Chicken Cottage on CHL

[tarannau]

Fast food fried chicken is revolting. I wouldn't touch it with yours. Overfried factory farmed broiler birds cooked in old oil in some weird coating. Fuck that.

I don't understand why that's any worse really than a factory farmed broiler bird covered in shedloads of preservatives and strange ingredients and then over-microwaved as a supermarket ready meal. The weird coating's generally pretty easy to replicate at home - lots of garlic powder and you'd probably lay off the MSG at home to be honest - but it's not unworldly by any means. And at least you get to eat the meat on the bone, which makes adulteration a little harder to get away with.

Not every fast food joint is the same; some even change their oil you know.

And fried chicken remains the snack food of champions. Even if intensively farmed birds are a bad thing, there are far bigger consumers of dodgily produced birds than your local SomethingFC...

 

[Idaho]

I don't understand why that's any worse really than a factory farmed broiler bird covered in shedloads of preservatives and strange ingredients and then over-microwaved as a supermarket ready meal.

There's no real difference. Just with the ready meal you get to give yourself food poisoning when you undercook it Personally I won't eat either.

To rear chickens in a sustainable way, and in a way that gives them some actual flavour is not quick or cheap - but it tastes very nice.

 

[Mr Retro]

I'm pretty sure that it's a different process tbh, either that or these people are the most incompetent chefs I know. If done properly velveting should keep the chicken tender and moist - it's basically a short fry in just warm enough oil, adding a seal of egg and cornstarch to protect against the really high heats of a good stir-frying.

.

I'm not for a minute denying your explanation for the shit you get in a cheapo place.

Just when you get the texture like what TC describes in a better place it's normally velveting. I don't like it, the best Chineese resto in my home town does this to chicken and a similar thing to beef and it puts me off. Means I can only have pork, seafood and duck in there. Sometimes I wonder how I manage!

 

[gabi]

Speedy Noodle is absolutely foul. I've eaten there once, never again.

Had exactly the kind of rubbery squishy weird unidentifiable pappy chicken you describe...guuhhhh...like lumps out of Pedigree Chum!

On the random occassions ive found myself in there I've noticed the clientele is largely asian... Which would suggest it's somewhat authentic...? The veggie stuff actualy seems pretty good.. And their menu's pretty comprehensive, far better value than the noodle house too..

 

[Mr Retro]

On the random occassions ive found myself in there I've noticed the clientele is largely asian... Which would suggest it's somewhat authentic...?

Never understood why people say that. Are all asian people food experts who only eat in the best asian restaurants?

To me it's like saying "it's a good pub because it was full of pissed up Paddies"

 

[han]

On the random occassions ive found myself in there I've noticed the clientele is largely asian... Which would suggest it's somewhat authentic...? The veggie stuff actualy seems pretty good.. And their menu's pretty comprehensive, far better value than the noodle house too..

I guess you can't go TOO far wrong with veggie stuff. I wouldn't touch the meat in there though! Maybe it IS authentic...

 

[tarannau]

The thing about Speedy Noodles is that it's such a mixed bag. I was actually quite impressed with their seafood crispy noodles (dodgy fishballs excepted) and a generous wanton soup there. Aside from the chicken, the meat tastes a little better too.

It's still shit really mind, but it's cheap enough to get away with it.