Yaki Onigiri at a Yakitori Restaurant: Why the Soy Glaze Smells So Good, Why It Takes a While, and How to Eat One Topped with Butter

Near the end of many yakitori menus you will find yaki onigiri: rice pressed into a triangle or small cylinder, then grilled while being brushed with soy sauce or a similar glaze. Many people order it to round off the meal after several skewers.

The photo in this article was published on Google by Yakitori Senkichi in Minamikyuhoji, Osaka. A triangular rice ball, browned with soy sauce, has a cube of butter on top, a slice of yellow pickled radish (takuan) beside it and green leaves underneath. Menus, toppings and prices can change, so please check on the day or by phone whether it is available.

Why a soy glaze smells so good on the grill

The heart of a yaki onigiri's aroma is grilled soy sauce. Soy sauce contains amino acids, which give it savoury depth, and sugars. Under heat they react with each other, darkening the colour and producing that toasty smell. It is the same kind of change that browns bread crust and baked goods, generally called the Maillard reaction.

Grilling also dries the surface of the rice so it firms up into something like the crisp rice at the bottom of a pot. Too much soy sauce at once makes the surface soggy and quick to burn, so the usual method is to brush on a thin coat, grill, let it dry and brush again. The rice ball in the photo has darker patches here and there, a sign that the surface has been grilled into a crust.

Why it takes a while

A yaki onigiri is finished by browning the front, back and sides while building up several coats of soy sauce. Blast it over high heat and the outside burns while the inside stays cold, or the rice ball falls apart, so it is normally given a fair amount of time.

So if you want it to finish the meal, order it along with what you expect to be your last round of skewers and the wait will feel shorter. If you want to know how long it will take, ask, "Yaki onigiri wa, dekiru made dono kurai kakarimasu ka?" (About how long will the yaki onigiri take?), and the staff can tell you based on how busy the kitchen is.

Eating a butter-topped yaki onigiri

Fresh off the grill, a yaki onigiri is hot on the surface and holds heat inside. The butter on top slowly melts from the heat of the rice. Give it a moment after it arrives, then eat it together with the soy-browned surface once the butter starts to melt, and you get the toasty flavour and the richness of butter at the same time.

• Break it open from one end with chopsticks and let the steam escape first
• Let the melting butter soak a little into the broken face
• Take the crisp outside and the soft rice inside in the same bite
• If sharing, break it up first so it gets passed round while still hot

The yellow slice on the side is takuan, pickled daikon radish. After the rich soy and butter, its crunch and saltiness refresh your palate, so it works well eaten alternately with the rice ball.

If you want it as ochazuke

Some yakitori restaurants list yaki onigiri chazuke, a grilled rice ball with dashi or tea poured over it. The grilled surface soaks up the broth and its toasty flavour spreads into the liquid. If it is not on the menu, whether the kitchen can do it varies from place to place, so ask first rather than insisting.

For choosing among rice dishes to finish a meal, see our guide to rice, onigiri and ochazuke after yakitori. For the basics of ordering yakitori, see our guide to enjoying yakitori in Osaka.

The official site of Yakitori Senkichi (Sankyubashi Gardenscape E, 3-2-15 Minamikyuhojimachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka) lists opening hours of 17:00 to 22:30, with occasional irregular closing days. Please check the official site or call for the latest information, including whether yaki onigiri and its toppings are available, before visiting.

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