A ¾-mile stretch of Sawtelle Ave in West LA has an amazing collection of Japanese eateries. Named Sawtelle Japantown, you can find restaurants specializing in sushi, ramen, tsukemen, udon, Japanese curry, yakitori, and bento. One of the more recent restaurants to open is Anzu Gourmet, a place specializing in karaage fried chicken.
Karaage is a classic Japanese comfort dish you can find in a bento lunch box, street-side stalls, restaurants, or diners in Japan. It comes in bite-size nuggets, anyone who has tried the fried chicken can tell you how deliciously addicting it can be. Anzu Gourmet features it in their restaurant and they even refer to their restaurant as a Karaage Factory.
Anzu Gourmet’s menu highlights their karaage chicken but they also feature Japanese curry dishes as well as Japanese fusion. Some of the fusion dishes include the Teriyaki Dog, Curry Dog, Karaage Burger, and Avocado Teriyaki Burger. The popular Hawaiian breakfast Loco Moco is also available with a sunny-side-up egg.
Upon arrival, I discovered that they were still operating in take-out only mode and their outdoor tables and chairs were labeled not for seating. That was a bit unfortunate because fried chicken is best enjoyed when it is just prepared. Like the rest of their customers, I took my bag to go.
Their karaage has a crispy exterior and the inside remains juicy, making for a great fried chicken experience. The use of potato starch makes karaage extra crispy. Their seasoning is more pronounced over many other Japanese karaage and with the curry dipping sauce, this places it over the top as one of the best karaage dishes in town. It is available separately in groups of 5, 10, or 15 pieces.
The Kararage Burger ($6.99) is an item that I haven’t seen before. Instead of using chicken thighs, they use a half breast and prepare it just like the smaller pieces. They add green leaf lettuce, a fresh tomato slice, and a choice of tartar or aioli for the dressing. The sandwich was quite satisfying.
The Curry Dog ($6.99) is topped with Japanese Keema curry. This style of curry is made with ground beef, minced vegetables, and spices is added to an all-beef hotdog. Finally, chopped Japanese red pickles are added as a tart condiment.
Sicilian Rice ($13) is not something that I’ve seen on a menu before. It turns out that this recipe originates from the mid-1970s from a small café in the middle of Saga City, Japan. Add steamed rice to a plate, sliced BBQ beef, lettuce, tomato, and mayo topped with a fried egg.
Anzu Japanese Gourmet, 11720 La Grange Ave. West Los Angeles, CA 90025
anzu-usa.com