It’s a fried food showdown between FamilyMart and Lawson

It’s the time of year where we all crave stick-to-your-ribs snacks, so convenience stores are upping their fried food offerings.

FamilyMart has attracted lots of attention for its new Famichiki Burger, which takes the brand's best-selling Famichiki and sandwiches it in a bun with tartar sauce (¥268 after tax, though the bun goes for ¥88 on its own if you want to experiment with other proteins). Lawson may have been doing the same thing with its L Chiki offering for some years now, but it's pure mediocrity compared to the juiciness and crunch of Famichiki. The included tartar sauce adds an extra richness to the sandwich.

But Lawson has its own deep-fried delight on shelves to counter. Its Mochi Mochi Cheese Maru creation takes a cheesy dough exterior and packs it with hearty fillings like bacon and mentaiko roe (¥216 after tax). “Konbini Watch” tried the former, and the taste combination is exquisite, with a smoky meat flavor melding well with the cheese. Just make sure it's warm — and not merely lukewarm, which takes away from an otherwise winning creation.