Fried Chicken Showdown: Who Serves Hong Kong's Best Bird?

Arriving at the industrial-chic Jinjuu with the bright lights of D'Aguilar Street twinkling beyond the windows, the mouthwatering air of anticipation was palpable as hungry fried chicken fans flocked to their seats in droves to begin the battle for the best fried chicken in Hong Kong. The competition was set for an East vs. West showdown, with five rounds of two participants each—one from the East and one from the West. We waited with knife and fork ready in each hand as the first restaurant chefs brought out their decadent, crispy-fried creations. 

Starting from the east, modern Japanese restaurant Okra served their large hunks of peppery fried chicken over a bed of creamy and smooth tofu grits, accompanied by okra—naturally. The crunch of the batter paired nicely with the buttery texture of the tofu. Straying from their Korean roots, Momojein followed up with a classic take on American country-fried chicken, even going so far as to serve it with ranch dressing and chips to really drive home the authenticity.

During round two, Moonshine & Po Boys cooked up a crispy and juicy whole fried chicken with an incredibly flavorful crust and tangy coleslaw that would have been at home at any southern picnic. Jan Jan Kushikatsu mixed it up with the introduction of karaage. The light and tender fried chicken bits were as addictive as they were satisfying.

As expected, Butchers Club served up a classic American Frank’s hot sauce-coated fried chicken smothered in bleu cheese with a celery and carrot garnish that offered a refreshing respite from all the fried goodness. They went head-to-head with a 100-year-old recipe from Indonesian restaurant IR 1968. The batter was very lightly fried, which allowed for the juicy chicken to steal the show.