When we are traveling to other cities, we usually try to visit a Japanese Izakaya-type spots. If we can’t find one or have an opportunity to go to one in an evening, we will try to find a place that offers similar type food. We found an interesting spot that specializes in Karaage, or Japanese fried chicken, and also Japanese French fries. It certainly got our attention!
We visited them soon after they opened for the day, and they had a handful of customers already. They offer Hawaiian Japanese fare, with a Japanese chef. The inside is rather small, not much seating but the turnover is kind of quick with the type of food offered. On top of Karaage and fries, they also offer some sushi roles and entrees such as curry rice and their version of Loco Moco. They have full bar, offering beer, wine, shochu, cocktails and more. I really liked their neon-colored plastic bag under each table. It is there for your bags and other personal belongings, so that they don’t get dirty while you are enjoying your food. These little extra kindness means a lot!
We were interested in their Karaage and Fries, so we decided to order one of each to share, and a side of rice. We each ordered Furikake Rice ($2), which is a rice with Japanese rice seasoning. They brought two balls of rice with seasoning per order, which was a pretty good portion for $2.
As for Karaage, they had original and spicy. We went with Spicy Shichimi ($9/medium). The medium portion comes with around eight or nine chickens, so only about $1 each. They are boneless chicken, deep-fried and then covered with shichimi, or seven flavored dry spicy pepper.
The chickens were really, REALLY good!!! It was super crispy on the outside, yet extremely juicy in the inside. It was not oily at all, didn’t see much of any grease on the plate. They are the master of fried chicken! The seven spice was excellent on the chicken, I never had fried chicken covered with shichimi before, but it worked perfectly. The fried chicken on its own was delicious, but adding the spices turned the innocent little babies into a Rockstar with fire!
We also ordered their fries, Setsuna French Fries ($8/medium), seasoned with soy sauce and butter. The medium size was pretty big, much bigger than we thought it would be, which was great! We also got two kinds of dipping sauce to go with it. The fries were not super crunchy but more on the soft side, which is what I prefer, so it was perfect for me. The seasoning was great but not overwhelming. The mix of soy sauce and butter flavor was soulful, kind of old fashion, simple, country-side Japanese cooking flavor, if you know what I mean. It was addictive and delicious!
We chose Setsuna’s RED sauce, or spicy mayo ($0.75) and Wasabi Ranch ($0.75). They were both tasty, and went great with the fries.
And as I mentioned, the portion of each dishes were really nice. They were all bigger in size and portion than I expected them to be. And for the low price, it was awesome! We were quite full after the lunch, I am glad we didn’t order large size… We actually thought we might need to add more food order when we first placed our order, but once the food came to or table, I figured that might be enough. And yes, they were very filling!
They have a bathroom around the corner to the left of the entrance, through the packed shelves. The bathroom was small but clean and well-lit.
The service was efficient, not overly friendly but polite and courteous. The food was so good, the quality, portion and flavor all went above my expectations. The price was crazy affordable for the amount of food you receive, and everything was oh-so-addictive good. No-frills, just focusing on serving delicious food. Totally loved it! If you are craving some awesome fried chicken or fries, you know where to go!
Karaage Setsuna – 2421 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98121