Convenience stores have started going bigger with their fried food options in 2020. Arteries be damned — the move is clearly to embrace jumbo, greasy items.
Ministop has recently taken a hot food staple — the corn dog — and pumped it up. The new "Big Dog" (¥213 after tax) has a good 20 percent of the frankfurter protruding out of the mochimochi (springy) fried batter casing. There's nothing particularly enhanced about its flavor, but Ministop's made-to-order offerings always deliver great quality. This was already the best konbini corn dog on the market, and now you can get even more of it.
Meanwhile, Lawson's two newest deep-fried creations are also bigger than most convenience store items. Its fried croquette and menchi katsu (¥160 and ¥180, respectively) each cram a lot of flavor beneath their crunchy exteriors. The former loads up on white sauce and pork, while the latter pairs a mix of ground beef and pork with a consomme soup center. The menchi is the highlight, though either will fill you right up.
