It might not look like much, but Tebaya, housed in this little storefront on 
West 19th Street in Chelsea happen to make some of the best chicken wings I’ve ever tasted.
They are of a Japanese pedigree rather than of the upstate New York persuasion so they are very, very different, in a very good way. Rather than being “wet” and covered in sauce, the wings are super crispy and mostly dry. I could’ve used a wet-nap when I was done, to be sure, but it was a much different experience than a traditional buffalo wing. The sauce recipe originates in Nagoya, Japan. They are double fried to get rid of the fat but keep the collagen intact; apparently that makes them healthy, according to their menu.
They are a bit spicy and there is some garlic. But they also have a touch of sweet in the flavor. Apparently there is a touch of sweet sake in the sauce, and it really accentuates the spicy of the flavor as well as providing a bit of sweet in the aftertaste. And sesame seeds sprinkled on top. Delicious.
My only concern is that Tebaya is not open on Sundays, meaning that I can’t have the wings for my Super Bowl watching festivities. It is a major bummer.
Special thanks to Audrey for the tip on this place; I know I’ve walked past it dozens of times and almost certainly would have continued to ignore it without the push from her.
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Next time we come to NYC, maybe we (or rather Eric) will try them!