Crunch time for the country’s ultimate fried chicken contenders

On or off the bone, fried chicken is one of life’s great epicurean experiences. The appeal is obvious. What’s not to love about a superbly seasoned, golden-hued crust that offers the briefest moment of resistance before yielding to the onslaught of incisors? A tiny puff of steam, then the pleasures of gloriously tender flavoursome flesh.

For those anxious about the nutritional implications of fried chicken, I say that occasional indulgence is part of a life well lived. Besides, in moderation, these blissful birds are not automatically the enemy of health. Fried chicken can provide high-quality protein, useful minerals such as phosphorus and selenium, and, depending on the cut, meaningful amounts of iron, zinc and B vitamins. Clearly fat and salt are far from ideal but ultimately it is portion size and frequency of consumption that determine detrimental impact.

Part of fried chicken’s charm is that it travels so effortlessly between worlds. It can be dressed up as fancy fine dining or down as a streetside snack. Whether you favour late-night drive-thu buckets, cool Korean chikin, buttermilk-bathed bistro chic, taxi-friendly treats or an elegant offering with wonderful wine pairings, there is a crunchy crusted cut to suit every palate and wallet.

Which is all well and good except that not all fried chicken feasts are created equal. For every marvel of spice and succulence there is a greasy abomination destined to disappoint. Some of the famous fast-food brands have also fallen fowl of ethical eating criteria. Times are tough, none of us has spare cash to waste on anything less than poultry perfection. Such is my commitment to the common good that I have selflessly set myself the task of finding our nation’s finest fried chicken. Here in alphabetical order is my (somewhat tongue in cheek) nationwide Top Ten crispy contenders.

Casero Homestyle Chicken, Grassy Park, Cape Town

Casero’s loaded fried chicken gatsby is beyond brilliant. And everyone in Grassy Park knows it – so expect service to stretch at peak times. Seasoning is assertive – this R209 bird bites back – but the soft sub roll provides deliciously doughy relief. As do luscious layers of chips and cheese. Mayonnaise and a few jalapeños just for fun. Casero is strictly halaal so savour their fabulously fatty, salty, spicy, cheesy big Cape Flats flavours with a palate cleansing, sweet yet sharp Bashew’s pineapple fizz.

Casero Homestyle Chicken; 97 5th Ave, Grassy Park, Cape Town.
021 822 5450. @casero_chicken

Champs Fried Chicken, Dikeni (aka Alice)

Champs Fried Chicken, established in 1995 by the brothers Höft, has one branch in Dikeni (Alice) and another in Fort Beaufort. The former is undoubtedly a small-town social anchor at which physical hunger is fed alongside community cohesion. Old men with walking sticks and trilby hats queue up alongside Fort Hare students from all over Africa, plump nurses in starched uniforms and schoolchildren pooling coins. The prices are very reasonable (1 piece R18, 2 pieces R34, 3 pieces R51) and fans feel that Champs travels better than Colonel Sanders.

As loyal customer Isabel Mzimba observed: “Many of us don’t live in Alice itself. We are from the surrounding villages. We have a taxi journey of at least an hour to get home. If you come into town for shopping and you take KFC home for your family, it is not nice by the time you arrive. Soggy. Once it goes that way you can’t bring it back. Champs is not like that. Something is different. The crust stays dry and crisp. I think the way that they fry must be different because even after a long journey, all you do is just warm it up and it’s still wonderful.”

Mrs Mzimba suggests pairing Champs with homemade gemmer ginger beer for a back-of-the-throat glorious glow that echoes the spiced crisp crust.

Champs Chicken; 166 Garden Street, Dikeni. 040 653 2535. www.champschicken.co.za

Epicure Restaurant, Rosebank, Johannesburg

Epicure restaurant is set atop a super-stylish skyscraper. Diners step out of a sleek silver elevator into a culinary kingdom of Afro-optimistic opulence. Burundian chef Fathi (aka “Coco”) Reinarhz serves the other KFC (Kinshasa Fried Chicken) scalding hot so that mouths form that “Oh-Oh-Oh” shape that only comes at the confluence of pleasure and pain. The accompanying pili-pili dipping sauce seethes with exhilarating, unbridled chili, ginger, garlic rage. Palate soothing relief by way of honey-hued plantain chips. The chef says that his R125 starter plate should be paired with “Mumm Champagne Demi Sec or a very cold Stoney”.

Epicure; One Rosebank, 37 Cradock Ave, Rosebank, Johannesburg.
082 577 4747. @epicure_restaurant

Korean Garden, Magaliessig, Johannesburg

Yet another contender for the K in KFC. This time it is Korean Fried Chicken (or chikin as it is often rendered in Korea). This fusion food was hatched out of the mid-20th century American military presence in East Asia. While the tastes and textures involved have been widely mimicked, the real deal requires an actual Korean behind the deep fat fryer. At Korean Garden in Magaliessig, very little English is spoken, and the dining room is reassuringly filled with happy Korean families. Wings are first hung in front of fans for several hours so that super dry skin encounters absolutely no moisture when it hits hot oil. The batter is made with potato starch and soybean flour resulting in an intensely crisp crunch, a nutty flavour, a caramelised brown colour. The twice-fried marvels are then blessed by a sweet-spicy, gochujang and garlic-laden yangnyeom sauce.

R250 might sound steep but the plate is piled high. Pair each magnificent mouthful with a light, mildly malty Terra Korean larger. A whisper of residual sugar flatters the umami-infused glossy glaze, while gentle carbonation provides palates with a refreshing reprieve.

Korean Garden; 71 Troupant Avenue, Magaliessig, Johannesburg.
011 467 0488

The LivingRoom at Summerhill, Cowies Hill, Durban

Fancy fried chicken features on the current tasting menu of The LivingRoom at Summerhill. Chef Johannes Richter marinates meat in amasi, then tosses it in sorghum flour and a selection of Durban-inspired spices. Gloriously golden, it is glazed with msobo berry jelly and paired with a piri-piri mayonnaise. Also on the posh nosh plate is a deep-fried chicken terrine, layered with gizzards, rillettes and more msobo. Finished with a silky-smooth candy roaster squash butter sauce. The cultured milk tenderises the chicken, leaving a gentle lactic tang that cuts through the über-opulent fry. The crust is audibly crisp. The candy roaster makes mellow, generous sweetness while msobo brings bright, lightly tannic tastes. Sommelier Johanna Richter – yes they really are Johannes and Johanna – recommends Longridge Ou Steen Chenin Blanc or her own non-alcoholic loquat, thyme and marmalade cordial. The overall effect is grounded, seasonal, culturally and regionally specific epicurean art.

The LivingRoom at Summerhill; Summerhill Guest Estate, 9 Belvedale Road, Cowies Hill, Durban, KZN. 27 63 529 1966; @thelivingroomatsummerhill
Price: 6 courses (of which the chicken is one) R950

Mahā Café, Point Waterfront, Durban

The chicken chilli crunch burger at Mahā Café delivers delight on every sensory front. First there are the visual and tactile pleasures of the crust. Made with buttermilk, whey, sour cream, cornstarch, semolina and gochugaru chili flakes, it is pressed firm creating glorious crispy crevices. The portion of pasture reared, deboned chicken thigh is so generous that it bulges out beyond the soft, light, slightly sweet potato bun. Then comes the superb sonic impact of beef tallow fried batter crunching and shattering at tooth touch. Add in a slick of sweet-sour tomato jam, hemp seed and cumin heavy chilli crunch, an in-house version of Japanese mayonnaise and a joyous tumble of kimchi slaw. All of which drip and dribble down the fingers, just as they should. At R135, it is a hot, crisp, juicy, tangy, salty, spicy sensation. And to drink? Chef Rowan Larkin says that “given the spice and the funk from the kimchi I would highly recommend something Chardonnay based. A glass of Megan Mullis’ (Parnell) gorgeous Domaine Des Dieux Claudia Brut would work well, or maybe Finca Del Mar Chardonnay, by Alex Starey.”

Point Waterfront Apartments, 5 Mahatma Gandhi Rd, Point, Durban, KZN. 082 817 2957. @mahapointwaterfront

Nkukhu Fried Chicken (Gauteng food truck)

Chef Lelo Mbali’s fabulous food truck is a regular at all the best Pretoria and Johannesburg events. His wings are wonderful, but the speciality of the house (truck?) is the Nkukhu croissant burger (R60). Buttery French pastry embraces a hearty wodge of fried chicken, and several slivers of avocado. Greedy fans recommend the Nkukhu box which contains 1 croissant burger, 6 wings, chips and dip (R150). Those needing Nkukhu between festivals should know that, if you call ahead, the chicken is also available Friday, Saturday and Sunday from the chef’s Ruimsig home.

@nkukhufriedchicken/ @LeloCreative; 061 523 6495

The Red Chamber, Hyde Park, Johannesburg

Chef Emma Chen’s double-fried chicken is batter free, relying only on the bird’s skin to create its crisp carapace. Seasoning is disciplined rather than loud – salt, ginger, soy, spring onion, rice wine vinegar and maltose make magic with the free-range flesh. Each ingredient does its work quietly so that the chicken tastes unmistakably like the best version of itself. Dried overnight, then double fried; the first exposure to extremely hot oil cooks and sets while the second conjures up crackling. The half chicken, still on the bone, is then cut into pieces and served with salt and Sichuan pepper on the side. It arrives at the table with Cantonese confidence: elegant, precise, almost austere, yet utterly generous in its eating. The chef says that “Because it is dry, not saucy, I often eat it as a nibble when watching Netflix. It goes very well with single malt with ice and water.” Made on request R215.

The Red Chamber, Hyde Park Shopping Centre, Hyde Park Johannesburg. 011 325 6048. @redchamber_hydepark

Ramenhead, Cape Town

Japanese cuisine isn’t all raw fish, seaweed and noodles. Cape Town’s hot spot for cool ramen lovers also offers karaage Tokyo-style fried chicken. A starter portion is R130. Thigh meat is marinated in soy, ginger, garlic and sake or mirin, then coated in potato starch and twice fried. The result is delightfully craggy, one bite brilliance. Tomato chutney and curry sauce add bright, tart tastes, offsetting the umami-intense marinade and cutting through fatty flavours. Beverage and service director Jennifer Hugé recommends that diners enjoy their karaage with a spicy granadilla, yuzu and togarashi Margarita because “the drink will deliver complex brightness balancing out the rich flavours of the chicken’s golden crust. The hit of spice from the togarashi is also a wonderful complement to the underlying heat of the tomato chutney.”

Ramenhead, Speaker’s Corner, 37 Parliament Street, Cape Town.
067 312 8061. @ramenheadcapetown

The Terrace at the Saxon Hotel, Saxonwold, Johannesburg

Comfort food given five-star manners. Caught somewhere between crunch and caramel, these sesame-seed-scattered deep-fried Korea-adjacent wings are an understated elegant adaptation of the Asian original. Flavours are subtle, warming lips with enough chilli, garlic and fermented depth to catch the attention but not enough to upset the ambiance of the golden city’s premier social spot. At R290 the overall effect is playful but posh. Sommelier Lloyd Jusa recommends pairing the poultry with Gustave Lorentz Gewürztraminer 2020 because “the variety is practically engineered for this style of cuisine. Its hallmark lychee and rose petal aromatics create a fragrant counterpoint to the char and funk of the glaze, while residual sugar acts as a buffer against a bit of heat and cools the palate rather than amplify it.”

The Terrace, Saxon Hotel. 36 Saxon Road, Sandhurst, Johannesburg.