RakiRaki Ramen Expanding Into Tokyo-Style Fried Chicken

The fried chicken craze shows no sign of stopping and the latest to join the fray is an extension of RakiRaki Ramen & Tsukemen. Called Junya’s Crispy Karaage, or JCK for short, it was created by owner and executive chef Junya Watanabe, who reportedly collaborated with a Michelin-starred chef in Tokyo to develop his ultimate karaage — a Japanese-style of fried food in which the meat is marinated prior to frying; the technique is most common with chicken.

Chicken karaage has been a popular item on RakiRaki’s existing menu, but Watanabe has refined the recipe for JCK, which involves a shoyu-based marinade and is double-fried in a coating of Japanese spices. A spicy version of the chicken is also new. Though it could be a stand-alone concept eventually, Junya’s Crispy Karaage will first launch on Monday, February 22 as a special offering at RakiRaki locations in Kearny Mesa, Mira Mesa, and Liberty Station.

In addition to a fried chicken box containing six pieces of freshly-fried chicken and three Japanese sauces for $9.40, there will be karaage coleslaw salad, karaage sliders on pretzel buns, and karaage paired with curry rice and tonkotsu ramen, available in limited quantities per day.

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