Karaage! - Japanese-Chinese Fried Chicken
Now, America isn't the only country that adores fried Chinese food. In Japan, diners go wild for karaage, Chinese-style fried chicken. According to Maki from Just Hungry, "the word kara refers to China, meaning that this method of preparing chicken originated in Chinese cooking (age means deep-fried)". Like the Chinese, the Japanese also marinate their chicken with ginger "to get rid of any gaminess". (Check out Maki's recipe.)
If biting into the crispy shell of General Tso's chicken releases pent-up sugar, biting into karaage will unleash a dark and brooding mix of soy sauce and sake. Dark meat, skin on, is best. And this is a dish that begs to be washed down with cold sake or beer.
Lucky residents of L.A. or New York you can easily find karaage in the izakayas that dot the cities. In Shanghai, the Japanese spots cluster mainly in the French Concession, and not many serve the dual-Asian fried chicken dish of my dreams. So hurray for Bankura Soba Kitchen, which has the added advantage of being half a block from my apartment. Their karaage had a deeper soy flavor and a darker reddish brown color than others I've had. I couldn't resist dipping it in the extra sesame sauce that came with my cold soba. Really, more chicken should be fried with skin on, heart health be damned.
And I swear, the side salad with Kewpie mayo tastes better than it looks in the picture.
Bankura
344 Changle Lu, near Ruijin Lu
Shanghai
Related posts:
When Chinese Food was Glamorous in America
100 Chinese Foods to Try Before You Die
OH YUM!
Okay, this looks fabulous! If I balance some fried chineese chicken with red wine it should even out the heart health issue, right??? Worth a try!
Fried Chicken Addict
I almost feel like I can smell and taste the chicken just looking at it. Lately I've become addicted to fried chicken and I totally enjoyed reading your post. If you don't mind, I'd love to direct Foodista readers to your blog. Just add your choice of widget to this post and you're all set!
I had karaage once in Japan
I had karaage once in Japan and it was great. Can't find the same thing in Ohio though.
Vinegar and Karage?
I know this sounds a little odd, but just before devouring this scrumptious snack try dousing your karage in weak white vinegar. It goes unexpectedly well and is especially good for stimulating your appetite during the summer. It’s also a good substitute for mayo (which is typically used as a dipping sauce for karage) if your trying to lose some weight.
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