![]() Together they touch off a complex chain reaction-salty, tingly, numb-on pleasant repeat. Bite-size morsels get a deep-fry to lock in moisture, then a wokked follow-up tossed with Sichuan peppercorns, toasted sesame seeds, and generous lengths of red chilies. The Seattle outpost in Chinatown–International District serves perhaps the town’s best Chongqing laziji chicken under a deceptively tame moniker: crispy chicken with red chili pepper. Chengdu Taste Chongqing Chicken ➔ Sichuan, Chinaīack in the American heyday of orange chicken and beef broccoli, two Chengdu natives channeled their nostalgia for break-a-sweat spicy Sichuan into a restaurant in Southern California. Yoshi Matsumoto makes wildly juicy fried chicken at Karaage Setsuna. While karaage is a superlative drinking snack, Matsumoto also serves plenty for lunch, in Hawaiian-inspired combo plates with macaroni salad or curry: “It’s a good partner for both beer and rice.” Belltown Subtle cornstarch amplifies chicken’s natural charms rather than wrapping it in crunch, and the rainbow of dipping sauces-spicy mayo, curry ketchup, mango barbecue sauce-sidesteps tradition to satisfy Seattle diners. Chef Yoshi Matsumoto also adds dashi, a trick he picked up from chefs in Japan, to layer in “a different kind of umami.” His Belltown restaurant goes through 200 pounds of chicken a week, fried to a shade of marigold that practically matches the dining room walls. ![]() Technically, the garlic, ginger, and soy sauce marinade defines Japan’s signature fried chicken (oh, and thighs-always thighs). Capitol Hill Karaage Setsuna Karaage ➔ Japan Ayam goreng’s bold flavors mean “you can eat one piece of meat with a lot of rice.” During the pandemic, he started offering a sandwich version that’s just as inspired (and only $8). “Over there, protein is expensive,” says Ooi. Just a striking assortment of fresh spices (turmeric, galangal, curry leaf, lemongrass, garlic, chilies) ground up to coat each drumstick. ![]() “This is what my mom made,” he says-no marinade, almost no flour, no complex double fry. But when he expanded Ooink’s concise appetizer menu, he reverted to the classic fried chicken he ate growing up in Malaysia. Ooink Ayam Goreng ➔ MalaysiaĬhong Boon Ooi makes remarkable ramen with house-cranked noodles in his shop on Capitol Hill. BelltownĪ visit to India inspired the latest fried chicken dish from Kedai Makan owner Kevin Burzell. Each of his brined birds receives three rounds of seasoning, the final clinging to an intermediary layer of tamarind sauce to deliver a low roar of flavor. ![]() It proved a good representation of jerk’s definitive flavors-allspice, thyme, and scotch bonnets-since Lamont’s dry rub sticks to the chicken like a dredge, minus any actual flour. Lamont excels at the more traditional version of jerk chicken, but when building his restaurant menu, the chef asked himself, “What do people freaking love?” Fried chicken, duh. As an adult, he combines those worldly flavors with his culinary training to produce a majestic half chicken, fried just past golden, its skin a terrain of crusted spice. ![]() Jerk Shack Jerk Fried Chicken ➔ Jamaica and the CaribbeanĪs a child, Trey Lamont would visit Caribbean relatives on the East Coast, then yearn for their distinct spice combinations back home in Seattle. Even better, so many of these traditions converge right here in Seattle. It sizzles in Taiwanese street markets and singes taste buds at Nashville chicken shacks. Chicken crisped in oil enjoys a similar worldwide status. Dumplings proliferate across cultures, and you needn’t be a food scholar to see the commonalities in tortillas, pizza, and naan. Chengdu Taste's crispy chicken with red chili pepper is otherworldly.į ood has a way of connecting us, even as it defines our differences. ![]()
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