Tokyo Fried Chicken Co. (Monterey Park, CA)

Tokyo Fried Chicken Co.
122 S Atlantic Blvd
Monterey Park, CA 91754
Dining date: 4/11/14

Tokyo Fried Chicken Co. garnered plenty of attention when it first opened (almost a year ago) for its fried chicken and Japanese-accented side dishes. Long waits for its no-reservation tables kept me away at first; like most restaurants, the initial buzz died down and a table became much more manageable. Monterey Park seemed like as good a place as any to open up an Asian-slanted fried chicken shop.

While a la carte is available, most order ‘chicken dinner sets’ at a not unreasonable $12.50 per person. It turns out to be about 2-3 pieces per person, a side to share and a bowl of chicken rice. Hungrier eaters can supplement with additional ~$2 for wing/drumstick, $3.50 for a thigh and $6.25 for a breast. Our party of 6 ordered a large chicken set with some supplemental side dishes.

battered potato chips

We enjoyed these thick-battered chips and their addicting crunch yet fluffy interior. Probably the favorite of all of the sides.

cold tofu with house dressing

There just wasn’t a whole lot of flavor going on here.

dashi braised collard greens

Cooked down to a very soft consistency, the collard greens really showed off some depth from the dashi braise.

curry creamed corn

This sounded good in concept, but the corn tasted very much like canned corn while the curry sauce was reminiscent of the packaged Japanese ones.

fried brussels sprouts with karashi mustard and goat cheese

Cooked down to a soft consistency, these were brightened by some sharp mustard and complemented by creamy feta cheese.

chicken rice

This rice was pretty tasty, cooked in a dashi and chicken stock base.

mac & cheese

The mac & cheese was tasty and the seaweed accent brought a different flavor profile to the classic side.

fried chicken

I thought the chicken was pretty well done, moist with a nice crunchy batter. Really fried a nice, consistent golden brown. Couldn’t really ask for much more at this price point.

ponzu bears

One more sweet, one more spicy, these were fun accents to the chicken…though I didn’t really need them.

Tokyo Fried Chicken Co. delivered on its namesake fried chicken, offering some choice bites at a rather reasonable price (isn’t everything reasonable in Monterey Park, though?). I felt the side dishes, however, were a mixed bag. The simplest ones seemed to be our favorites – battered potato chips and chicken rice held their own. I’d return for the chicken…maybe a to-go order for a large bucket.