Yup. You’ve been waiting for it. Ever since NOLA opened up a few years ago, fried chicken has become THE underground movement. More and more, places are popping up that offer their version. Some of them go for one or another of the norteamericano styles, but there’s plenty more out there. There are different styles of Asian fried chicken – I mean, who doesn’t love a sticky, spicy and sweet, gotta wear your plastic glove Korean fried chicken? Or a Chinese Szechuan Peppercorn version (I know, it’s chopped up bits, but it’s fried chicken)? And, of course, being here in South America, we’ve got the pollo frito, pollo broaster, and chicharrón de pollo versions from Peruvian and Bolivian restaurants. And suddenly, popping up, are Caribbean style fried chicken joints. I tell you, it’s the next wave following on gourmet hamburguesas and craft beer.

Side note, since I mentioned the three South American styles. This is not definitive, because it seems to vary depending on who you’re talking to, but semi-officially: pollo broaster is chicken marinated in either vinegar or lemon juice and then dipped in a mix of flour, salt, mustard and chili powder, and then pressure fried (“broaster” is actually an English word, and the story of how it came to refer to pressure-fried chicken is here.), and served over either rice or spaghetti, with french fries; pollo frito is more similar to norteamericano fried chicken – it’s dunked in batter and fried and then served with fries and rice; and chicharrón de pollo is much the same, but usually cut into smaller pieces, often even bite-sized, and generally boneless, and is served with fries and a salad.

So, be on the lookout for more fried chicken coming up. And hey, there’s a two block long strip out in Liniers that has about a dozen Bolivian style fried chicken spots on it, and if a few of you want to come along and explore… we could make a day (or two) out of it!

 

Let’s start up north, with Chicken Bros, Thames 1795, Palermo. For weekend brunch, they’re offering up a nice array of classic brunch dishes. But there was no question that the fried chicken and waffle was on my radar, the Dirty Bird. Near paper thin crust, so crispy that it shatters when you bite into it. Well seasoned, juicy chicken. Pretty much everything you could want. We each got a plate of that. The waffle, good flavor, but a little dense and chewy, not our favorite part of the day. (220 pesos, $6, each.) We also split an order of huevos benedictinos, which aren’t really Eggs Benedict (which has Canadian bacon or ham, or even regular bacon, but not smoked salmon – which they cure in house and was absolutely delicious, but makes the dish Eggs Royale, not Benedict, but yeah, I know, it’s somehow easier to tell people it’s and Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon, everyone does it). (Also 220 pesos.) Fantastic, spicy Bloody Marys, some of the best I’ve had in town, though I always find it weird to pay more for a cocktail than a main course, even if only by about 30 cents. (230 pesos each.)

 

At Marco Pollo, Av. Corrientes 5573, Villa Crespo, it pretty much comes down to pollo clásico, which is spit roasted, rotisserie chicken, or pollo crispy, fried chicken. We’re talking Bolivian style all the way here. Up in front, the place is very fast food-ish and has a couple of TVs going, plus unrelated music pounding out a beat at top volume. But there’s a nice garden with tables and benches in the back, quiet, tranquil, and a pleasant spot to eat along a busy avenue. The fried chicken comes in various combos, basically 1/4, 1/2, or whole chicken, with fries or coleslaw for a small upcharge. For the 1/4, you get a choice of leg-thigh, or breast-wing. Really good crust, with a bit of a mustard and chili kick, so although they don’t say it, we’re looking at classic pollo broaster. Delicious, and although the place looks fast food style, they cook the chicken to order, so it takes about 15-20 minutes and comes out of the fryer pretty much guaranteed to make anyone happy. The coleslaw, a rather generous portion, was a little sweeter than I tend to like, but really good nonetheless. The 1/4 chicken, 140 pesos (less than $4), the coleslaw, a mere 25 (about 65 cents). They have two other locations, one in Belgrano and one in Villa Urquiza, and they deliver.

 

How did I never spot Ricky’s Fried Chicken, Pres. Luis Sáenz Peña 14, Congreso (literally at one end of the Congreso Plaza) before? It’s apparently been there awhile. And here, we’re heading Caribbean, with one of two spots (that I know of) offering up Dominican style fried chicken. Combos come in 1 piece, 3 piece, and 7 piece, with fries and drink(s) (85, 190, and 260 pesos, or $2.30, $3.25, $7.15). There are also fried wing combos, chicken nugget combos, and fried chicken sandwich combos. I went for a 3 piece, which turned out to be a breast (the whole side, including the back, which is unusual, in my experience), plus two wings. You don’t get a say in it. I also didn’t know until I saw someone else do it, that you can ask for patacones, fried plantains, instead of french fries. This is very fast food style. It’s also not very good. They’ve precooked the chicken and it’s sitting under a heat-lamp in the kitchen, drying out. Then when you order, they throw it back in the fryer, but because it’s already cooked, and kind of lukewarm, all it does is suck up oil, leaving it crispy in some spots and greasy-soft in others. There’s no noticeable seasoning, and the available hot sauce has no more kick to it than ketchup. The fries are done the same way, so they’re soft and oily. Pass, all around, even for the low prices. This is fried chicken for when you’re really drunk and want something greasy to soak it all up, flavor be damned.

 

This one was a delivery order through PedidosYa. It’s under the name of Más Broaster, but I can’t find any listing for it anywhere outside the app, which says it’s in Belgrano, and the phone number they use is a cellphone that goes unanswered. The packaging it came in was from Tom Chicken, which is at Córdoba 4070, in Villa Crespo, and so my thought was that it’s just marketing, listing themselves under two names to pick up more business from the app – but comparing them, they have different menus, options, and prices. Which could still be the same situation, it just makes it more of a mystery, and doesn’t fit the Belgrano claim. The chicken (6 piece combo with 2 sides, 360 pesos), okay, not surprising that it’s not all that crispy on a delivery order, because it tends to steam wrapped up in a plastic bag, but it might have held up better if it had been in a small box, rather than crushed into the bottom of a bucket that was open. It’s a batter type crust, which is unusual for broaster style, and while not well seasoned, at least had some. The onion rings were just a soggy mess, but again, might have been fine before delivery. The coleslaw was at least acceptable. It’s at least a step up from the previous spot, even after steaming in the bag – and might have been far better had it been eaten on-site, direct from the fryer. Now, the question is, do I still give a try to Tom Chicken, which is on my list of spots to check out? I’m definitely not ordering fried chicken for delivery again though, it’s one of those things that just doesn’t work.

More fried chicken adventures to come!