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Best Japanese Karaage in New York

“The batter is deliberately thin — potato starch, not flour — so the marinade underneath stays the star rather than a thick fried crust.”

Japanese Karaage

What the real thing tastes like

Chicken thigh is marinated in soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and sometimes sake, then dredged lightly in potato starch (katakuriko) rather than a thick flour batter, producing a thin, craggy, intensely crisp shell that shatters rather than a doughy fried coating. Double-frying at two temperatures is a common technique for extra crispness without drying the meat.

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Reviewers rate marinade depth (should be tasteable through the whole bite, not just surface-level) and crust shatter versus chewiness. Using chicken breast instead of thigh is frequently criticised as producing a drier result than the traditional cut.

Order it here when it has

  • intensely crispy shell
  • juicy marinated meat
  • not heavily battered

Walk away when you see

  • dries out with breast meat
  • can be greasy
  • salt level varies

Restaurant-level rankings for New York land as the Polydish review engine processes this city's reviews. Explore the dish itself while you wait —

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