Fresh Bites, Citi Centre Arcade

Today I picked up my #CookbookThursday twitter prize from Dymocks Adelaide. Thanks guys!



I'm totes going to get my CWA bake on this weekend.

More importantly, I thought I'd check out how Fresh Bites in the Citi Centre Arcade was kicking along. Their karaage chicken roll was almost the roll of my dreams... almost.



The roll of my dreams has the following qualities:
- crunchy yet chewy and moist roll
- lots of crisp, fresh veggies and herbs
- kewpie mayonnaise
- Crispy, crunchy but still juicy chicken.
- I'm talking flavour and texture here people!

What let this roll down was the chicken - while juicy and plentiful the karaage chicken was neither crispy nor crunchy. The chicken had obviously been sitting under lights for too long.

This is a roll worth returning for though - every other element was well executed.

Can anyone help me find the roll of my dreams?

Maki Maki Japanese Cafe, Parc Arcade, Rundle Mall

I thought I'd take the young fella to the museum this morning. He was a particular fan of the colourful minerals display. Just around the corner from the museum is Maki Maki Japanese Cafe. In my opinion Maki Maki does some of the best teriyaki chicken in Adelaide so we dropped by for post-museum lunch and ordered bento 2 - teriyaki chicken, crispy chicken, sushi and spring roll.



Despite singing the praises of the teriyaki chicken above - today's batch was a bit disappointing. The flavour was there - it was sweet and salty with a creamy tang from the Japanese mayo - but it was COLD. However, the crispy chicken was excellent - really juicy with a wonderful crunch.



I have a soft spot for the spring rolls from Maki Maki because they're basically chiko rolls - delicious! The sushi is also pretty good. I ordered two that were young fella friendly - teriyaki chicken and BBQ beef. I was really surprised by the BBQ beef - it was essentially hamburger patty sushi which might sound a bit odd but was actually really tasty.



I really wanted to be able to give Maki Maki a better review but the cold teriyaki chicken really threw me. Their stall is up for lease so goodness knows how much longer they'll be around for. Check 'em out before they disappear because the teriyaki chicken IS really good - just not today.

Ajisen Ramen, Regent Arcade

I'm told tori karaage ramen doesn't exist in Japan. This seems a little weird to me. They have numerous iterations of fried chicken on one hand - and various types of ramen on the other hand. It seems like the most natural thing in the world to mash them together into a SHINING DISH OF GLORY - but apparently not. Apparently tori karaage ramen was invented to appease the western palate.

You learn something new everyday, don't you?

Whether this is true or not, Ajisen Ramen's tori karaage ramen is probably the best in the Adelaide.



Notice how the plump balls of chicken beckon with juicy promise? If you've read my previous post about Ajisen Ramen (where I wasn't happy with my practically dessicated chicken balls) you'll have some inkling on how pleased I was. See the fatty sheen of flavour floating on top of the broth? See the lightly braised cabbage? See the... eggy... egg? Heaven.

Tori karaage ramen may be a dishonorable western bastardisation of traditional Japanese cuisine but it'll always have a place near my heart - in my stomach, in fact. Check out Ajisen Ramen for Adelaide's tastiest version.