The best Japanese-American fried chicken anywhere when are you open?Dietary restrictions: Not greasy, succulent!Kid-friendliness: FineWheelchair accessibility: Plenty room
For about 2 years I've followed Naegi as it would mysteriously come and go, first as a pop-up, then a food truck, and now as a small restaurant that took over the space previously occupied by a Peruvian eatery. Now I see that it is unavailable again, this time temporarily closed but at least with a set reopen date. I would keep returning, just for the karaage chicken sando alone. It has to be understood that their karaage chicken is Japanese-inspired, not authentic traditional, but it is over-the-top delicious. The generous piece of chicken hangs out over the locally made milk bun. Incredibly juicy and spiced perfectly. It is fried, so not going to be on your list of low-cal meals, but in my book a satisfying and justified indulgence. Full disclosure because I've craved the chicken each time, I haven't ordered anything else but I'm trying the Ebi Filet-O next time due to the positive reviews. The $6 scoop of potato salad is a tasty addition but I feel not a good value for the price. Service is always friendly, the place is small but there is seating outdoors when the weather is nice.
Michelle N.
Swung by to grab a quick lunch on a Sunday afternoon, and decided on the Ebi Filet-O (Shrimp), Egg Salad Sando, and Lobster Salad Sando. We also grabbed a side of potato salad (not pictured). All sandwiches are cut into 3 pieces. We called to place a pick-up order and they informed us it would be ready in 10 minutes. They share their parking lot in a plaza with other businesses, but the lot isn't busy which made parking easy, and the place was clean when we walked in, with anime playing on the big screen. Service was amazing and the workers even made sure to let us know all utensils and napkins were in the bag when they handed it off to us. The best thing to grace my lips this day was this Ebi Filet-O sandwich ($14). The shrimp was perfectly fried and juicy, with big chunks of shrimp in the patty itself. As you can see in the picture, I almost forgot to take pictures since I already inhaled one of the sandwich pieces. The sauce and cabbage complemented the shrimp perfectly, and since there are 3 pieces per sandwich, my partner and I definitely fought over the last slice of Ebi sandwich. The Egg Salad Sando ($7) and Lobster Salad Sando ($17) were both delicious, although I felt there wasn't enough lobster in the sandwich since the bites weren't as hearty as the shrimp or egg sandos. The potato salad was good, with the texture being very soft and one dimensional, and nothing very memorable, in my opinion. We'll be back to try the karaage sando (and grab another Ebi Filet-O, too!)
betty chen
The reasons I didn’t give it’s food a 5:- The Hokkaido breads are sometimes a bit dry, even with the dressing on. I said sometimes because it isn’t always dry… which makes me wonder if it has to do with the degree of freshness of the bread?I’m not criticizing the actual quality of their Hokkaido bread, we buy them whenever our grandkids visit, just to make perfect Grilled Cheese sandwiches and French toasts, they are the best!Another reason I didn’t give its food a perfect score has to do with the sauce on their Karrage Chicken Sandwich being a little too spicy for me, and I think either they should put up a warning sign or give customers the option of leaving the sauce on the side. Perhaps this is a service issue, not food quality issue, and should be addressed for the sake of seniors and children, who normally can’t handle spicy foods?So, What do I love about this place?-Their Karrage Chicken, no one can fry a piece of chicken breast so moist and tender and flavorful as Naegi! Must try it this is your first time!-Their Sweet potato fries. So yummy, the crispy outside and melt-in-your-mouth texture inside, especially when they’re hot!-Their Ebi Sando, aka Shrimp Katsu/cutlet sandwich, is another must try! So much shrimps and nothing but shrimps, perfectly seasoned and fried! Again, I would ask to leave the dressing on the side since I don’t enjoy anything spicy, and prefer that my sandwich to be lightly dressed, so that I could fully enjoy the shrimp flavor and texture.-Their cucumber salad, crunchy and fresh with just the right amount of vinegar+sugar, a perfect side dish to go with any fried foods!Naegi is a must try if you’re into chicken sandwiches. Forget about all the other chicken sandwich fast food joints, their chicken sandwiches have no chances compared with Naegi’s Karrage Chicken Sando!Kid-friendliness: Be sure to ask for dressing on the side, since they may be too spicy for kids.
Used to come to Naegi a lot when they had their pop up food truck but the taste just doesn't seem the same now at the brick-and-mortar spot. Maybe the novelty wore off but ultimately I think it's the flavors that are lacking. I've tried the karaage sando, egg sando as well as the potato salad side.My husband even went back a couple of times for the chicken karaage sando but was disappointed in the taste. After a couple let downs, we stopped coming. As others have pointed out the price is a bit on the higher side given that the items are a la carte and don't come with anything (sides, etc).Not the spot for me, but worth a shot to see if it's your jam though.
Maria Leavitt
Their menu does not explain what is included in the sandwich, you'd hope for at least a pickle, chips on the side for what you pay for an item, you'd hope they'd want to share free info when you tell them this is your first time eating there.. don't know if it was just chicken and wasabi, cabbage, deep fried chicken ball, delicious
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Lily McClure
Karaage sando was HEAVY on the mayo. I could see how it would be good with smthe cucumbers but I got the fried sweet potato, which I enjoyed.
Irene Y.
**May 2023: Tuesday Late Morning Visit**My friend wanted to try this restaurant as it had rave reviews. We came on a weekday late morning. They have lots of seating and a tv with anime playing. From what I heard the chefs were trained in Japan. Each hot sando was cooked to order and we tried the following sandos. Chicken Karaage ($13) - enjoyed this. The chicken was moist and juicy on the inside and krsipy on the outside. The cabbage condiments and togarashi mayo that accompanied the patty enhanced the flavor; however, it's a bit heavy for me. Egg Salad Sando ($7) - Of the three sandwiches this was my least favorite. I think it was a tad underseasoned, but I still ate all of my portion. Ebi Filet-O ($14) - This shrimp patty sando was my favorite. It had a nice chew and I thought the cabbage gave it a nice crunch. I'd order this again. It's a casual dining, that's homey, but felt authentic. I'd be open to coming back, though I would order the Ebi Filet-O and not share. lol Happy eats!
Danielle M
Chicken karaage sando was delicious. Crispy and fresh. The ebi filet-o (shrimp patty) was ok, not my favorite. Next time I'll try the egg for sure. I'd also like to see more drink options here.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Clint Groves
Be warned, the flavor of this chicken sandwich is very salty and seafood-like. In my opinion, it sorta tastes like imitation crab meat. It must be cooked with some fish oil or something. It was very pungent. I am genuinely confused by the overwhelmingly positive reviews. If I ran this business, I would offer a version with a sweet and spicy or Japanese bbq sauce.I don't give low reviews, because it harms the business a little too much. I'm gonna give this place a 4, although the sandwich was 100% not for me. I liked the service and the potato salad.
So disappointing all around. When we got there on Saturday at 12 it was empty which is already a bad sign. We got the karaage Chicken sandwich (milk bun, togarashi mayo and cabbage) and the Japanese sweet potatoes as a side which comes with seaweed mayo.The sandwich. The bun was pretty underwhelming. a slight sweetness but didn't hold up that well to the chicken and other toppings. The biggest travesty was the chicken. Not crunch AT ALL. And the bread was so thin it was sliding off the chicken. The sandwich was also way overdressed and greasy. The mayo was dripping out of the sandwich and the bun was buttered on both sides.The potatoes were actually pretty good. Crispy on the outside and very custardy on the inside. The mayo was delicious as well. Instead of just dried seaweed flakes they used the seaweed that's usually in Asian seaweed salads. Really good flavor and unique.
Orlando Tellez
Man this place is so good, love there food it was amazing, try the Japanese fried chicken sandwich.
Olivia H.
The karaage sando was outstanding. It was served fresh and hot, and it had the perfect amount of sauces and spices. Wow. The potato salad was good too! One sandwich and an order of potato salad for $20.Parking here is convenient and there's plenty of tables to sit at. The service was quick too. The restaurant had a casual, beachy vibe. Good stuff all around.I will definitely come back next time I'm in the area.
Jacob Aldridge
Braised short rib sando was great! Egg salad sando not so much; kinda' boring. Worth a visit once.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Mr. Solo Yolo
First time here. The food was very good. Will definitely come back and try more food options.The Japan sweet potato were awesome because I order 3 set of those for the group.ifbyou have not been here, come n check it out.
The best Japanese-American fried chicken anywhere when are you open?Dietary restrictions: Not greasy, succulent!Kid-friendliness: FineWheelchair accessibility: Plenty room
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Sandwich, EBI Filet-O Sando
For about 2 years I've followed Naegi as it would mysteriously come and go, first as a pop-up, then a food truck, and now as a small restaurant that took over the space previously occupied by a Peruvian eatery. Now I see that it is unavailable again, this time temporarily closed but at least with a set reopen date. I would keep returning, just for the karaage chicken sando alone. It has to be understood that their karaage chicken is Japanese-inspired, not authentic traditional, but it is over-the-top delicious. The generous piece of chicken hangs out over the locally made milk bun. Incredibly juicy and spiced perfectly. It is fried, so not going to be on your list of low-cal meals, but in my book a satisfying and justified indulgence. Full disclosure because I've craved the chicken each time, I haven't ordered anything else but I'm trying the Ebi Filet-O next time due to the positive reviews. The $6 scoop of potato salad is a tasty addition but I feel not a good value for the price. Service is always friendly, the place is small but there is seating outdoors when the weather is nice.
Swung by to grab a quick lunch on a Sunday afternoon, and decided on the Ebi Filet-O (Shrimp), Egg Salad Sando, and Lobster Salad Sando. We also grabbed a side of potato salad (not pictured). All sandwiches are cut into 3 pieces. We called to place a pick-up order and they informed us it would be ready in 10 minutes. They share their parking lot in a plaza with other businesses, but the lot isn't busy which made parking easy, and the place was clean when we walked in, with anime playing on the big screen. Service was amazing and the workers even made sure to let us know all utensils and napkins were in the bag when they handed it off to us. The best thing to grace my lips this day was this Ebi Filet-O sandwich ($14). The shrimp was perfectly fried and juicy, with big chunks of shrimp in the patty itself. As you can see in the picture, I almost forgot to take pictures since I already inhaled one of the sandwich pieces. The sauce and cabbage complemented the shrimp perfectly, and since there are 3 pieces per sandwich, my partner and I definitely fought over the last slice of Ebi sandwich. The Egg Salad Sando ($7) and Lobster Salad Sando ($17) were both delicious, although I felt there wasn't enough lobster in the sandwich since the bites weren't as hearty as the shrimp or egg sandos. The potato salad was good, with the texture being very soft and one dimensional, and nothing very memorable, in my opinion. We'll be back to try the karaage sando (and grab another Ebi Filet-O, too!)
The reasons I didn’t give it’s food a 5:- The Hokkaido breads are sometimes a bit dry, even with the dressing on. I said sometimes because it isn’t always dry… which makes me wonder if it has to do with the degree of freshness of the bread?I’m not criticizing the actual quality of their Hokkaido bread, we buy them whenever our grandkids visit, just to make perfect Grilled Cheese sandwiches and French toasts, they are the best!Another reason I didn’t give its food a perfect score has to do with the sauce on their Karrage Chicken Sandwich being a little too spicy for me, and I think either they should put up a warning sign or give customers the option of leaving the sauce on the side. Perhaps this is a service issue, not food quality issue, and should be addressed for the sake of seniors and children, who normally can’t handle spicy foods?So, What do I love about this place?-Their Karrage Chicken, no one can fry a piece of chicken breast so moist and tender and flavorful as Naegi! Must try it this is your first time!-Their Sweet potato fries. So yummy, the crispy outside and melt-in-your-mouth texture inside, especially when they’re hot!-Their Ebi Sando, aka Shrimp Katsu/cutlet sandwich, is another must try! So much shrimps and nothing but shrimps, perfectly seasoned and fried! Again, I would ask to leave the dressing on the side since I don’t enjoy anything spicy, and prefer that my sandwich to be lightly dressed, so that I could fully enjoy the shrimp flavor and texture.-Their cucumber salad, crunchy and fresh with just the right amount of vinegar+sugar, a perfect side dish to go with any fried foods!Naegi is a must try if you’re into chicken sandwiches. Forget about all the other chicken sandwich fast food joints, their chicken sandwiches have no chances compared with Naegi’s Karrage Chicken Sando!Kid-friendliness: Be sure to ask for dressing on the side, since they may be too spicy for kids.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Sweet Potato, Chicken Sandwich, EBI Filet
Used to come to Naegi a lot when they had their pop up food truck but the taste just doesn't seem the same now at the brick-and-mortar spot. Maybe the novelty wore off but ultimately I think it's the flavors that are lacking. I've tried the karaage sando, egg sando as well as the potato salad side.My husband even went back a couple of times for the chicken karaage sando but was disappointed in the taste. After a couple let downs, we stopped coming. As others have pointed out the price is a bit on the higher side given that the items are a la carte and don't come with anything (sides, etc).Not the spot for me, but worth a shot to see if it's your jam though.
Their menu does not explain what is included in the sandwich, you'd hope for at least a pickle, chips on the side for what you pay for an item, you'd hope they'd want to share free info when you tell them this is your first time eating there.. don't know if it was just chicken and wasabi, cabbage, deep fried chicken ball, delicious
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Karaage sando was HEAVY on the mayo. I could see how it would be good with smthe cucumbers but I got the fried sweet potato, which I enjoyed.
**May 2023: Tuesday Late Morning Visit**My friend wanted to try this restaurant as it had rave reviews. We came on a weekday late morning. They have lots of seating and a tv with anime playing. From what I heard the chefs were trained in Japan. Each hot sando was cooked to order and we tried the following sandos. Chicken Karaage ($13) - enjoyed this. The chicken was moist and juicy on the inside and krsipy on the outside. The cabbage condiments and togarashi mayo that accompanied the patty enhanced the flavor; however, it's a bit heavy for me. Egg Salad Sando ($7) - Of the three sandwiches this was my least favorite. I think it was a tad underseasoned, but I still ate all of my portion. Ebi Filet-O ($14) - This shrimp patty sando was my favorite. It had a nice chew and I thought the cabbage gave it a nice crunch. I'd order this again. It's a casual dining, that's homey, but felt authentic. I'd be open to coming back, though I would order the Ebi Filet-O and not share. lol Happy eats!
Chicken karaage sando was delicious. Crispy and fresh. The ebi filet-o (shrimp patty) was ok, not my favorite. Next time I'll try the egg for sure. I'd also like to see more drink options here.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Be warned, the flavor of this chicken sandwich is very salty and seafood-like. In my opinion, it sorta tastes like imitation crab meat. It must be cooked with some fish oil or something. It was very pungent. I am genuinely confused by the overwhelmingly positive reviews. If I ran this business, I would offer a version with a sweet and spicy or Japanese bbq sauce.I don't give low reviews, because it harms the business a little too much. I'm gonna give this place a 4, although the sandwich was 100% not for me. I liked the service and the potato salad.
Restaurantji Recommends
So disappointing all around. When we got there on Saturday at 12 it was empty which is already a bad sign. We got the karaage Chicken sandwich (milk bun, togarashi mayo and cabbage) and the Japanese sweet potatoes as a side which comes with seaweed mayo.The sandwich. The bun was pretty underwhelming. a slight sweetness but didn't hold up that well to the chicken and other toppings. The biggest travesty was the chicken. Not crunch AT ALL. And the bread was so thin it was sliding off the chicken. The sandwich was also way overdressed and greasy. The mayo was dripping out of the sandwich and the bun was buttered on both sides.The potatoes were actually pretty good. Crispy on the outside and very custardy on the inside. The mayo was delicious as well. Instead of just dried seaweed flakes they used the seaweed that's usually in Asian seaweed salads. Really good flavor and unique.
Man this place is so good, love there food it was amazing, try the Japanese fried chicken sandwich.
The karaage sando was outstanding. It was served fresh and hot, and it had the perfect amount of sauces and spices. Wow. The potato salad was good too! One sandwich and an order of potato salad for $20.Parking here is convenient and there's plenty of tables to sit at. The service was quick too. The restaurant had a casual, beachy vibe. Good stuff all around.I will definitely come back next time I'm in the area.
Braised short rib sando was great! Egg salad sando not so much; kinda' boring. Worth a visit once.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
First time here. The food was very good. Will definitely come back and try more food options.The Japan sweet potato were awesome because I order 3 set of those for the group.ifbyou have not been here, come n check it out.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Egg Salad Sandwich Crab Salad Sandwich