The newly opened Bao Q American Fried Chicken in Nanzi has always been my favorite since it was in Pingtung. So when I heard it moved to Nanzi, I had to come back and relive the experience while working!
Their fried chicken still maintains the same high standard, freshly battered and fried on the spot. Each bite is a perfect mix of crispy skin and juicy chicken that keeps you coming back for more. Not only is the fried chicken delicious, but I also specifically ordered my favorite, Spicy Chicken Sausage and Taro Balls, and they truly did not disappoint!
The Spicy Chicken Sausage has a slight spicy aroma, with a rich and unique texture, making it a perfect choice for pairing with drinks or rice; while the Taro Balls are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with a rich taro flavor that is incredibly comforting. This place is still my number one fried chicken restaurant!
If you happen to be in Nanzi, I highly recommend giving it a try; you won't be disappointed!
For more video introductions, feel free to search for IG: ooo.eat
On a rainy day, it's really a bit tough to take out food and have to take pictures within 500 meters.
The items I ordered this time are:
I like that the food from this place comes out very dry and not greasy, but this might be because it has a layer of seasoning powder on the surface that absorbs the oil. The flavor of the seasoning powder is on the sweeter side, creating an illusion that I'm eating caramel from next door.
The fried sweet potato balls are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The vegetables are perfectly fried. The two flavors of fried chicken are hard to tell apart, completely overshadowed by the spicy Sichuan pepper powder, and it's really quite spicy. However, the chicken is fried very well - tender and juicy.
The staff are very polite. They also ask if you would like to add onions. If you like onions, you can take some; they add a slight onion spiciness, but it's within an acceptable range.
Some meals are freshly fried and require a wait of 10-20 minutes, and the staff is quite friendly.
The meal performance is just passable; I ordered Meal No. 9, the French-style big chicken leg burger. The bread is soft, filled with lettuce and a fried chicken leg, which is sufficient to fill you up. The one-third green tea (with a little sugar and less ice) is also acceptable. There's no discount for bringing your own eco-friendly cup, but it is filled to the brim.
I also ordered the garlic chicken (small). It is similar to Taiwanese-style salty crispy chicken with a heavier batter, and it goes well with the fresh garlic slices.
🚩 Traditional Thin-Crust Fried Chicken with 50 Years of Good Taste
T.K.K., founded in 1974, opened the Zhongxiao branch in Taipei's East District in 1983. After 30 years of operation, they moved due to a rent increase, but reopened next door to the original location in 2016. The Zhongxiao store is the first to collaborate with its sub-brand, Kung Fu Tea from the USA. Currently, for their 50th anniversary, they have a collaboration with The Powerpuff Girls, featuring cute dolls and merchandise in the display window.
The ordering process involves queuing at the counter to place orders. Both cash and multiple payment methods are accepted, with e-invoices available but no service charges.
Today, I didn't order a set meal from the menu but used a Citibank discount voucher worth $299. The combo consisted of 2 pieces of original fried chicken, an original chicken leg, and 2 spicy chicken wings. Additionally, it included a sweet bun, sweet potato fries, and 2 drinks.
The size of the fried chicken pieces is standard, not small. The chicken is traditionally fried with a thin flour coating after marinating, resulting in a soft texture and juicy meat that keeps you wanting more. The spicy wings are quite spicy but still delicious, though the wing meat is slightly tougher. The sweet potato fries are substantial without needing extra seasoning, providing a very filling experience. The sweet bun (compared to the T.K.K. bun, I prefer the sweet bun) is small and easy to eat without guilt. The drinks were Kung Fu green tea and oolong tea without sugar; they weren't bitter but not particularly outstanding.
T.K.K.'s fried chicken is one of the few where I don't peel off the fried skin before eating, but as I get older, my stomach still protests the next day 😂 It's satisfying to eat but best enjoyed occasionally.
This place only does takeout. This time I placed an online order and went directly to pick up the meal when the time was up, which is very convenient. I ordered the creamy yogurt boneless fried chicken, and it automatically comes with a can of soda and pickled radish. This flavor also comes with a sauce packet and onions that can be added at home when I'm ready to eat, so the fried chicken doesn't get soggy.
The boneless fried chicken is very convenient to eat, and the creamy yogurt flavor is rich; the tartness of the yogurt prevents it from being too greasy. I really like this flavor; the chicken isn't dry, and paired with the onions and pickled radish, it makes for a refreshing side. It’s really enjoyable—definitely a good choice when I want to indulge in some guilty pleasure food on the weekend.
"I'm really hungry. Every time I pass by this place, I hesitate about whether to try it or not, but today I finally made up my mind." by Sister
<About the meal 🥣>
I ordered a chicken cutlet and a chicken wing.
The original price was 100, but since it's Wednesday, they have a 10% discount, so I saved 10 dollars.🤣
Now, to get to the point, first let's talk about the chicken cutlet. The skin of the chicken cutlet is slightly thicker, and the flavor is not very strong, but the chicken itself is well-marinated and a bit salty.
Next, about the chicken wing, it has a bit of a sweet taste? I'm not sure how they did that; I initially thought it would be similar to the chicken cutlet (since they look alike), but it takes 10 minutes to fry fresh, so if you're in a hurry, you might want to call ahead or just avoid it!
<About the staff 👨🍳>
The staff consists of two young people, and the young man at the counter has a pleasant voice (please allow the voice control to chime in here).
One of them seems to handle the food while the other takes orders, and the service is quite good; they seem to be very polite people.
<About the environment 🐾>
The store is located on a corner, which makes parking a bit inconvenient, but there are chairs set up for customers to rest in front of the shop, so I personally think walking over there is fine, as you won't have to worry about standing around waiting for a long time.
🚩Location🧭
Located near the intersection of Dazhi Road and Heping Street in the East District of Taichung City, close to the Dale Rog New Era Shopping Center.
🪑About the overall atmosphere🎡
The bright red sign reads American Fried Chicken, and there is no dining space available inside. There are long benches on both sides of the storefront for waiting or resting. This area is also surrounded by many dining establishments, so parking is difficult, but it's fine to park scooters at the entrance.
💰About the pricing💰
Thai-style Fried Chicken $80, Golden Sweet Potato Fries $55.
🍴About the meal☕
The chicken is cut and placed in a square box, alongside a packet of Thai sauce. The chicken has a very crispy skin but is a bit dry, and the bones are quite small. It feels like American fried chicken with a sauce packet presented as Thai, but it tastes a bit like Taiwanese sweet and spicy sauce. I assumed the chicken would be seasoned during cooking, but it ends up tasting like the flavors are not combined, so it's better to just have it plain.
The fries are slightly thicker than McDonald's, but nothing special, and the portion is a bit small.
🤨Conclusion♥
Ordering Thai-style fried chicken at an American fried chicken shop seems to be my mistake. Next time, I’ll just order the plain flavor; this Thai-style is not Thai at all, but the chicken itself is tasty.
Because Fat Old Dad's chicken is fried to order, you might have to wait around 20 minutes on site, which not only wastes time but is also unnecessary. I suggest everyone call the store in advance to place their order and pick it up when it's ready.
This time, I ordered the number 2 meal, which includes a chicken leg, a piece of chicken nuggets, and a bottle of soda (you can choose between cola or Sprite).
Fat Old Dad's fried chicken is quite tasty, with a crispy coating and chicken that is not only tender but also juicy. This is the ideal fried chicken, which I believe is closely related to it being fried when ordered.
Overall, if you're craving fried chicken, I highly recommend trying Fat Old Dad's.
"About Dining Experience and Recommendations 🥣"
You might have some questions about these three dishes. Why not go for the number one chicken cutlet? Let me share my thoughts with you.
(I took all three items to-go)
Chicken Skin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The first bite I took was surprisingly crispy! Even after riding my scooter for 10 minutes, it still had that texture, similar to a cookie, and wasn't too oily. (Some places have chicken skin that's soaked in oil when fried.)
Egg Tofu ⭐️⭐️⭐️
It's quite ordinary but softened a bit (slightly crispy), and the texture is acceptable.
Chicken Cutlet ⭐️⭐️
Although the batter on the chicken cutlet is thin, it has lost its crispness and is already soft (losing a point for that). As for the meat, it's undeniably a bit sweet and not too dry.
"About the Restaurant's Decor and Environment 🐾"
The environment is quite suitable for a date, as there is a pink-themed Instagram wall outside that many young people would likely enjoy.
You can also see the cooking process inside, and the place is very clean.
"bb.q CHICKEN" is located on the fifth floor of Tainan's Nanfang Shopping Center. It is a popular Korean fried chicken chain from Korea and is said to be one of the largest fried chicken brands in Korea. I had heard about it for a long time, and finally got to taste it in person this time. Since the meals are prepared fresh after ordering, there is often a queue during meal times, especially during peak hours. This time, I waited 40 minutes for my food to be served even after being seated, which was a bit frustrating.
I ordered their signature dishes – cheese fried chicken and sweet and spicy fried chicken. The texture of both types of fried chicken was indeed good, with a crispy exterior and juicy interior, especially paired with the rich Korean sauce, which was very satisfying. However, the portion sizes were noticeably small. For example, the fries and sweet potato balls, while tasty, were not abundant, and the price was 328 NTD plus service charge, which is not very cost-effective.
Particularly disappointing was the portion of the spicy stir-fried chicken, which had half of the plate covered by a thin layer of cheese, with the iron plate underneath and no other ingredients. The portion of stir-fried chicken on the other half was also minimal, and this dish surprisingly cost 389 NTD, which felt excessive. Although the spicy stir-fried chicken was indeed quite spicy and flavorful, the overall price and portion size did not match.
In summary, the flavor of the food at bb.q CHICKEN is indeed quite good, especially the fried chicken, but the portion sizes are small and the prices are high. Even though it was delicious, considering the prices, I don't think I would revisit.
