1st Look Bites: Japanese Fried Chicken at Kasadela

Kasadela is a traditional izakaya, a perfect Japanese hybrid of bar and restaurant, right in New York City. Izakayas are ubiquitous in Japan, where drinking is just as important as eating. We ventured to the unassuming Alphabet City restaurant to try some popular Japanese bar snacks and were pleasantly surprised by the reasonably priced menu and extensive selection. Plus, happy hour goes 'til 8PM with half-priced beers, cocktails and sake--pleasantly surprised indeed!

The order-as-you-go style of the izakaya gave us some time to enjoy our half-priced refreshments and mull over the wide selection. First up, Tebasaki, or Japanese-style chicken wings. The small order was plenty for two and it was fried to perfection. A balanced combination of sweet and salty, this portion of wings will whet your appetite enough for the next dish.

Next up, salmon tartar with Japanese sweet potato chips. It was a standard salmon and avocado tartar, and the chips definitely added a nice crunchy component. Grilled octopus from the specials menu was a good contrast in texture and complemented the subtle flavors of the salmon dish.

Aaand, back to the fried stuff, we had the Chicken Kara Age, a crispy boneless fried chicken marinated with ginger, garlic, scallions, that was surprisingly very different from the wings. Highly recommended.

Lastly, the Gindara Saikyo Yaki stole the show with its robust flavors and delicate texture.The black cod, marinated in sakiyo miso for three days, was the perfect way to top off a shared meal of bar eats and brews (and sake) with friends. 
 

Kasadela
647 East 11th St.
New York, NY 10009
212-777-1582

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