But that doesn’t mean we don’t love it.
Japanese convenience store chain Lawson’s Karaage-kun is one of the absolute all-stars of the combini food world. These bite-sized pieces of karaage (Japanese-style fried chicken), which even come with a toothpick so you can eat them without getting your fingers dirty, are so deliciously satisfying that it’s hard for us to recall a time when we regretted buying a pack of them.
But while Karaage-kun is a reliable favorite, Lawson still likes to change things up by offering seasonal and limited-time flavors alongside the always-available regular-version Karaage-kun. That’s what brought us to Lawson on a recent afternoon to try their new corn soup-flavored fried chicken.
It might not be a standard-bearer for Japanese cuisine with such global fame as sushi or ramen, but corn soup definitely has a place in the country’s heart and stomach. Anyone who’s traveled in Japan during the fall or winter has probably spotted cans of heated corn soup for sale in vending machines, but you can find it year-round at restaurants that serve Western-style fare in Japan, including steak restaurant chain Asakuma, whose take on corn soup is so popular that it’s sold on its own too.
▼ Asakuma corn soup
You can find Asakuma branches in the Tokyo area, but the chain got its start in Nagoya, and so the Asakuma Corn Soup Karaage-kun is not only a limited-time flavor, but a region-specific one too, only available at Lawson locations in the Tokai and Hokuriku areas that sit between Japan’s eastern Kanto and central Kansai. We were willing to track it down, though, to see how it tastes.
▼ The box’s graphics sport the Asakuma (あさくま) logo.
Japanese-style corn soup, also sometimes called corn potage, is similar to corn chowder, but simpler, creamier, and slightly sweeter. It’s an accessible, widely loved flavor, but would it work well with fried chicken?
As soon as we opened the flap, the inviting aroma of corn soup wafter up out of the box. After spearing a piece of chicken, we popped it into our mouth, and just as our olfactory senses had been promised, this Karaage-kun delivered the gentle but unmistakable rich flavor of corn soup. There was nothing forceful or artificial-feeling about it, just a comforting, enticing flavor profile that smoothly accentuated the meaty notes of the chicken with those of sweet corn.
Just how happy were we with the Corn Soup Karaage-kun? So happy that we immediately bought another box, since we were absolutely certain knew we’d be craving more after we finished the first pack.
▼ Buying just one would be a mistake.
With the Corn Soup Karaage-kun priced at 298 yen (US$1.90), we also had room in our budget for another collaboration between Lawson and Asakuma, this one a 248-yen roll cake reimagining of the purin (custard pudding) Asakuma serves.
Nagoya is famous for the quality of its eggs, and their rich sweetness, with a touch of bitterness from the ribbon and drizzle of caramel sauce, make for an excellent dessert
Really, the only downside here is that these items aren’t available nationwide, so if you want to try them, you’ll need to head to a Lawson in Aichi, Shizuoka, Gifu, Toyama, Ishikawa, or Fukui Prefecture, or to participating stores in Mie or Fukui Prefecture. On the plus side, that means you’ll also be able to try the other Tokai/Hokuriku foods Lawson has in those regions right now, like the chicken cutlet sandwich produced in cooperation with Nagoya chicken wing specialty restaurant Furaibo.
And hey, if this gives you an excuse to combine travel and fried chicken, two of the finest things in life, then that sounds like a win-win to us.
Photos ©SoraNews24
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