From Izakaya to Tori-karaage

居酒屋 (Izakaya)

Have you ever been to Izakaya?

Izakaya is a type of traditional Japanese drinking place which serves food to accompany the drinks. Izakaya offers all sorts of dishes other than alcoholic drinks such as sake, beer shochu, chuhai etc. Food in Izakaya are designed to be shared like karaage, yakitori, kushiyaki, sashimi, hiyayako, tsukemono, edamame and more.

A mainstay of the nation’s food culture, the izakaya is a vital venue for socializing and an increasingly innovative culinary influence. Men drank sake and beer after work and due to the growing trend in population of independent women and students, many izakaya today cater for the more diverse clientele by offering cocktails and wines as well as improving the interior.

For me, the first time I experienced the amazing atmosphere was in one of Izakaya called “Iccho”, Mito in the year 1995.

We, (me and friends total of 8 person) ordered almost every dish from the menu. Tasted on every single dish, daikon tsukemono, fresh sashimi, cool hiyayako with nori topping, agedashitofu.. and enjoyed with the drunk. We finished up the left-over food with “janken” game where I was the person who cleared up the left-over “tori-karaage”(鳥唐揚げ) – a crispy Japanese fried chicken nuggets. It was my unforgettable experience in Izakaya where I eaten the extra (left-over 8 pieces) karaage after enjoying other varieties of food in Izakaya. Full stomach(満腹) and drunk… 爽快!　:) It was how i started falling love with the “tori-karaage”…

Try this, “finger lickin’ good recipe” by youlin
Japanese food recipes : Torikaraage Recipes

Ingredients: (4 serving)

4 whole chicken breasts, skinned & deboned
5 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp root ginger, grated
4 garlic cloves, grated
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

5 tbsp cornflour
5 tbsp plain white flour
vegetable oil for deep frying
3~4 lemon sliced
Mayonnaise (optional)

Directions:

Cut chicken into bite-size pieces. Mix chicken with soy sauce, oyster sauce, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper. Marinate for at least 30minutes. In a medium bowl, mix the cornflour with white plain flour ( 1: 1 ratio). Dipping the marinate chicken in flour until completely coated. In a wok, heat oil to 180 degrees C and deep fry the chicken pieces for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer chicken to serving plate and granish with lemon slices and mayonnaise. Serve immediately.