The Karaage Kid

A plucky little outfit that packs plenty of punch, The Karaage Kid—brought to you by the team behind Dirty Burger—is out to serve a hearty dose of Asian fusion goodness to the people of Porirua. 

Operating out of a sleek, black, no-nonsense shipping container, The Karaage Kid is all about dishing out wickedly good food without the bells and whistles. Stationed by the Abandoned Brewery Taproom and with nothing but a logo and a couple of menus plastered on the wall, the premise is simple: rock up, order your meal and come back for more. To make it even easier, you can even park up at a table inside the Abandoned Brewery Taproom and order your chicken while you sip your beer.

For such a small space, you’d be surprised at the range of dishes the team covers. Karaage-inspired burgers are, obviously, the main draw and the Daniel San burger (chicken karaage, kimchi slaw, pickles, hot smoky BBQ sauce, and gochujang mayo) is a clear crowd favourite. If burgers aren’t really your thing (yes, you’re still welcome here), there’s a tantalising range of ‘Bonsai Bowls’ too, overflowing with chicken and all the trimmings (spiced potato rosti bites in the vegan option). Wash it all down with a delicious shake, preferably the Pic’s Peanut Butter or Whittaker’s Chocolate shake. 

The arrival of The Karaage Kid on the Porirua dining scene is part hustle and hard work, part happy serendipity. Whichever way you want to slice it, there’s no denying that great fried chicken is always a winning formula, and The Karaage Kid knocks it out of the park.