01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
The half-fried young chicken is memorable not just for its flavour, but for the pleasure of pulling it apart as you eat. One diner who ordered the set meal at the Ogikubo branch described biting into the crisp, fragrant skin and enjoying how the texture and flavour vary from one part of the chicken to another. The menu presents Otaru’s specialty as young chicken fried whole, without a batter coating, at high temperature. The half-fried young chicken set meal costs 1,580 yen; if you would rather share a platter at the table, the chicken is also available à la carte.
For an easier introduction to the house specialty, try the Otaru zangi set meal, served with 3 pieces of chicken thigh zangi. The menu describes them as about the size of a fist. They come with rice, miso soup, salad and pickles, and a diner also praised the generous portions and crisp coating. Even with the same chicken thigh zangi, there are several flavours to choose from: a classic, refreshing combination of grated daikon and ponzu; a sweet-and-sour, yurinchi-style sauce with ginger and spring onion; a generously filled tartar sauce; or a sansho option with the numbing heat of Japanese pepper.
For an evening centred on zangi, a beer makes a natural pairing. One visitor enjoyed thigh and breast zangi with draft beer, changing up the flavours with teriyaki and sansho sauces. They also ordered several chicken cuts, including the half-fried young chicken and cartilage.
Beyond the fried dishes, there is chicken soboro rice, made by simmering vegetables and minced chicken in a house sauce for 6 hours. The premium soboro bowl is topped with chicken thigh zangi and comes with a soft-boiled egg to mix in. Bento options include combinations such as zangi and chicken menchi, as well as boxes with a selection of side dishes. That makes it possible to choose between a set meal in the restaurant and a takeaway meal.
