Is the biggest bird best?

There are certain staples that each of the major convenience store chains in Japan is sure to carry. Onigiri are almost a certain bet, and nikuman steamed meat buns have more recently become available everywhere and all year round. You’ll probably even find a melon pan in each store if they aren’t already sold out.

Another convenience store sure thing is fried chicken. Back in the day, each store had its own unique style of chicken, but more recently, they have all adopted a breaded fried filet, similar to Family Mart’s mega-hit Fami Chiki.

If we took a poll, it seems very likely that Fami Chiki would still reign supreme, but Lawson’s L-Chiki and 7-Eleven’s Nana Chiki both have offerings worth trying. And now, Lawson is upping their game with a new item called Manmaru Chicken for 248 yen (US$1.67).

The name “Manmaru” suggests a chicken filet that’s both plump and filling, so our writer K. Masami headed out to her nearest Lawson to try one the day it was released on 29 July. Despite the big fried chicken launch, the store wasn’t nearly as crowded as she expected. Also, when she went to the fried chicken cabinet, there weren’t any Manmaru Chicken there.

There was a price tag for it, however. When she asked the staff about it, they seemed surprised and replied, “Oh, it comes out today! Do you want us to fry some up?”

She had clearly come during a slow period, so they were probably planning on cooking it when more people would be around. It was nice of them to fry some just for her, and she felt her loyalty for this Lawson branch grow stronger. She even bought two since she appreciated the gesture so much.

Though not in the spirit of her newfound loyalty, she also stopped by a Family Mart and 7-Eleven to buy a Fami Chiki for 240 yen ($1.62) and Nana Chiki for 223 yen ($150) from them too. After all, this was for science.

▼ From the bottom clockwise: Manmaru Chiki (Lawson), Nana Chiki (7-Eleven), Fami Chiki (Family Mart)

Masami was impressed with the size of the Manmaru Chicken compared to the others. After slicing one open, she could see that the trick was rolling the meat up to make it look more three-dimensional. The other big difference was that this chicken was more lightly battered than others, by about 10 percent.

▼ Manmaru Chiki

Those were some very wise decisions by Lawson, and they paid off not only in presentation but taste as well. When she bit into it, juices filled her mouth, and the light seasoning and batter both helped to emphasize the strong meat flavor.

Next, she tried the Nana Chiki from 7-Eleven. It had a bold salt and pepper flavor, and the meat had more fatty parts in it than the others. The new Manmaru Chicken had a milder flavor and was more filling, but Nana Chiki might be a good pick-me-up when tired.

▼ Nana Chiki

And then Masami tried the Fami Chiki, and there were no surprises here, but it was interesting to taste all these chickens back to back. Clearly, Lawson and 7-Eleven weren’t trying to just clone a Fami Chiki and hoped to create their own hits. All of the chickens had their own blend of spices in the coating, showing each store’s intention to carve its own path.

▼ Fami Chiki

Masami found that the Manmaru was strangely the most filling and yet also the lightest to eat. They all have their own set of charms though, so it’s best to try each one and see which is best for you personally.

▼ For a sense of scale, here are the measurements for the Manmaru Chiki

Meanwhile, they all have one thing in common: They taste great with beer or cola!

A journalist friend of hers once said that convenience store chicken and a beer are her lifesavers after a shift. They were totally right too, because at the end of the day, when she’s too tired to cook, convenience store chicken and beer felt like they had saved her life. And with these sweltering nights where it can be difficult to eat heavy foods, Manmaru Chicken from Lawson can really hit the spot.

Photos © SoraNews24
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