Korean-American chef David Chang, of Momofuku fame, is taking one small step into the world of fast food today. The restaurant is called Fuku and the hero is this enormous fried chicken sandwich.
The sandwich that will have hipsters lined up around the block sounds like a riff on Chick-fil-A. Sustainably sourced chicken thighs are marinated in habañero purée, dipped in buttermilk, coated in spices, deep-fried, and tucked into a potato roll with pickles and butter.
The rolls are steamed (like the Korean bao) and the butter is flavored with fermented chickpeas, New York magazine's Grub Street reports. Chang says the chicken recipe yields an intensely juicy, crispy piece of meat.
Located in a tiny, standing-room space in New York's East Village - the original location of Chang's first restaurant, Noodle Bar - Fuku will start serving to the public today. The menu will also include thick-cut french fries and a seasonal salad.
Since opening Noodle Bar in 2004, the 37-year-old chef has amassed a stable of eleven restaurant concepts in New York, Toronto, and Sydney.
In 2011, Chang launched a magazine, Lucky Peach, and just this spring he introduced New Yorkers to Maple, his food delivery service backed by $22 million in funding.
When he first talked about Fuku at this year's SXSW, he mentioned its correlation to fast food giants like Chick-Fil-A and In-N-Out. So, ostensibly, Chang has plans to take Fuku far beyond Manhattan. We'll just have to wait and see.