Recipe By: @cj.eats_

🔥🍤 Fun Fact: Benihana started in 1964 NYC, turning dinner into theater, chefs flipping shrimp into hats, igniting flames, and making teppanyaki a full-blown American dining spectacle.

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1.5 cups rice, cooked and dried out in the fridge
1 medium carrot, chopped
3 scallions, chopped
1/4 of an onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp garlic butter (see below)
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp msg
1/4 tsp salt

Protein of your choice: 1/2 lb shrimp, Tofu, Beef, Chicken
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 tsp avocado oil

garlic butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 tsp light soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, grated

1️⃣ Season the Base
Cut chicken thighs into ½-inch pieces. Toss with salt, Shaoxing wine, and white pepper. Give it 5 minutes to absorb and wake up the flavor.

2️⃣ Light Coat, No Clumps
Add flour + cornstarch. Mix until each piece is evenly coated in a thin, dry layer. This is your foundation for that clean, shattering crust.

3️⃣ First Fry — Build Structure
Heat oil to 350°F. Fry for 3–4 minutes until cooked through but still pale. Pull and let it rest.

4️⃣ Second Fry — Lock the Crunch
Increase oil to 400°F. Fry again for ~3 minutes until golden, crisp, and audibly crackling. No shortcuts here.

5️⃣ Sauce with Intent
In a pan, combine chicken broth, dark soy, light soy, vinegar, sesame oil, sweet chili sauce, and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer.
Add cornstarch slurry and stir until the sauce turns glossy and coats the back of a spoon.

6️⃣ Bring It Together
Add the chicken to the sauce. Toss quickly over heat until each piece is lacquered and evenly coated.

7️⃣ Finish Clean
Serve over hot rice. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced scallions for lift and contrast.

Fry ahead, sauce last minute. The crunch stays intact, and the coating doesn’t soften before it hits the table.

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