked chicken is considered safe – the meat is often cooked to about medium-well.

One of our favorites is Beyond Yakatori, located in Sanlitun’s Topwin Center. In addition to the yakatori, they’re also known for their beef tongue skewers, steaks, grilled pineapple skewers, and scotch eggs. By the way, they’re also preparing a special menu for Qixi if you’re looking for a date night.

Another popular central option is Daruma – a bit more casual but in the hipper Nali Patio and an overall fun vibe that makes it a great spot for sipping highballs. They too do a good scotch egg (with added pepper), plus fried seafood skewers as well as well as another type of chicken skewer that the diner dips in raw egg.

If you’re nearer the Baiziwan area, check out our Hidden Gem column’s review of Yakitori M.

Beyond Yakitori 美酔堂
Rm 3-5, 3/F, Topwin Center, 1 Nansanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District
南三里屯路1号通盈中心三层3-5

Daruma
1/F, Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun North Road, Chaoyang District
朝阳区三里屯酒吧街北路81号那里花园1号

Teppanyaki

Some readers will know this as the dining-style popular in the US for its showy cooking style that happens before your very eyes as diners are seated around a large grill to awe at the chef's work.

A good option is Tairyo, conveniently located in Sanlitun’s Taikooli (with additional locations in Miazidian and Tongzhou). Unfortunately, this style of dining doesn’t come cheap in Beijing, so you might want to save your visit for a special occasion, but customers are rarely disappointed.

Note, however, that in addition to the red meat grilling you might associate with teppanyaki, Tairyo’s focus is on seafood. Yes, they do sushi and sashimi, but they’ll also grill up shrimp, eel, and oyster before your very eyes.