京夏終空
It seems like there is another "karaage boom" happening, but I wanted to go back to the origin. The restaurant that is said to be the first in Japan to offer "young chicken karaage" as a dining-out menu, inherited from its founding in Taisho 14, is the shop at "Mikasa Kaikan" in Ginza Western-style dining. The Ikebukuro branch of "Mikasa Kaikan" is located in Parco, and I have visited it several times in the past. Recently, I have been visiting this area around Sunshine City frequently for some errands. It takes nearly 20 minutes to walk avoiding the crowds from the West Exit where my home is located. It is a restaurant located on the 3rd floor of the Alpa restaurant street in Sunshine City. It is situated facing the open passage of the fountain plaza. I had no idea about this place before. I am not particularly interested in Italian cuisine, so I have overlooked it until now, but upon closer inspection, I found out that it is an affiliated store of Ginza Mikasa Kaikan and offers karaage for lunch. The "Chicken Karaage Lunch" (1,080 yen) - as shown in the photo. It includes today's soup, vegetable salad & potato salad, chicken karaage, and a choice of bread or rice. I asked for a large serving of rice for free. The soup of the day was a cold corn soup. It had a sweetness but a good texture, and was simply delicious. The Italian dressing on the fresh vegetables was nice. The potato salad, with no unnecessary seasoning, was also good. And then, the karaage. It was not the bone-in karaage like Mikasa Kaikan, but I thought the seasoning and the coating were similar. Also, Mikasa Kaikan has the disclaimer "young chicken," but it was not mentioned here. The seasoning seemed to mainly consist of sake, with just a small amount of soy sauce and mirin. There was no strong presence of garlic, ginger, or spices. The coating, although quite thin, was well crispy. It had a fragrant coating. There was no greasiness. The meat was juicy, but overall, it was hard to describe it as juicy, including the coating. No, I don't particularly think juiciness is good. This type of karaage, simply put, was delicious. I think this is where various karaage scenes in Japan began. It was quite moving to think about that. This lunch was all about appreciating the ingredients without any unnecessary seasoning. It may be in danger of being simply called "ordinary," but I think it is actually quite difficult to recreate this kind of feeling. If you were to make it at home, it would probably not turn out delicious, and it would lack flavor. It made me realize the greatness of "eating out," that kind of feeling. It may not be suitable for when you're in a hearty mood. It's not a dish with unnecessary layers of flavor. It's a dish that appreciates the simple and quality ingredients a little bit. If I had encountered it when I was a child, I might have just said it was expensive and passed it by. Satisfied. Thank you for the meal. I have also included a photo of the daily lunch plate of my companion. The service was very polite and pleasant. I asked for explanations of the dishes, and they kindly and accurately informed me. The interior of the restaurant had an open kitchen-like atmosphere, and there were also counters, making it suitable for various situations. The popular pizzas seemed to be well-liked, and I would like to try them if I have the chance. (Written by: Kyoka Shuka, 2021.9.14) (89 reviews/3.47)