Nuggets have long been an afterthought in the greasy trenches of Japan¡¯s convenience-store fried-chicken battles. ¡°Nugget¡± options in the past have resembled sad, microwave-ready snacks pulled from the freezer.

FamilyMart wants to change that with their new ¡°Family Nugget,¡± available in plain and chili flavors (?210). It¡¯s a significant upgrade over the nuggets the chain has offered in the past ¡ª especially the chili variety, which has a surprising amount of heat ¡ª even if the shape is similar to a regular piece of fried chicken. It¡¯s a welcome change.