Recipe
Chicken Kara-age With Daikon Oroshi Recipe By CIBI
2 May, 2025
CIBI is a must-visit for us every time we are down in Melbourne. Not only does it offer some delicious Japanese-inspired food, but it also has a great range of ceramics, homewares, kitchen goods and lots of other treats you can pick up while you are there.
While we were down there last year, the managing director of CIBI, Meg, was kind enough to make this Chicken Kara-age with Daikon Oroshi (which was so delicious and we have been dreaming of it ever since). We also got to chat with her about life, CIBI and food as well, find the interview after the recipe.
Chicken Kara-age with Daikon Oroshi “Chiken Mizore-ae”
Ingredients
Serves 2-3
01.
500g chicken thigh, cut into approx. 5cm x 5cm pieces
02.
100ml cooking sake (substitute with white wine)
03.
2cm x 2cm piece of ginger, grated
04.
Salt and pepper to taste
05.
Daikon approx. 5cm long, peeled and grated
06.
Yuzu ponzu
07.
1tbs spring onion (chopped finely)
08.
Shichimi-togarashi (Japanese seven chilli spices) as garnish
09.
Corn flour
10.
Cooking oil (enough to fry)
01
CIBI Melbourne.02
Pot for frying.Method
01.
Mix chicken thigh, sake, ginger, salt and pepper into a bowl and marinade for at least 15 minutes.
02.
Grate Daikon.
03.
Place corn flour on the flat tray and coast chicken thigh well.
03
Fry until golden brown.04
Fry chicken.04.
Heat cooking oil to 180°C and deep fry chicken pieces until cooked through and golden brown.
05.
Serve with grated daikon, spring onion and yuzu ponzu.
06.
Sprinkle with Shichimi-togarashi to your taste
NOTE: Mixing all final ingredients (Cooked Kara-age, grated daikon, ponzu, spring onion, and shichimi-togarashi) is one style of serving and eating, otherwise you can serve it all separately.
05
Add grated Daikon.06
Meg.07
Add ingredients and mix together.07.
Serve hot and fresh and with a nice cold beer!
08
Enjoy.09
Serve with a beer!A Little Chat With Meg
Can you introduce yourself and tell us a little about yourself?
I grew up in the countryside, Okayama prefecture Japan in a multi-generational home. My family and many of the local people were farmers, growing rice, fruits, and vegetables. I became aware of seasonal changes through produce, what was harvested and the natural landscape, cherished memories I hold onto and grow in value to me everyday.
What inspired you to open CIBI
It has always been the dream of Zenta, CIBI creative director, to create a place where you can gather and enjoy design, food and space. An understanding that these are the ingredients that bring us joy, to enrich our everyday. The combination of good food, beautifully designed cutlery in hand and a space to feel welcomed like home. Design had to be part of the CIBI story because we value these products, their craftsmanship, history and feel great pride to share with Australia.
Cibi means ‘a little one’ . What about that as a name resonated with you? How does it represent the brand you’ve created?
We were all once a cibi, enjoying that pure and innocent time of experiencing the world around us for the first time. A cibi is curious, exploring and playing, treasuring their favourite things with a natural sense of delight and filling their space with warmth. This is the space we choose to live and share with our community in Melbourne, Tokyo and Okayama, creating a lifestyle, enjoying life through design, food and space.
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CIBI Melbourne.You’ve got locations in both Australia and Japan, what is the most ordered thing in Melbourne vs in Japan?
We are very proud having introduced a traditional Japanese breakfast to Melbourne when we opened CIBI in 2008, grilled fish, tamagoyaki, grandma’s miso soup, pickled seasonal vegetables and rice. A CIBI customer favourite whether you call Melbourne or Tokyo your home. Many Tokyo customers lovingly reflect a childhood experience, their mother or grandmother preparing a traditional breakfast and CIBI is so happy to create this experience and find a home in their busy city contemporary lives. Many of our Melbourne community when visiting Tokyo now enjoy Japanese breakfast at CIBI Tokyo to remind them of home in Melbourne, this makes us happy and smile.
How would you describe your cooking philosophy?
Growing up in an environment where seasonal produce is a normal part of everyday life, creates strong community, knowledge and culture. Vegetables harvested, you share with neighbours, freshly made pickles, jam, tofu, or mochi, simply share with neighbours. Opening CIBI Melbourne in 2008, my food philosophy has always been home style with good seasonal produce, simple and balanced, with Japanese inspired flavours, food to make our body and soul happy. I am very happy where I am now, Melbourne Australia where I can create CIBI food with local seasonal and good produce and the story of Okayama, Japan.
Where did you learn to cook?
The experience of growing up in rural Japan in a multi generational home, my great grandmother, grandparents, parents and my siblings, has grown in value to me. As a child, I don't think you reflect how home life is going to inform your adult life. Creating CIBI , my childhood experience informs me everyday. CIBI is a home enjoyed by little ones to great grandparents, this we love. To be inspired and discover the beauty in the world where you live, from harvesting mushrooms, visiting temples to peeling chestnuts. I feel very lucky and wish to share.
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Cibi Melbourne.12
Visting CIBI.We highly recommend you pop by CIBI not only for the delicious food but to just sit and absorb the epic space.
Visit CIBI
Melbourne: 33-39 Keele St, Collingwood VIC 3066
Tokyo: 3 Chome-37-11 Sendagi, Bunkyo City, Tokyo 113-0022, Japan
Follow CIBI Melbourne on Instagram here