Yakitori Taniyan — Restaurant in Otaru

Yakitori Taniyan: A Hidden Gem in Otaru.

The owner runs the entire show solo—he’s a man of few words, intensely focused on his craft.

From taking orders to grilling skewers, clearing tables, washing dishes, and handling checkout, he juggles it all single-handedly. His movements flow like as smooth as water over smooth stones, effortless and graceful, the kind of mastery that only comes from years of relentless practice, where precision meets fluidity.

Standouts include the jumbo scallops, grilled with a luscious soy sauce butter glaze that elevates them to pure bliss.

The onigiri (grilled rice ball) is amazing: the exterior charred to a crisp perfection, with soy sauce subtly soaking through to the fluffy inside for an addictive bite.

And the beef tongue, Crispy on the outside, tender and juicy within—outstanding.

With just ten seats, expect a leisurely 1-2 hours per table. If there’s a line, take a moment to peek inside: have a look if the diners are fresh arrivals. Even in fourth place, you might wait an hour or two—patience is key.

The food quality is top-notch, the value unbeatable. This is a must-visit; I highly recommend it to anyone seeking an authentic, unforgettable...

We tried out this yakitori restaurant out while we were visiting Otaru based off the reviews we found on google maps and it did not disappoint. It was a small little yakitori shop that only had 9 seats. When we arrived to the restaurant we got lucky and snag the last two seats available. We ordered two draft beers as soon as we sat down then quickly ran through the menu items as we sipped our beers. This place is run by one person, the owner. So things take time. The people that were already there when we arrived looked like they were having a wonderful time. Loudly cheering and complimenting the chef as they were being served their skewers while drinking a big bottle of sake. We tried many items from the menu and everything was delicious. Especially, the chicken wings and shiitake mushrooms. I also recommend the pork belly, listed as rib in the menu. They offer a Korean, English and Japanese menu. I highly recommend this place. Not a spot to be missed...

This was a wonderful first-time Yakitori experience. We had been waiting to eat at the perfect authentic Yakitori restaurant....and I think we found it. Delicious reasonably priced food that you watch the grill-master carefully cook in front of you.

No reservations - we did not wait to get a seat. Fortunately for us, there was 2 seats available.

FOOD: Order a beverage quickly upon sitting, cooking takes a while. Seasoned and delicious, good portions.

ATMOSPHERE: Small Yakitori shop with seating for 9.

MENU: Modest menu with options for a variety of meat, fish and vegetables. Menus come in Korean, English and Japanese. For English speaking patrons - use Google translate on the Japanese drink menu, there is more options.

Overall I would recommend this experience. It was well worth it, my partner and I both left very full and it cost about 5,500 yen in total. Try the chicken wings and...