When it comes to fried chicken, you’ll discover a multitude of options for this perennial favorite in numerous restaurants across Las Vegas. Dig in!
One of the trendiest things in fried chicken isn’t new, although Korean-American chef, TV personality and cookbook author Judy Joo’s casual Seoul Bird at Aria is relatively recent. Situated in Proper Eats Food Hall, Seoul Bird serves up Korean fried chicken, which stands out, Joo says, because of the process the chicken goes through as it’s prepared. “We use a wet batter, opposed to a dry batter… Korean fried chicken originally was a wet batter. Over time, it’s evolved and people are starting to use dry batters for it because dry batter is so much easier operationally.” But Seoul Bird, Joo says, will continue to use wet batters. “It’s much more labor intensive, but the result is so much better. (You) get this thin, crispy crust. People call it eggshell chicken because you get that crack.” Her version of the chicken also incorporates matzo meal and potato starch, as well as a double-frying technique to keep the crust crispy.
Seoul Bird, was born out of the popularity of the Korean chicken at Joo’s London restaurant, Jinjuu (Joo resides in England). “Our Korean fried chicken had a cult status following—people just could not get enough of it, and could not even walk by the venue without coming in and having a cheeky little bite. And so we decided it deserved its own concept, and there was definitely a gap in the market, particularly in the U.K.” Joo has opened four branches of Seoul Bird, with more in the works.
Traditional Southern fried chicken shines on menus across Las Vegas as well, with Yardbird Southern Table & Bar at The Venetian (a venue from Florida-based 50 Eggs), where you will find Lewellyn’s Fine Fried Chicken, a full half of the bird. It comes in both a Nashville hot style and in a Korean style as well.
Nellie’s Southern Kitchen opened last year, bringing the Jonas family‘s recipes to Vegas. The restaurant is named for Kevin Jonas Sr.’s mother, who was much loved by the family and community, and the MGM Grand location is the second to open after the North Carolina original. Here, the signature chicken and waffles offers a great choice for brunch or dinner, with cinnamon honey butter, maple syrup and berries. The fried chicken plate offers a second helping as well as a side of collard greens.
Virgil’s Real Barbecue, a longtime favorite of visitors to The Linq Promenade, offers its Crispy Kansas Fried Chicken, another half-bird plate. The dish comes with sides and a buttermilk biscuit. You can request all-white meat for an additional charge.
And at Resorts World Las Vegas, Impossible nuggets at celebrated chef Marcus Samuelsson’s casual Streetbird give even vegans a crispy, savory crust to enjoy. But the venue also offers Samuelsson’s celebrated hot and spicy Nashville-style fried chicken sandwiches, featuring boneless thighs.
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