This five-spice treat in Doraville rivals Southern fried chicken

There is an audible crunch when you bite into the jipai, a massive slab of chicken, at Java Saga. The made-to-order cutlets come to you salty, crispy and piping hot, and it may be sacrilege to say so, but the Taiwanese street food rivals Southern fried chicken.

Marinated overnight in soy sauce and a secret mix of 13 spices, Java’s jipai is dipped in egg and dredged in sweet potato starch, rather than heavy batter. The potato starch adheres well and holds the crunch on the butterflied cutlets of pounded-thin breast meat. The same size as schnitzel, this chicken cutlet has a maximum surface area that achieves the perfect balance of crackly crust and tender juicy meat.

The dusting of spices, including five-spice powder, provides a savory-sweet-umami addition to the natural chicken flavor. It’s a humble treat that needs no sauce, but the crystalline shards of fried basil leaves that fleck the large slab are a fun, tasty touch.