Making fried food in a college kitchen is quite the commitment, but let's be honest, fried food is just so good that the potential mess and hint of danger make it so worth it. Ever since coming to the U.S., I’ve had fried chicken a couple of times, but Japanese fried chicken, karaage, just hits different.

I marinated the chicken thighs in a soy, garlic, and ginger mix overnight, then breaded them in potato starch. Unlike traditional American fried chicken that uses a flour-based battering process, I believe potato starch gives a crispier and lighter crunch to the chicken. I would put the chicken on a bowl of white rice, then top it with some pickled sweet onion, kewpie mayo, and a good sprinkle of shichimi pepper flakes.

For a late-night dinner, this may have been one of the best things that I made. Especially if you squeeze a little lemon halfway through eating, the acidity brings your hunger back to finish the bowl. With the oil I used to make this, all I wish that I could’ve done is prepare the chicken to make more that night.