Nagoya Style Tebasaki Chicken Wings Lesser Known Japanese Delicacy

“You know, how can we turn this shitty night around?” Fafa asked me before immediately answering his own question, “let’s have that Tebasaki chicken wings again!”. I didn’t react to his suggestion immediately. We were in a taxi on our way back to Nagoya city after an utterly disappointing visit to Nabana No Sato, which turned out to be extremely crowded, expensive and not well-organized. My mind briefly weighed the pros and cons of eating the same (deep-fried) food three nights in a row while travelling. Seconds later, I lifted my hand halfway, inviting him for a high-five. The high-five sealed our dinner plan: we would have Sekai No Yamachan again that night.

We spotted the famous Izakaya chain on our first day in Nagoya when we were trying to find our hotel while dragging heavy suitcases. It was right behind our hotel, we needed something to warm us up against Nagoya’s windy winter, and the bird-suit mascot looked drunk; it was settled. So we were going there for a nightcap. Unsurprisingly, we were greeted by the famous Japanese Izakaya’s hospitality when we entered the place. The staff yelled welcome greetings in Japanese, coats were taken off our hands and hung, and hot towels were served immediately. The restaurant looked small. Later, we learned that’s only the front side, and it was decorated with everything Yamachan, from the napkin to the wall to the chopstick holder.

“How many chicken wings?” asked the waitress, wearing a bird suit. I looked up from the drinks menu to Fafa, mentally asking him whether we were eating dinner for the second time. “Let’s have one plate”, he said. So we started.

Nagoya Style Tebasaki Chicken Wings

Five deep-fried chicken wings appeared on our table not long after. It didn’t look that appealing, brown and dry-looking. It smelled appetizing, though. Oh well, I thought, at least, it would be an acceptable drinking companion. That’s until I took a bite of it. OMG, it’s the most delicious chicken wings I have ever eaten in my entire life! It was fried to perfection. The skin was crispy and flavorful; the meat was tender and juicy. I then understood why they put a small bucket in front of us; no one left this place eating just one plate of chicken wings. We ordered two more dishes each and a few more drinks because we weren’t leaving the site anytime soon.

The Culture and History Behind The Celebrated Tebasaki Chicken Wings

While waiting, I did a quick google on Nagoya-style chicken wings, which is famously known as Tebasaki. Tebasaki, Japanese-style fried chicken wings, is a staple dish in Nagoya izakayas. In a nutshell, the chicken wings are glazed with sweet soy sauce, deep-fried (sans batter) to perfection and then seasoned one more time with salt and pepper before being served. The steps to cook the chicken wings to perfection are a Japanese way of doing things. It reminded me of the saying the best way to experience a culture is through its’ food. And in this particular time, it’s through the deep-fried-perfect-for-cold-weather-drinking-companion.

I also tried to find the history behind the famous wings, but I couldn’t see much. One story claimed that some restaurants in Nagoya successfully created delicious recipes for the less favoured chicken wings not so long ago to increase their consumption.

Even though Tebasaki chicken wings are not as well-known as ramen or sushi to the rest of the world, the annual Tebasaki Summit held in Nagoya clearly shows that it has a special place in the locals’ hearts (and tummies).

Sekai No Yamachan

Even though Tebasaki-style chicken wing is a Nagoya specialty, you can also find it in other parts of Japan. For example, Sekai No Yamachan has close to 80 stores, with a few outside of Japan. This is not surprising given how rigorous the bird-man marketing has been on top of their warm hospitality and foreigner-friendly menu, including the correct guide on eating chicken wings.

The next day we came back here for a full-on dinner. We tried another Nagoya delicacy: red miso-based food (soup and deep-fried quail eggs) and a few plates of Tebasaki chicken wings. On our last night in Nagoya, which was the day from the earlier in this story, we polished off nine plates of chicken wings. It was glorious! One of the fondest memories of my Japan trip.

Before Nagoya, I had never associated chicken with Japanese delicacies. Still, ever since we stumbled into the holy grail of Tebasaki chicken wings there, I couldn’t stop mentioning it when I talk about my Japan food escapades with friends. I might even learn to cook it myself.

If you are a foodie considering adding Nagoya to your Japan trip itinerary, it’s a resounding yes. Delight your taste buds with the many underrated Japanese delicacies, the Nagoya specialties, from the Tebasaki chicken wings to Ogura toast to Miso-Katsu. Enjoy!

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