Tebasaki are Nagoya’s iconic chicken wings: fried crisp without batter, brushed while hot with a sweet-savoury tare glaze, then hit hard with white pepper, salt and sesame, producing a lacquered, peppery crunch that has made them the city’s definitive beer food. The style was born at the restaurant Furaibo in the 1960s, and its friendly rivalry with the cheekier chain Yamachan — whose wings bite back with even more pepper — divides the city into loyal camps that visitors are honour-bound to adjudicate over a cold beer.
🗓️ At a Glance
| Location | Across Nagoya, Aichi |
| Hours | Mostly evening izakaya hours |
| Admission | Around ¥500–700 per five wings |
| Time needed | An evening’s grazing |
| Best time | Year-round |
What to Try
- Classic tebasaki, lacquered, peppery and batter-free.
- The founding shop Furaibo versus challenger Yamachan.
- The local technique for stripping a wing in two clean bites.
- Pairing with cold beer in a bustling izakaya.
Combine Your Visit
- Combine with a Nagoya meshi food tour evening.
- Pair with Osu or Sakae nightlife districts.
- Read our Aichi overview .
Getting There
- Where: branches of both chains cluster in Sakae, Nishiki and around Nagoya Station.
- Timing: izakaya hours; early evening avoids the deepest crowds.
Tips
Do the taste-off properly: Furaibo’s wings are sweeter and more lacquered, Yamachan’s leaner and more aggressively peppered, and locals will happily debate your verdict. Ask staff to show you the two-bite deboning trick — once learned, a plate of wings disappears alarmingly fast, so order more than you think you need.
