Chicken Over Rice. That is what it is called here in Japan. I grew up calling it arroz con pollo, chicken with rice. Basically, they are the same idea just cooked and seasoned differently. But from what I can tell, Japan believes chicken with rice comes from the states. New York to be exact. So it is kind of called New York style chicken over rice. I don't think New York chicken and rice would ever beat Miami style, but I do want to give it a try. So where do you find New York style chicken and rice in Ibaraki? There seems to be only one place in Tsukuba and it's called Howdy.
Howdy Parking Area
Howdy, which is American southern for "hello," is located in the Tokodai area of Tsukuba. The Ibaraki Eats Duo wanted some chicken and rice for lunch one Tuesday afternoon, so off we went to Howdy. We were following Google Map's instructions which led us to the parking area of Howdy. I say parking area but really it is just two spaces. Parking is extremely limited so please be prepared for that.
Don't do what I did. We got out of our car and saw the sign for Howdy and a door next to it. We thought that was the restaurant entrance so we opened the door and scared the poor owner because that was the entrance to the kitchen. The real entrance is on the other side of the building facing the main street.
Howdy's Entrance
This is the real entrance to Howdy. The building that Howdy is in is an apartment building so it might confuse you like it did us. But once you see the real entrance, that confusion is put to rest. We both walked into Howdy and were greeted by the smell of freshly cooked chicken.
Inside
Howdy is a small restaurant with just two counter seats, and three tables. One table seats two people and the other two tables seats four.
We sat at our table and received the menu.
The Menu
I should mention that Howdy only does lunch during the weekdays. I believe they open for dinner during the weekends but not completely sure about that. That is why we got the lunch menu.
I have some good news and bad news. The good news is, the chicken over rice dishe's names' are written in English. The bad news is, the descriptions are only in Japanese. On the lunch menu you have three choices when it comes to chicken over rice. The regular chicken over rice, chicken over rice with seafood gumbo, and chicken over rice with green coconut curry. You can also order extra toppings for your chicken over rice which are: fresh tomatoes, avocados, a fried egg, coriander, smokey jalapeno, cheese, extra serving of chicken, and an extra serving of rice.
Seasonal Special Chicken Over Rice with Pumpkin Beans Coconut Curry
This was my wife's order and it is not on the regular menu. It is a special seasonal menu item for autumn.
I should first mention that this was not a Japanese portion. This dish was huge and it brought a lot of different ingredients, not just chicken and rice. It brought sliced carrots, diced onions, radish, shavings of fried tofu, a few pieces of potato (I think), and this red sweet and spicy sauce that was fantastic. There was a lot on the plate and my wife did get an extra topping of a fried egg which brought a bit of chili seasoning on it. The autumn special also brought a cup of pumpkin bean coconut curry. We thought it was supposed to be like a side soup, but the owner told us to pour it over the chicken over rice so we could get a different flavor. My wife got a spoonful of just the chicken and rice and tried it. She loved it and then let me try the pumpkin bean coconut curry. The curry by itself was weird. It was like an epic battle was taking place between the pumpkin flavor and the curry flavor and I couldn't decide which side was winning. Then, I poured some over the chicken and rice and tried it. I immediately understood what the owner was talking about. It completely changed the chicken over rice's flavor in a new exciting way. No longer did I have a battle taking place in my mouth, but it seemed like when I poured the pumpkin bean coconut curry over the chicken and rice, the curry and pumpkin flavor came to a peace deal which let all the flavors have their moment in the spotlight. The pumpkin came through very nicely with the amazing grilled chicken and the curry gave it a nice spicy kick in the end. This seasonal dish is only available for a limited time so I suggest giving it a try before you have to wait for next autumn.
Chicken Over Rice with Seafood Gumbo
This was my order. Chicken over rice with seafood gumbo. I got an extra topping of a fried egg and some avocados. The fresh avocados with the chicken and rice were excellent. The avocados melted in my mouth while I got the awesome spices of the chicken and rice. I know for my wife's order I just talked about the pumpkin bean coconut curry being poured over the chicken over rice and really didn't talk about the chicken over rice itself. Let me do that now.
The awesome thing about this chicken over rice is that the flavor keeps taking you for a roller coaster ride. First, you got the chicken and rice with the red sauce I talked about before. Think of this red sauce as a sweet and spicy sort of honey mustard sauce. All that by itself was excellent. Then you got some crunchy radishes that completely change the game. The other vegetables added some nice touches here and there, but that red sauce was the main event of that dish. I also poured some seafood gumbo on the chicken over rice and just as I thought, I got a completely different flavor. I wasn't too thrilled with the new flavor but it wasn't too bad. I much preferred my wife's pumpkin curry.
After we finished our delicious meals, we were full. So full that we didn't want to get up from our chairs. But we had to, slowly. We payed the owner, thanked him for the tasty chicken over rice, and apologized for opening the entrance to the kitchen.
Howdy was a delicious and interesting experience. I haven't seen any other chicken over rice restaurants like it in Ibaraki. So if you are craving some chicken over rice and are in Tsukuba, why not give Howdy a chance? Who knows, you might see me there, enjoying a huge plate of chicken over rice with coconut curry for extra flavor.
Enjoy!
For more information on Howdy, check out their Instagram page:
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