Furaibo (Tebasaki Chicken Wings)

Furaibo is one of the two great names in tebasaki, the addictive Nagoya-style fried chicken wings that have become a symbol of the city's boisterous izakaya culture. Founded in Nagoya in the 1960s, Furaibo helped define the dish and grew it into a beloved chain, and eating a plate of its glistening, pepper-dusted wings with a frosty beer is one of the most enjoyable and accessible ways to taste local Nagoya cooking.

Tebasaki are chicken wings, but the Nagoya treatment sets them apart. The wings are fried twice until the skin turns thin and shatteringly crisp, then brushed with a sweet-savoury tare sauce and finished with a heavy shower of black pepper and sesame seeds. The result is a moreish balance of crunch, salt, sweetness and heat, with barely any coating so the flavour of the skin and glaze comes through. They are small, so ordering by the plate and working through a pile is part of the experience — and, notoriously, it is hard to stop.

Half the fun is learning to eat them the Nagoya way. Each wing hides two thin bones; regulars hold the wing, snap and twist to loosen the bones, then slide the meat off in a single motion, leaving a clean pair of bones behind. Staff and locals are usually happy to demonstrate, and getting the hang of it feels like a small initiation into the city's food culture.

Furaibo is a full izakaya, not just a wing counter, so the tebasaki come surrounded by an ample menu of Japanese pub fare — other Nagoya specialties like miso-glazed dishes and doteni, plus fried snacks, salads, rice dishes and a solid drinks list of beer, sake, shochu and highballs. The atmosphere is lively and casual, geared to groups unwinding after work, and the branches around Sakae and central Nagoya buzz with an easygoing, convivial energy in the evenings. English menus are generally available in the central shops, making it welcoming to visitors.

Prices are friendly — a plate of wings starts around 600 yen and a satisfying meal with drinks runs a few thousand yen — which makes Furaibo an easy, low-commitment introduction to a proper Japanese izakaya night. For anyone ticking off Nagoya's local specialties, a plate of these crackling, peppery wings is essential eating, and Furaibo, as one of the originators, is the ideal place to have them. Grab a table in the evening, order a round of tebasaki and a cold draft, and settle in for one of Nagoya's most fun and flavourful meals.