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“One of the most exciting brands that never quite was.”
That’s how Peter Tempelhoff, celebrated chef and FYN Group founder, describes Stickman, the yakitori brand that disappeared as fast as it arrived. Stickman first launched in 2020 as a yakitori bar, before shifting into a delivery kitchen during the pandemic and then quietly fading away like a marshmallow skewer thrown onto the braai coals. Since then, it has appeared only occasionally at pop-ups and limited events.
But now the FYN Group is bringing back Stickman for a winter-long collaboration with Sushiya at Time Out Market Cape Town.
Sushiya is a collaboration between Tempelhoff, Ashley Moss (FYN Group’s culinary director) and Shin Takagi of two-Michelin-starred Zeniya in Japan. It’s been a staple of the Time Out Market Cape Town since its opening in 2023 and has built a solid reputation for precise Edo-style sushi made with local fish and vegetables. Now Stickman brings the fire, with skewers cooked exclusively over binchotan, the dense Japanese charcoal prized for its clean heat and signature char.
Launching on 12 June, the partnership will see Stickman take up residence alongside Sushiya's usual sushi-forward offering, adding a warmer, charcoal-fired counterpoint to one of the Market’s most popular kitchens.
"Time Out Market felt like the right place to bring Stickman back, and pairing it with Sushiya for the winter just made sense," says Tempelhoff. "Sushi and yakitori sit so naturally together, and putting them side by side gives our guests the best of both."
And although Tempelhoff is normally a stickler for detail, here he’s bending the rules a little.
Yakitori is a popular Japanese dish of skewered and grilled bite-sized chicken pieces. The name translates to ‘grilled chicken’ (from yaki, meaning grill, and tori meaning chicken). But with this new menu collaboration, diners can expect Stickman’s yakitori to include free-range chicken, Wagyu beef, Cape fish and a vegetable option. Each order is served as a set of two skewers, with Japanese rice bowls to bulk things up and round out the offering. Sushiya will continue to serve its usual menu of hand rolls, inside-out rolls, omakase platters and sashimi.
For Ashley Moss, yakitori is a natural fit for the season.
“Yakitori is one of my favourite Japanese street foods, cooked simply over charcoal and built on high-quality produce,” says Moss. “Cooking over coals, the warmth of live fire, naturally suits the season perfectly.”
Sushiya x Stickman: Need to know
- The Stickman collab menu launches at Time Out Market Cape Town on 12 June.
- The menu will be available throughout the winter season.
- Time Out Market is open from 11am to 10pm Sunday to Wednesday, and 11am to 11pm Thursday to Saturday.
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