I have always wondered where the black stereotype and the association of black folk and their love of fried chicken originated from. Growing up my parents usually baked chicken or made stewed chicken. If we did have fried chicken, it was prepared with 4C bread crumbs. Nothing fancy. From my understanding, the association is from old southern folklore. Chicken has always been the affordable protein. It was considered a ‘dirty’ food since it was eaten with our hands but with this mindset, I guess we are all dirty because fried chicken is now a staple throughout homes across America.

I have had my share of crispy bird over the years, but there have been a bunch of new spots popping up in NYC that are worth checking out. The first stop on our chicken run was Seoul Chicken in the Lower East Side. Seoul Chicken is the new joint from former Top Chef alum Chaz Brown. The vibrant location looks like the Miami Dolphins training facility. It houses a nicely decked out bar with a big projection screen TV. Jocks, this is where you want to be for your football fix. Beer, sports, and wings…your holy grail.

Now on to some wings…

Pinky Finger Up tried six of seven wings offered on the menu:

Szechuan Peppercorn & Sea Salt – this was a little on the salty side and had us looking forward to the more saucy wings.

Gochujang & Buffalo – fermented red chilli paste with buffalo sauce. Not bad, but no the best.

Palm Sugar Calamansi – calamansi is a fruit native in Asia. A cross between a lemon/lim/orange so expect a citrus burst.

Sriracha Honey – pretty mild with nice spicy and sweet flavors.

Habanero Kimchi – packed the punch I was looking for. Nice little burn.

Fish Sauce & Garli – the TOP bird. Definitely a bite you won’t want to stop eating.

Lastly, to wash all those wings down, I recommend the fresh virgin coconut to cool you off. Bottom line, if you like wings and thighs, Seoul Chicken is right up your alley.

 

-Pinky Finger  Up