9 famous restaurants serving Oita's specialty, Nakatsu fried chicken. Eat unique delicacies in the mecca of fried chicken

*Prices include tax.

What is "Nakatsu Karaage" beloved in Nakatsu City, Oita Prefecture?

Nakatsu fried chicken is characterized by its strong flavor, with a soy sauce or salt base and a sauce made with more than 10 types of spices, including garlic and ginger. Each store has its own unique preferences in terms of the sauce mixture, the amount of marinating, and the frying time, resulting in a variety of unique flavors and textures.

Additionally, most restaurants do not prepare the food in advance, but fry it only after receiving an order. This means that it is delicious not only hot and fresh, but also when it cools down, as it has been well seasoned.

By the way, people in Nakatsu tend to buy fried chicken from takeout shops rather than making it at home. Some households buy it by the kilo, and it is so popular and loved by people of all generations.

There are Nakatsu fried chicken specialty shops all over the city. We will introduce a carefully selected list, from the classics to the shops that have been gaining attention in recent years.

Including birthplaces and unique shops! 9 recommended shops in Nakatsu City

Let's start with the origin! The long-established "Souhonke Moriyama Sanko Main Branch"

Founded in 1970, this restaurant is known as the birthplace of Nakatsu fried chicken. The secret garlic sauce, which has remained unchanged since the restaurant first opened, is made with salt and uses only domestically grown garlic, and the restaurant is particular about the ingredients it uses.

In addition, the frying oil, which "shouldn't be too old or too new," is added through trial and error in order to maintain the optimum condition for frying the food.

The easy-to-eat "boneless" is a popular standard menu item, but Moriyama-san, the second-generation owner of the restaurant, recommends the "bone-in" option, as the meat closer to the bone is more flavorful. The crunchy "sandzuri" is also a perfect menu item to go with alcohol, and is often ordered with fried chicken.

Nakatsu Fried Chicken Sohonke Moriyama Sanko Main Branch

Karaichi Nakatsu Main Branch: A strong-flavored dish that locals keep coming back to

Karaichi is located near Nakatsu Castle and can be dropped in on your way to explore the castle town. "People in Nakatsu like strong seasonings," says the owner, Mr. Inoue, who painstakingly deep-frys the fried chicken, which has a strong soy sauce base to suit the tastes of the locals.

It is marinated overnight in soy sauce with garlic and several other spices, as well as cane sugar to give it a gentle flavor, giving it a juicy, delicious taste. It goes well with rice, and is a popular dish among locals, as well as a great way to treat guests.

Additionally, "Yagen Nankotsu," made from meat from the collarbone of chicken, has a crunchy texture and goes perfectly with beer, making it a recommended snack menu item.

Nakatsu Fried Chicken Karaichi Nakatsu Main Branch

"Agedokoro Bungoya" is known for its aged sauce, which is known as "3O".

The secret to the deliciousness of Bungoya's fried chicken lies in their secret sauce.

The sauce, which is made by a local soy sauce maker in Nakatsu just for the fried chicken, is a mixture of carefully selected seasonings such as garlic and ginger, and is left to sit for a month before being used. The rich flavor and tenderness of the fried chicken, which is infused with the flavor of the aged sauce and fresh domestic chicken, is exceptional.

Its deliciousness is so great that it can be eaten in a variety of situations, including as a snack, side dish, or appetizer, and it has been nicknamed "3O." It is popular not only with local customers, but also with people from inside and outside the prefecture.

In addition to the "boneless mix" which allows you to compare thigh and breast meat, the "country chicken" made with chewy adult chicken is also popular.

Fried food shop Bungoya

Hearty and bone-in! But with a taste you'll never get tired of: "Karaage no Torishin"

"I love the fried chicken from Nakatsu, where I was born and raised," says the owner, Mr. Kado. The flavors convey his passion for fried chicken, making this a popular restaurant with many fans.

The dish is seasoned with their signature soy sauce, a well-balanced blend of 10 different seasonings and spices. They only use chicken from Kyushu, which has been carefully selected, and the timing and heat of frying was perfected after many trials. The thin batter and juicy meat juices make for a delicious dish that you'll never tire of, and you'll be able to eat it all in no time.

The "mix" of breast and thigh meat is popular, but the "bone-in thigh" is also recommended, allowing you to enjoy the juicy flavor of the meat. You can also enjoy your meal at your leisure in the stylish eat-in space inside the store, which is like an American-style cafe.

Fried chicken Torishin

Pioneer of the boom! Salty and lightly juicy "Moriyama Manda Main Store"

Moriyama Manda Main Store, which won the grand championship at the 2019 Karaage Grand Prix, is a popular restaurant that pioneered the Nakatsu Karaage boom.

The chicken meat is marinated in a salt-based "secret garlic sauce" made from domestic garlic and ginger from contracted farmers and several other natural seasonings without using any chemical seasonings. The crispy fried chicken has a light salty taste, yet the meat is juicy, making it addictively delicious.

It has a strong flavor, but does not leave behind the distinctive garlic aftertaste, so it's delicious not only when it's freshly fried, but also when it's cooled down.

Nakatsu Fried Chicken Moriyama Manda Main Branch

Delicious even when cooled! Genkiya boasts soft breast meat

This highly skilled restaurant has won numerous awards at the Karaage Grand Prix and is visited by karaage fans from inside and outside the prefecture.

The fried chicken is marinated in a secret sauce made from locally produced soy sauce, garlic, spices, and organic herbs, and then coated with batter just before being placed in oil for deep frying. The garlic flavor is just right and not too strong, so it's easy to eat.

Through repeated research, the chicken breast is moist and tender, without any of the dryness that is typical of chicken breast. It is healthy, juicy, and loved by people of all ages and genders. It is delicious when it is freshly fried, but it remains soft even after a while, so it is also a good idea to let it cool before eating.

Fried Chicken Specialty Restaurant Genkiya

A nostalgic taste. Enjoy the crispy texture at Chicken House Nakatsu Main Branch.

Since our founding in 1989, we have maintained the same commitment to everything from how we prepare our meat to how we make our sauce, which is made from soy sauce, mirin, sake, and garlic.

The owner, Mr. Tanaka, is very skilled at deep-frying his karaage, saying, "To bring out the tenderness of the meat and the fragrant aroma of the skin, the fried chicken is very important." The crispy batter and tender meat combine to create an addictive taste. The simple yet nostalgic taste has attracted many locals, and some families have been buying it for three generations.

They also serve lunch, where you can enjoy hearty dishes such as the "Karaage Set Meal," making it a great place to stop for lunch.

Fried Chicken House Nakatsu Main Branch

"Yukichi's Fried Chicken" is a popular dish made with Oita's specialty, kabosu.

Yukichi's Fried Chicken is marked by a sign depicting Fukuzawa Yukichi, a great man representing Nakatsu. If you visit, we highly recommend you try the Kabosu Fried Chicken.

The key to its deliciousness is the sauce, which is made from a mixture of soy sauce, kabosu pepper, an original blend made with juice from kabosu, a local specialty of Oita Prefecture, and several other spices.

The refreshing sourness of kabosu and the spicy kick create a new and unique taste, and is a dish that is often ordered by locals as well as tourists from outside the prefecture, and can only be found at this restaurant.

Popular staples include boneless fried chicken and gizzard shad, and the menu offers a variety of perfect snacks to go with your drinks.

Yukichi's Fried Chicken Nakatsu Branch

The difficulty of eating is part of the charm!? V-shaped chicken "Nakatsu Irotoridori"

Irotoridori is located in an easy-to-drop-in location, just a three-minute walk from Nakatsu Station. The owner, Mr. Ogawa, was born and raised in Nakatsu, and wanted to create something unique and original for his restaurant. He came up with the signature dish, V Chicken, which he himself describes as "the hardest fried chicken ever to eat."

This fried chicken is made from the part of the chicken at the base of the collarbone, and as its name suggests, it is shaped like a "V," which makes it difficult to eat, but it has a salt-based, light yet juicy flavor that is so addictively delicious you'll find yourself eating two or three pieces.

Additionally, the popular "Gold Medal Chicken Neck Meat", which uses no frozen meat and is made using high-quality chicken neck meat, won the gold medal at the "Fried Chicken Grand Prix".

Nakatsu Colorful Chickens

Now famous nationwide, Nakatsu's signature gourmet dish, "Nakatsu Karaageha," is an indispensable home-cooked dish that is a staple on the daily dinner tables of Nakatsu residents as well as on menus for special occasions.

The fried chicken restaurants introduced in this article are only a small part of the dozens of stores out there, and there are still many more with their own unique features and quirks, from the selection of ingredients to the preparation.

Most takeaway and specialty shops allow you to purchase them by the gram or dollar amount, so enjoy your trip to Nakatsu while sampling different flavors.

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