About the Shop

Hello, fellow travelers!
I’m Mikan 🍊, a writer for Sarukuma.

Today I’m excited to introduce you to
“Karamaru no Karaage“,
located in Kengun, Higashi Ward, Kumamoto City.

This shop is conveniently located near two other Sarukuma favorites,
“Mohaya Saikoukessaku” (a premium bakery) and “KONKON Inari”.

[CLOSED] Mohaya Saikoukessaku: Moist, Slightly Sweet Premium Bread Worth the Trip Even Without Nearby Parking (Kengun, Higashi Ward)

[CLOSED] KONKON Inari: Adorable, Elegantly-Flavored Bite-Sized Inari Sushi (Kengun, Higashi Ward)

This Karamaru no Karaage spot is the result of my hunt for the most delicious karaage (Japanese fried chicken) in Kumamoto!

I arrived right when the shop opened at 11:00 AM,
and a steady stream of customers came pouring in just behind me!

There’s parking for about one car right in front of the shop.

The entrance door displays the shop’s information and menu,
though it might be a little hard to spot at first.

I love that the lettering is in stylish Romaji (Roman characters)!

Inside, vinyl curtains show that hygiene measures are taken seriously!

Each order is fried fresh on the spot, so you can enjoy
piping hot, just-fried karaage straight from the fryer!

Fun fact: the cheerful staff member told me
this karaage is so good that even pregnant women with morning sickness crave it!

Kind of like how everyone craves McD’s fries, you know? 😉

Curious yet? I sure was!

Recommended Menu

Karaage by weight (from 190 yen per 100g)

The bento (lunch box) menu is also impressively varied!

There were even more menu items posted around the inside of the shop.

This time, I went with the classic — the Karaage Bento (280 yen).
Yes, just 280 yen! The unbelievable price was the first thing that blew me away!

Looking through the rest of the bento menu, everything was incredibly affordable…

The prices are so reasonable, you could easily order two!

Seriously the best value for money!

From the moment I received my bento, I noticed
the lid could barely close because of how much karaage was packed inside.

“Just how much are you giving me?!” I thought,
watching the staff fill the box in disbelief!

Ta-da! Behold the full glory of the bento ↑↑↑

Some pieces of karaage are even spilling onto the cabbage —
is that intentional…

or did they just overflow from how much was inside? (haha)

I love that they sprinkled furikake (Japanese rice seasoning) on top of the rice too! ♡

Now, time to dig into the karaage!

Each piece is delightfully huge and chunky!

This is the kind of generous portion that guys especially love!

CRUNCH! JUICY!

Even after some time has passed, it’s still as crispy as if it had just come out of the fryer.

The flavor seems to be salt-based. Because it’s so light,
you can really taste the natural deliciousness of the chicken!

And then there’s that mysterious dollop of mayonnaise tucked into a corner of the bento.
Did you notice it?

An entire corner dedicated to mayo!

Let’s give the karaage a dip and see what happens.

Mayo is the BEST!
What is this?! The mayo and karaage combo is insanely good!

I usually eat my karaage plain, but
once I tasted this magic, I was dipping every single piece in mayo! (haha)

Now I understand the genius of dedicating a whole corner to mayo. It all makes sense!

Hats off to the staff!

By the way, if you order karaage à la carte, they’ll pop it into a bag with a toothpick
so you can start munching right away! ♪

I devoured mine the moment I got back in the car! (haha)

Karamaru no Karaage truly offers unbeatable value!
Make sure to stop by and meet the cheerful staff for yourself! ♪

Related articles below ↓

[CLOSED] Mohaya Saikoukessaku: Moist, Slightly Sweet Premium Bread Worth the Trip Even Without Nearby Parking (Kengun, Higashi Ward)

[CLOSED] KONKON Inari: Adorable, Elegantly-Flavored Bite-Sized Inari Sushi (Kengun, Higashi Ward)

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Frequently Asked Questions

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