Mogu Fried Chicken

*Now a B&M store on 1012 Commercial Drive*

A little over a year ago, there were a few food carts.  Now, there are more than I can count.  As much as I would like to try every single one of them, the current setup doesn't exactly make it easy.  Many are essentially roaming carts, some have limited hours and some close before I even get to them. Originally, I was trying to finally visit Pig on the Street when to my horror, they were not at their usual spot on Howe.  With Whipping Girl tagging along, she insisted we go to Mangal Kiss instead.  Hey, I just blogged about that not-too-long-ago.  No can do!  She continued to whine much like the time we had to change from Boneta to Bistro Pastis.  I stayed strong and suggested we head over to Mogu instead.

I decided to try the Pork Miso Katsu with a side of Chicken Karaage.  I liked the pork cutlet as it was meaty while not being dry.  It was fried until crispy while the red miso sauce added a rich saltiness to the sandwich. The wasabi-laced coleslaw added a brightness and crunch which lightened up the heaviness of the cutlet.  The weak link had to be the bun though.  It was too dense and big which overwhelmed the ingredients. The side of Chicken Karaage was so freakin' fantastic, Whipping Girl vacated our meal and acquired another small order!  Why was it so good?  First, the chunks of dark meat were thick, brined and coated with a light, yet effective batter.  This ensured that all the juices were locked in while the outside stayed crispy.  I've rarely come across chicken karaage so moist and juicy in my eating adventures.  To finish it all off, it was drizzled with a sweet chili sauce that was just spicy enough to give the chicken some life. 

Whipping girl had the Kobacha Korokke which was made with squash and accented by katsu sauce, lettuce and avocado.  Again, the bun got in the way of an otherwise tasty sandwich.  The squash korokke was sweet and crispy which was flavoured enough by the salty and sweet sauce.  She liked the fresh avocados, but there wasn't enough of a textural contrast with the korokke.  As her side, we selected the special of the day being the Sake Salmon Chowder.  There was no mistaking the bacon content in this starchy chowder as it was the dominant flavour.  There was very little salmon which made it pretty much an afterthought.  The food was pretty good at Mogu, especially the chicken karaage.  It almost made me forget I was looking for Pig on the Street...

The Good:
- Awesome chicken karaage
- Really friendly people
- Carefully prepared eats

The Bad:
- The dense bun has to go