A unique treatment for Kyushu specialty in Tokyo takes place in the otaku district.
When looking for a restaurant in Japan, one of the main things to remember is senmonten or kanji. Senmonten refers to specialty shops and the sign that this restaurant specializes in one particular dish or ingredient.
Senmonten aren’t always expensive, but because of their culinary focus, their food has earned them the reputation that they aren’t as tasty as it can eat at a variety of restaurants. And on top of that, when our Japanese-language reporter P.K. Sanjun found out he wanted to eat at an indob in Tokyo where the neighbor was running around and sat with a chicken nanban senmonten called Himuka Shokudo, he had the chance to eat lunch.
For those who haven’t had the pleasure, chicken nanban is a dish from Miyazaki Prefecture. It is made of fried chicken, with a sweet and sour glaze and tartar sauce. Tartar sauce isn’t exactly a commo ingredient in Japanese cooking, but the word nanban was originally a spoken name for the Europeans who came to Japan, as merchants and missionaries during the feudal period; the invention of the dish has become a result of the cultural and culinary exchanges that took place on the western Japans islands Kyushu, in which a particular part of the famous Miyazaki islands was a part of the company.
The vertical sign above Himuka Shokudos entrance simply says Miyazaki Chicken Nanban (Nenban) just says vertically.
There are many casual restaurants and pubs in Tokyo in this time. But the restaurant, which was opened in the fall, made chicken nanban the main focus of its kitchen, despite the fact that the restaurant owner has no appetite for the restaurant, and with a dozen years of cook experience in the restaurant.
P.K. opted for the Authentic Miyazaki Chicken Nanban Set Meal for 1,300 yen (US$9.35) and he is the largest eater. He is, tacked up on a piece of chinese thigh for another 300 yen.
He was surprised, after starting to realize the beauty of the breast. Since chicken breast is poorly prepared, it can be hard and dry, but it was perfect. Somehow there is a lot of tarter sauce that was available in the photo; however, the breading was generously soaked in sweet and sour sauce, without any unpleasant taste of bruising flavour. And even if a sauce was given twice, the protein-packed flavor of the chicken wasn’t noticeable yet.
That’s all really good that, even though P.K. has had chicken nanban a lot of times before in other restaurants, he felt like he didn’t actually eat it in one place.
The breast was excellent, though your stomach is not as big as the P.K.s and only you’ll eat one, but your heart is full of fat, and its breast is the only way to go.
If you want even more flavor, you can add some Yuzu kosho hot chili paste (greens in this photo).
Although its only been open for a few months, Himuka Shokudo has already built a good reputation among local foodies, and at lunchtime there is often an air line extending out the door. If you want a place to recharge after a shopping trip through Akihabara, or if you want some Japanese beer, then you might drink it on the opposite side of Japan.
Himuka Shokudo / I have my hands. Tokyo-to, Chiyoda-ku, Soto Kanda 3-16-13. 3-16-13 Open from 11:30 – 12:30 o’clock / 18:30. Website
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