ShizuokaMark
Knows what a fatty is.
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2014
- Location
- Fukuroi...
Greetings brethren from Shizuoka, Japan, about an hour or so from Mt. Fuji.
My wife and I are in the planning stages of opening a small BBQ joint. Remarkably, even though many western foods have made their way east, low and slow barbecue has not. I can count on one hand the number of establishments I am aware of throughout the entire country.
That's not to say that Japanese don't like BBQ. Just the opposite.
Yakiniku is wildly popular, as is "tailgating" (No pickup trucks here either. Whaa??).
Most everything needed to create great cue is available here, including meat, spices, etc.
We also have the famed white charcoal which should assist with cooks.
However, the most important ingredient cannot be found anywhere. The smoker.
At first we will be remodeling our home to create space for up to 15 diners at a time. Live/Work residences are commonplace here. Down the road if all goes well we will move to a stand alone facility. We will also only open 3 days a week to begin with. Fri-Sun.
I'm estimating that we will have about 150-250 customers during those three days although we will be offering additional menu items other than just BBQ, i.e., burgers, fried chicken, Philly cheese steak, etc. It's a taste of America but I really am excited about bringing the low and slow smoking concept.
So, I'd like to get ideas and input on what might be my best option for smoker type and size, as well as how to get one shipped or built here.
I have a metal worker friend who is excited about helping but of course he has never built a smoker so I have reservations about how well that would go. I have gotten quotes from a few manufacturers in the States but due to the size and weight of the units, shipping will cost nearly as much as the smoker itself.
Any of the esteemed builders on here interested in setting up a shop in Japan?? hehe
It's a virgin market and you would have zero competition!
Or perhaps if someone was interested in "vacationing" here for a few weeks we could put you up, feed you, supply you with a workshop and assist you with sourcing materials, etc.
Due to space requirements I have been leaning towards a vertical type although I'm not completely restricted to that.
I've been researching the merits of each kind and manufacturer so I'm looking more for sourcing options rather than merits of each.
At the moment I'm thinking my best bet will be to build a couple of UDSes. To make them commercially viable I was going to do some custom work to increase capacity and efficiency. Similar to this: http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/105203/1-66-vertical-drum-smoker
I would build a shed to house them which would help with insulation. Temps here range from low 30s at night in winter to mid 90s in summer, not unlike Jacksonville, FL where I called home for 30 years.
Thanks in advance for any input.
Cheers
Mark
My wife and I are in the planning stages of opening a small BBQ joint. Remarkably, even though many western foods have made their way east, low and slow barbecue has not. I can count on one hand the number of establishments I am aware of throughout the entire country.
That's not to say that Japanese don't like BBQ. Just the opposite.
Yakiniku is wildly popular, as is "tailgating" (No pickup trucks here either. Whaa??).
Most everything needed to create great cue is available here, including meat, spices, etc.
We also have the famed white charcoal which should assist with cooks.
However, the most important ingredient cannot be found anywhere. The smoker.
At first we will be remodeling our home to create space for up to 15 diners at a time. Live/Work residences are commonplace here. Down the road if all goes well we will move to a stand alone facility. We will also only open 3 days a week to begin with. Fri-Sun.
I'm estimating that we will have about 150-250 customers during those three days although we will be offering additional menu items other than just BBQ, i.e., burgers, fried chicken, Philly cheese steak, etc. It's a taste of America but I really am excited about bringing the low and slow smoking concept.
So, I'd like to get ideas and input on what might be my best option for smoker type and size, as well as how to get one shipped or built here.
I have a metal worker friend who is excited about helping but of course he has never built a smoker so I have reservations about how well that would go. I have gotten quotes from a few manufacturers in the States but due to the size and weight of the units, shipping will cost nearly as much as the smoker itself.
Any of the esteemed builders on here interested in setting up a shop in Japan?? hehe
It's a virgin market and you would have zero competition!
Or perhaps if someone was interested in "vacationing" here for a few weeks we could put you up, feed you, supply you with a workshop and assist you with sourcing materials, etc.
Due to space requirements I have been leaning towards a vertical type although I'm not completely restricted to that.
I've been researching the merits of each kind and manufacturer so I'm looking more for sourcing options rather than merits of each.
At the moment I'm thinking my best bet will be to build a couple of UDSes. To make them commercially viable I was going to do some custom work to increase capacity and efficiency. Similar to this: http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/105203/1-66-vertical-drum-smoker
I would build a shed to house them which would help with insulation. Temps here range from low 30s at night in winter to mid 90s in summer, not unlike Jacksonville, FL where I called home for 30 years.
Thanks in advance for any input.
Cheers
Mark