The first time I went to a fancy sushi restaurant (not a conveyor belt one!), they served a dish with a side of rakkyo tartar sauce and told us, “Please dip this in the rakkyo tartar sauce.” I tried it and was blown away—it was so delicious! Since then, I started adding rakkyo to my tartar sauce at home whenever I make chicken nanban. The sweet-and-sour flavor of the rakkyo pairs so well with the rich tartar sauce and tangy nanban vinegar. My husband loves it too, and we often end up eating two full cups of rice between the two of us—so be careful not to overeat!
Ingredients
| Boneless chicken thighs | 600g (about 1.3 lb/ 2 pieces) |
| Salt & black pepper | about 5 shakes on each side for seasoning |
| Potato starch | as needed |
| Egg | 1 |
| Neutral oil (I use rice bran oil) | for frying |
| 【the tartar sauce】 | |
| Egg | 4 |
| Japanese mayonnaise (like Kewpie) | adjust to taste (I use about 3 tbsp) |
| Rakkyo (Japanese pickled shallots) | 80g |
| Black pepper | Optional, for garnish |
| 【the Nanban Vinegar Sauce】 | |
| Soy sauce (I use Kikkoman Nama Shibori) | 4 tbsp |
| Brown sugar (or regular sugar) | 4 tbsp |
| Vinegar | 4 tbsp |
How to Make
1⃣ Make the tartar sauce
Boil the 4 eggs in boiling water for 10 minutes to make hard-boiled eggs. While they’re boiling, finely chop the rakkyo.
2⃣ Once the eggs are cooled, peel and add them to a bowl with the chopped rakkyo and mayonnaise. Mix well with a fork, breaking up the eggs.
Refrigerate the sauce while you prepare the chicken and nanban vinegar.
3⃣ Prepare and fry the chicken
Pat the chicken dry thoroughly with paper towels, then season both sides with salt and pepper.
(Tip: Make sure the chicken is very dry to get a crispy texture!)
4⃣ Dust the chicken lightly with potato starch, then dip into the beaten egg.
5⃣ Heat oil to 170°C (340°F) and fry the chicken one piece at a time, skin side down first.
Fry for 4 minutes on the first side, then flip and fry for another 4 minutes. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then fry again for extra crispiness.
6⃣ For the second fry, heat the oil to 180°C (355°F) and fry skin side first for 1 minute, then flip and fry for another 1 minute (2 minutes total).
Keep an eye on the color to avoid burning.
7⃣ Slice the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
8⃣ Make the nanban vinegar sauce
Combine soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar in a small saucepan.
Heat on low and stir continuously to avoid burning.
9⃣ Top the chicken with the rakkyo tartar sauce and black pepper if you like.
Serve it all on one plate with rice so the nanban vinegar soaks into the rice—it’s so good!
If you want to keep the chicken extra crispy, serve the vinegar sauce in a small dish on the side and pour it on just before eating.
Before going to a proper sushi restaurant for the first time, I was super nervous and read everything I could online. Unlike conveyor belt sushi, I learned that:
- You don’t pour soy sauce on the sushi
- You eat what the chef prepares for you
- You don’t know the total price until the end (!)
I was worried they wouldn’t take credit cards, so I stuffed 100,000 yen (about $700 USD) in my wallet just in case—my wallet was bursting!
I was also afraid the chef might be strict, but he was incredibly kind. He asked, “Is there anything you don’t eat?” and even noticed when I was getting full, asking, “Are you feeling full now?” Meanwhile, he offered my husband extra pieces since he still looked hungry.
It was such a warm and welcoming experience. I loved being able to watch each piece of sushi made right in front of us.
If it looks yummy, please share on Twitter/X!
If you try making it, don’t forget to tag me—I’d love to see your creation!
