Polydish city guide
Best Yakiniku in London
“Bite-size meat cooked at your table over charcoal, dipped in soy-sake-sesame sauce. A Korean dish that became Japan's favorite.”
What the real thing tastes like
Yakiniku (Japanese: 焼き肉/焼肉), meaning "grilled meat", is a Japanese term that, in its broadest sense, refers to grilled meat cuisine. Today, "yakiniku" commonly refers to a style of cooking bite-size meat (usually beef and offal) and vegetables on gridirons or griddles over a flame of wood charcoals carbonized by dry distillation (sumibi, 炭火) or a gas or electric grill. It is one of the most popular dishes in Japan. The origin of contemporary yakiniku is considered to be Korean barbecue, one of the most popular dishes in Korean cuisine. "Yakiniku" originally referred to western "barbecue" food, the term being popularized by Japanese writer Kanagaki Robun (仮名垣魯文) in his Seiyo Ryoritsu (i.e. "western food handbook") in 1872 (Meiji period). The term later became associated with Korean-derived cuisine (Korean barbecue) during the early Shōwa period. Due to the Korean War, the terms associated with Korea in Japan were divided into North Korea (Kita Chōsen) and South Korea (Kankoku); the ref
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Yakiniku is the Japanese term for grilled meat—bite-sized pieces of beef and offal, sometimes vegetables, cooked at the table over charcoal or gas flame. The dish itself is Korean in origin, arriving in Japan around 1945 through Korean restaurants in Osaka and Tokyo, though the term "yakiniku" was repurposed as a politically neutral way to reference these establishments regardless of their North or South Korean ties. Diners order raw ingredients brought to the table and cook them a few pieces at a time on a built-in grill, then dip each bite into tare sauce—typically soy, sake, mirin, sugar, garlic, fruit juice, and sesame, though miso or garlic-shallot versions appear too.
Order it here when it has
- one of Japan's most popular dishes
- interactive dining experience
- customizable raw ingredients
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