Tag Archives: Melbourne Fried Chicken

KFC (with The Tan)

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Hollywood and the boys were out on a friday night and were talking the big talk about having another visit to the colonel to check out how he competes with the Melbourne Fried Chicken scene. After a big night of drinks in some of Melbourne’s great establishments, Hollywood and CS (The Tan) ended up at KFC and had a very greasy adventure.

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2013-11-08 21.47.35We ordered a few regular pieces and the wicked wings. The regular pieces were very greasy and the wicked wings were ok.

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2013-11-08 21.42.29Hollywood and The Tan agreed that this was a very bad experience and this is a dangerous place. There are far better options to consider. Do yourself a favor and skip this place.

Hollywood’s Rating: 3.5/10 Clucks

Le Joint

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Hollywood and the boys were celebrating the beginning of Movember and their cleanly shaven upper lips and what better way to celebrate than sinking down a few cold brews and gobbling down some good ol crispy Melbourne Fried Chicken

Le Joint was on Hollywood’s radar ever since it popped up on the webby web as a cool funky place with good burgers and chooks. Also we all had an urge to get our fortune told by the one and only Zoltar!

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We reached there and got a few Dos Blockos beers and went for 3 orders of the southern fried chicken along with one serve of chips to share.

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The chicken arrived in a portion of 3 pieces accompanied with a corn aioli dipping sauce. We struggled a bit to start as the pieces were steaming hot which was a good testimony to how fresh the chooks were. They were lightly spiced, and very tender. The drumstick was the only boned piece while the breast and thigh pieces were boneless. The skin was crispy and single coated. Overall the chicken was good with a good price to portion ratio and sat well with the Mo Bros however Hollywood found that it couldve been heavier with the spices and a bit extra greasy to his liking. The chips seemed reheated and weren’t that good.

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Le Joint is a really cool funky place to check out and the chicken there is good. Next visit we shall try their famous wagyu burger. Extra points for the famous Zoltar.

Time Out Melbourne

Hollywood’s Rating: 7/10 Clucks
Eric and CS’s Rating: 8/10 Clucks

Jazz City Milk Bar – The Hollywood Strike – Take 1

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Hollywood was alone in Sydney for a conference while The Chick was away in Asia. Here is his self narrated story.

I arrived in Sydney at night and was scheduled to be there for a couple of days. It was my intention to run wild with all the cluckers i could get my hands on. I was staying in the city. I checked in and ran straight to Jazz City Milk Bar to get another sweet crispy taste of Sydney’s good ol Fried Chicken before it was too late. I arrived just as the waitress was packing up the outdoor area. She saw me panting from my rush to be there. She knew i meant business. It’s fried clucks i want and she knew it damn well. I told her “ill be quick, I know what I want”. She understood my needs so she left one of the tables set up and I went for the Southern Fried Chicken burger packed with corn, Tobasco mayo and crisp lettuce with a side of creole french fries. The burger had the right blend. The 2 pieces of chicken were fried well, crunchy, and the tobasco mayo with the sweet corn gave a sweet and spicy taste.

It was good. It was damn good! Nuff said! Check out the photos:

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Hollywood’s Rating: 7/10 Clucks

Jazz City Milk Bar on Urbanspoon

Golden Fields (with The Spice Girl)

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The Spice Girl and Hollywood were looking forward to visiting Golden Fields for another Melbourne Fried Chicken adventure. Golden Fields is in St Kilda and boasts a great menu with the chicken being served on Sundays and Wednesdays only.

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We were told that the chicken is 9 pieces and comes with various dipping sauces. So we added to that order the twice cooked duck (with steamed bread, vinegar and plum sauces) and sauteed mixed greens.

The duck came out first and it was so amazing. It was crispy with the meat being so moist and falling apart. We had fun making yummy sandwiches using the bread and sauces. The sauteed mixed greens were very tasty as well.

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The fried chicken consisted mainly of wings and thigh pieces and seemed to be single coated and not spiced at all. The first couple of pieces seemed greasy but we found the treasure in golden field’s golden fried chooks being the side dipping sauces. There was a mayo, a chili sauce, and an amazing vinaigrette sauce. The chicken was OK but The main stars that managed to bring everything together were the sauces especially the vinaigrette sauce.

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We had our eyes set on desserts and went for the Peanut butter parfait, salted caramel and soft chocolate. It was just the right blend and very heavenly and quite literally “took the cake”.

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Hollywood’s Rating: 6/10 Clucks
The Spice Girl’s Rating: 7/10 Clucks

All the god points were earned by the duck and amazing dessert

Golden Fields on Urbanspoon

*Sorry about some of the bad quality photos

Rockwell and Sons – Round 2 (Not so nirvana)

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Hollywood and The Chick rallied the foodie troops and invaded Rockwell and Sons in hopes of witnessing Melbourne Fried Chicken nirvana. There were chefs and experts from around the world waiting to sample one of the best southern fried chicken dishes of Melbourne.

The order was pretty much the same exact order as last time which included two full orders of the golden chooks accompanied with deviled eggs, mac-n-cheese, and a side order of the brussel sprouts, beetroot salad and the ribs. The reliable broccoli with sultanas was on holiday, a well prepared cauliflower dish took its place.

We didn’t hit chicken nirvana this time. The chicken was good but not the amazesauce it was last time, maybe it was all the hype that led to our disappointment. All of us generally felt that the chicken seemed of a poorer quality and a bit more greasy. Another suggestion from our guests was it was lacking a dipping sauce (or possibly mashed potatoes) to add extra flavor. The Chick was always a fan of the spicy dipping sauces at other places.

Bottom line is this experience was not close to chicken nirvana and although the chicken was not sweet but being right certainly was for Hollywood. Our search for the best fried cluckers Melbourne has to offer continues, perhaps we’ll know more after our lesson from the Rockwell and Sons chef this week.

Hollywood’s Rating: 8/10 Clucks

The Chick’s Rating: 7/10 Clucks

The Chick’s new fancy camera takes some getting used to, so while some of these shots came out great, others were far too fuzzy to be included. Next purchase: macro lens.

So Golden...

So Golden…

KFC Style biscuit

KFC Style biscuit

Another perspective on the mountain of golden friend morsels

Another perspective on the mountain of golden friend morsels

Balanced meal

Balanced meal

Can never go wrong with mac n' cheese, especially with extra cheese on top

Can never go wrong with mac n’ cheese, especially with extra cheese on top

Crunchy slaw, not too much dressing

Crunchy slaw, not too much dressing

Brussel sprouts fried to within an inch of their lives

Brussel sprouts fried to within an inch of their lives

Sweet Ribs

Sweet Ribs

Ravaged Drumstick

Ravaged Drumstick

Rockwell and Sons on Urbanspoon

Jazz City Milk Bar – Round 2

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The Chick was up in sunny Sydney for work and Hollywood swung by to join in on some good ol Sydney fried chicken and see how it compared to our beloved Melbourne Fried Chicken.

We ended up visiting the same joint, Jazz City Milk Bar, after being informed that their Diner was closed. We had been attempting to go and experience their new BBQ grill, which was under construction last time. We missed our chance, but it was a fine excuse to enjoy the savory options at the Milk Bar.

We ordered the Texas Chilli Burger gone ultimate, southern fried chicken and waffles and The Chick’s favourite soul food; mac-n-cheese. Hollywood tried for the German Chocolate cake, then the banana cream pie, when both options were out he ended up with a chocolate pecan pie. As with all the other dishes this was packed with flavor and high fat goodness.

The service was oddly lackluster, with three waitresses standing behind the counter chatting and on the phone until we managed to catch their attention. But Jazz City delivered on the stuff that matters and it was purely amazing. Check out the photos of our revisit below (can you tell the Chick invested in a new camera?).

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The Belly of the B.East

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There was a heated argument brewing between Hollywood and The Chick about the future of the chicken scene. This began shortly after experiencing chicken nirvana at Rockwell and Sons. The Chick’s argument was that there’s no point in continuing the Melbourne Fried Chicken hunt since they found the number one golden chooks. Hollywood however thought there are many feathered adventures in their future and was determined to leave no chicken unclucked.

After lots of discussion, the Chick consented to another round, and accompanied with friend of the blog The Jasonator, head over into the belly of the B.East for their next Melbourne Fried Chicken adventure. The Chick hates being right about these things.

The place had a cool northern suburb funky bar vibe. The B.East’s big hype was their Beast burger standing huge with three burger patties and six bacon rashers with a challenge of eating it in less than 3 minutes to be inducted into their wall of fame.

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We ordered the Beast with fries, jalapeño poppers, 2 serves of southern fried chicken (as we were informed each serve consists of only 2 pieces) and a slaw salad in addition to beers and the Bloody Sunday special cocktail: Italian Bloody Mary.

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The Bloody Mary came out first and it was exotic, very cool and tasty. The best description is that it was like a liquid pizza pie, including a dusting of parmesan.

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The poppers, chicken and slaw arrived all together. The poppers were disappointing as they were a bit crunchier than expected and the cheesy and spicy flavours that you would expect weren’t prominent. The slaw was average and the chicken was the biggest disappointment of all. It was hot but seemed very greasy, flavorless, and lacked any spices. The chicken meat seemed mushy somehow and fell off the bone in a less than appetizing way. This was a total miss! Maybe Sunday nights aren’t the best for a fresh chook.

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The Beast burger was very juicy and meaty which sat well with us. The meat did seem overwhelming at certain moments but overall sat very well with Hollywood and he reckons he could definitely smash it in less than 3 minutes but that might be a different mission (without the Chick wondering at the point).

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Overall the B.east is a fun bar to go to but the chicken is definitely not a dish to be had there. This confirmed The Chick’s earlier point and although Hollywood still had high hopes for Melbourne’s clucks the “I told you so” look he copped might’ve been well deserved.
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Hollywood’s Rating: 4.5/10 Clucks
The Chick’s Rating: 4/10 Clucks

The B.East on Urbanspoon

Ring My Belle’s, Diner

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Back from the US and time for some good ol’ Melbourne Fried Chicken. Next on the list: Belle’s Diner on Gertrude Street in Fitzroy. What better way to celebrate a return to Melbourne than greasing up with some delicious Melbourne Fried Chicken.

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Belle’s is a diner style joint with a discrete sign. We settled in at the bar since the tables were all reserved and the Chick wasted no time ordering deep fried pickles. After perusing the menu the full order went in: side green salad, mac n’ cheese (feta, gouda and cheddar), Jalapa Burger (with Jalapeños) and the Southern Fried Chicken with Slaw accompanied with Sparkling white wine and a Hawthorn Pilsner.

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The fried pickles came out quickly and The Chick fell in love with them. A little hot sauce and the creamy dip mixed well with the salty/sour nuggets. Order these!

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Shortly afterwards the rest of the food came out. The Jalapa burger was ok, our main beef: it was a bit too bready and on the under cooked side. The mac-n-cheese was perfect: cheesy and creamy in all the right places and came in a generous portion with a crispy/salty breadcrumb topping.

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The fried chicken was more tenders-style, no bones. It was about 6-8 pieces, single coated, lightly spiced, fresh and steamy. It was a bit over salted but that didn’t stop up from smashing the whole plate. The nice twist to it were the sides of tasty BBQ sauce (smokey and a touch sweet) and the slaw (a healthy portion). The chicken was good but didn’t compete at the top of the class with other Melbourne Fried Chicken contenders.

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Conclusion: Belle’s diner is a cool place with a retro style vibe, quick service and good food. It has some good menu options to offer and is well worth a visit. The fried chicken is above average and will fill you up so give it a try!

Hollywood’ Rating: 7/10 Clucks

The Chick’s Rating: 7.5/10 Clucks

Rockwell and Sons – Southern Fried Chicken Nirvana (with the Big S and the Vietnamese T)

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Rockwell and Sons had a lot of hype around it. With fried chicken being advertised as brined 3 days in advance and coming in at 60$ an order we knew that something amazing was awaiting us. It took weeks of planning and three days of brining to prepare for our epic Wednesday night of Melbourne Fried Chicken feast at Rockwell and Sons.

We teamed with our friends the Big S and the Vietnamese T and were ready to take on all cluckers. Our order (placed by Hollywood 3 weeks in advance) was two fried chickens. We didnt know the chicken came with heaps of sides but were told so upon arrival. The full order consisted of 2 whole organic fried chickens each accompanied by buiscuits, deviled eggs, assorted house pickled vegetables, Pan-Roasted Broccoli & Bonito & Pickled Sultanas, Berkswell & Cheddar Mac & Cheese and coleslaw.

The deviled eggs arrived first where each of us were given half an egg. Most of enjoyed them slowly while Hollywood gulped his half in one mouthful and as always wanted more.
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Shortly afterwards the mac n cheese, broccoli, pickled vegetables, and coleslaw were served. The pickled vegetables provided many different pickled tasting veggies such as tomatoes, onions, carrots and more which were both yummy and fun to taste. The broccoli was roasted well and blended well with the accompanied creamy sauce and the whole mixture melted in your mouth. This dish is well worth it. The mac n cheese was really good. It was creamy with a strong taste of cheese. Big S couldn’t get enough of it.

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Finally the chicken arrived and it was a sight for sore eyes. These were two big plates of southern style fried chicken stacked as mountains with biscuits buried deep down. The chicken was totally amazing and marvelous we don’t know where to start describing it, but we’ll give it a shot anyway. It was chopped up into big pieces (opposite of Korean style) and was double coated, freshly cooked, steamy, succulent, tender, juicy and had a good blend of spice to it. The size and number of pieces was 8 pieces per chicken which sat well with Hollywood and the Vietnamese T.

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It was a challenge finishing it all but no pieces were left unclucked!

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The Chick reckons the chicken could use just a little bit more spice however we all agreed that this was definitely the best Melbourne fried chicken we have had so far and it was fabulously done and truly authentic. We shall be back!

We did try out the dessert options however they weren’t impressive and just plain average.

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Hollywood prefers loading more on the amazing savory dishes that Rockwell and Sons have to offer.

Hollywood’s Rating: 10/10 Clucks

The Chick’s Rating: 10/10 Clucks

**This rating has been updated. Please check the most recent post of Rockwell and Sons and The Wall Of Clucks

Rockwell and Sons on Urbanspoon

Trunk Diner (with The Spice Girl)

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Trunk Diner was suggested by a work colleague a long time ago to Hollywood when the list of Melbourne Fried Chicken joints was first constructed. The chick was away in Asia doing her thang so Hollywood and The Spice Girl joined forces and hit up Trunk Diner in search of another crispy finger lickin’ fried chicken adventure.

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The diner, which was separate to the actual restaurant and bar, had a good casual cozy vibe. The menu was well designed but threw a curve ball at us when we realized that it was different than the online version and they didnt have the the Buttermilk Fried Chicken Kebabs, Shame on you Trunk! After some serious discussions we decided to go for the Mac and Cheese, Corn Fritters with guacamole, sour cream, bacon and house made tomato relish, buttermilk fried chicken wings and potato salad, and the Wagyu burger with gruyere cheese and sauteed mushrooms.
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The food came in all at once. The burger was ok but the taste of char-gill overpowered all the other flavors which was a shame because the meat seemed thick, juicy and tender. Overall it was average and not memorable at all. The corn fritters were ok but seemed a bit cold and not fresh at all. Our suspicion here is they mightve been reheated. The guacamole, bacon, sour cream and tomato relish were doing their best but the main ingredient (the corn fritter) couldnt seem to pull it all together. It just didnt have that freshly cooked hot moisty character that you would really crave.
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The chicken was a big disappointment at Trunk. It didnt seem freshly cooked at all, more like reheated. The coating was very basic and their werent any spices at all. The Spice Girl reckoned that the potato salad was a store bought salad. This was the worst chicken dish we have tasted so far.

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The only good thing about our order was the mac and cheese. It was hot, creamy and just a little bit crunchy on the surface.

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After the big disappointment we had we were a bit hesitant about getting dessert. The spice girl had high hopes for the Tim Tam Slam Milkshake and it was highly recommended by the waitress so we ordered one to share. The shake was below average. It was warm and didnt seem blended at all with only a few traces of TimTam flavors. We finally broke our silence and finally complained to the waitress but that didnt get us anywhere really.
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Overall, our experience was very bad. If you are thinking of good fried chicken then do yourself a favor and skip this place because we guarantee that you will find a much more memorable experience across the road at Gami or if worse comes to worse The Chicken Scene reckons that even a fast food option (yes even KFC) would be better.
Hollywood Rating: 2.5/10 Clucks
The Spice Girl: 3.5/10 Clucks
Trunk Diner on Urbanspoon