Tried Gardens’ “Kurotoya” Winner of Karaage Grand Prix Gold Two Years in a Row and Totally Got the Hype

This year, “Jinenjo Tororo Don Specialty Restaurant Kokutoya” won a Gold Award at the 14th Karaage Grand Prix® by the Japan Karaage Association.

We’ve covered them before, when they won the Japan Trending Donburi Award, and last year when “Kokutoya” won a Gold Award at the Karaage Grand Prix®. This time, they’ve won for two years in a row, so we thought, “We’ve got to go eat there.”

Kokutoya is located in the food court on the 1st floor of Gardens.

This is Jinenjo Tororo Don Specialty Restaurant “Kokutoya”!!

The food court at Gardens has plenty of seating, doesn’t it?

“Kokutoya” Umani Karaage Tororo Don, Regular Size

Umani Karaage Tororo Don, Regular Size 950 yen（tax included）

The karaage tororo don also comes with clear soup and pickles.

Karaage don↓

Look! The crisp green onions have such an artistic feel! Presentation must be part of the Karaage Grand Prix criteria too.

Zoom in even more↓

Crispy, irresistible karaage.

Kokutoya Specialty Umani Karaage S 720 yen（tax included）

They also have a karaage-only menu, and the S size comes with 6 to 7 pieces.

Time to dig in!

Take a look at the cross-section. So juicy! And the coating is thin.

Just as it looks, the crunchy, crisp sound when you bite into it is amazing. The coating is so thin you’d almost think it wasn’t there, yet they manage to get this level of crispiness. Apparently, they achieve that crunch through double frying and their flour blend.

Look, look! The one earlier was thigh meat, but this one is breast meat! It’s tender, and the seasoning really comes through.

Apparently, the secret to the flavor is a two-step preparation: first they season it, then in the second step they marinate it in their original soy sauce-based marinade.
Actually, Kokutoya’s karaage isn’t the same every year. They apparently update it for each Grand Prix.

The well-seasoned karaage becomes light and mild with the tororo. The pressed barley adds a nice poppy texture. The tororo is based on jinenjo yam, with a broth made from mountain yam, bonito, and kombu.

The tororo isn’t too sticky; it’s more of a smooth, flowing type, and it pairs unbelievably well with the karaage.

At first I thought the diced pieces in this clear soup were winter melon, but they’re actually daikon radish.

The grated daikon gently melts into the soup, making it soothing and comforting. There’s also a subtle hint of yuzu.

I wonder what kind of pickles these are.

These! They’re shibazuke pickles made with onions from Awaji. With the flavors of plum, shiso, and yukari, they’re refreshing, with just the right balance of sweetness and sharpness.

“Kokutoya” Menu

This time, we ordered the simplest item at the top left: the Umani Karaage Tororo Don. Next time, maybe grated shiso, no, negi-shio, or the neba-toro one sounds good too.

If you’re stuck on what to have as a side dish for dinner, try Kokutoya’s karaage. Highly recommended!

“Kokutoya”

Right now, you can also get a coupon for one extra piece of karaage or one soft drink!

Here’s the map for Hankyu Nishinomiya Gardens↓

The address is 7-30 Hagoromocho, Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture.

The food court is here↓

Inside the food court, it’s here↓

If you’re ever wondering what to eat at the food court, remember this article first!