Three Cheers For: Adelaide's Best Fried Chicken

Hot Star: Large Fried Chicken

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Popular in the night markets of Taipei, “large fried chicken” is a common snack food (for a giant). With outlets popping up all over Australia, it’s more than just the size that’s making waves. It actually tastes really good.

The enormous discs of fried chicken are made by flattening a piece of fresh chicken breast, with the small wing and a little of the frame attached for stability. The chicken is coated in some sort of delicious mystery crumb mix and fried until golden. The crumbing has a crisp-like crunch, not hard but sharp and enjoyable.

The takeaway counter on Grote Street is open day and night, for a cheeky lunch or a late night snack. If you’ve only eaten this chicken after a few beers, you should try it sober. It’s a novelty, and it’s delicious. What more could you wish for?

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NOLA: Fried Chicken

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The American south is known for its soul food. Fried chicken is a staple on most menus, so it’s no surprise that it features at New Orleans themed bar, NOLA. In a refurbished brick building on Vardon Avenue in the East End, NOLA serves up craft beers, classic cocktails and refined southern dishes.

The famed fried chicken requires a 48-hour long preparation process. Because of both a lunch and dinner service, the kitchen preps chicken throughout the day, to make sure they don’t run out in two days’ time.

It isn’t often that they do sell out, so it’s not hard to get your paws on a serving. The chicken comes in a classic plastic basket lined with paper and there’s a choice of two house made hot sauces: Jalapeno and Habanero. Its crunchy, salty, seasoned crumb coats the juicy pieces of chicken. A spicy mayo dipping sauce comes on the side, because obviously.

If the late night craving hits, Uber Eats can deliver the goods.

nolaadelaide.com

Nordburger: Buttermilk Fried Chicken Burger

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The only other good place for fried chicken to go, besides straight on to a plate, is in between two soft burger buns with crunchy mild lettuce, mayo and maybe a slice of tomato. Gone are the days of sad grey discs of chicken product, coated in breadcrumbs and slapped into a dinner roll.

Along with Australia’s fascination with American foods, there has come a change in an Aussie favourite – the chicken burger. Pre-shaped patties are being replaced with juicy buttermilk soaked chicken thighs and breasts.

Nordburger kindly offer up their buttermilk fried chicken in an array of different sandwich fillings ranging from familiar (lettuce, tomato, mayo), to kind of obscene (cheese, coffee mayo and ketchup). Either way, each sandwich is filled with a nice thick piece of golden fried chicken so it’s going to be a good time, coffee mayo or not.

nordburger.com