Hello, fellow travelers and food lovers! 😄
This is Yuzu, a writer for SaruKuma 🌻

Today we’re heading to
Kokufu, Chuo Ward, Kumamoto City, to check out
【Karaage Laboratory (Karaage Kenkyujo)】 ☆

My high school daughter walked past this place one day and came home raving,
“Mom, the karaage shop near here is supposed to be amazing!!”
So of course, I had to investigate for myself 😊

The shop is located just steps from JR Shin-Suizenji Station,
right at the corner of the Shin-Suizenji Station intersection 😀

For parking, you can use the lot at SUNNY supermarket across the street.
If you shop at SUNNY, you get 1 hour free parking 🚗

From the SUNNY parking lot, just cross the pedestrian crossing and you’re there 👍

Cholesterol-free oil!!!!

That “zero” has such a nice ring to it 😊

And of course, it’s better for your health too 😆

At the entrance, you’ll find the opening hours and closing days posted clearly 😀
Now, let’s head inside! GO! GO!!!

Inside, there are a few notices to keep in mind 😄

Shopping bags are 3 yen each.

Between 19:00 and 20:00, orders may take a bit longer.

But here’s the good news — you can place an order in advance! 🥰

Now, time to take a look at the menu! 😆

For the karaage (Japanese fried chicken), you can choose between yuzu salt or garlic soy sauce 🤩

The bento (lunch box) comes in small, medium, large, and extra-large 👍

And here’s a bonus — you can pick either plain white rice or chicken-flavored rice (torimeshi)
as your base 🤩🤩🤩🤩

At a karaage specialty shop, you just know the torimeshi is going to be incredible 🥰

The menu also includes karaage skewers (kushikara), Frankfurt sausage skewers, chicken wings, and fries 😁

And get this — there’s a special student price for the karaage skewers!!
That’s a real treat for students living on a tight allowance ❤️
What a thoughtful touch 🥰

Sorry for the glare in the photo 💦

If you order karaage skewers + another item, you can get them at a discounted set price 😀

The student price applies to high school students and younger, so keep that in mind 😊

Take a look at the bento sizes — the extra-large one is absolutely massive!!

Apparently, it’s a favorite of the male high school students from the nearby school 😋
Growing teens need their fuel! 😁

Eating inside the shop isn’t allowed, but there are chairs available for those waiting on their orders 😀

Recommended Menu

This time, I went with the Karaage Bento (Medium) for 420 yen

And of course, I picked the torimeshi 🤩 as my rice 👍

The karaage is prepared using a traditional Japanese technique called kobu-jime (kelp curing)
and marinated with fresh yuzu citrus 😀

The yuzu flavor really comes through — absolutely delicious! ☆

The torimeshi is rich with chicken broth flavor,
and the wild mountain vegetables (sansai) mixed in are wonderful ☆
It’s all made by hand at the shop too 😊

Hidden underneath the karaage, I found a layer of fries! 😆
I wasn’t expecting it, so it felt like a delightful little bonus 🥰

It was seriously delicious, so make sure to drop by if you’re in the area 😀

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Frequently Asked Questions

※Information is current as of the time of reporting. Prices and hours are subject to change. Please check before visiting.