Andrew W.
Yelp
Happies.
Szechuan Chicken Tender
Let's get straight to it. 5 stars
Chicken was of a higher quality than one would normally experience when thinking of a "chicken tender".
$6 A la Carte - per (Jumbo) chicken tender.
When thinking about this as a concept one might ask themselves why create an upscale version of a chicken tender? Is $6 a tender really worth it?
How good can a chicken tender really get and is this just another bloated or inflated idea for the indulgent and well financed to flock to - and order - to have a slightly tastier version of a cheaper model they may have had growing up.
All legitimate questions and concerns I had when first discovering this place.
Nonetheless, for me - purely based on merit of taste and quality - it hits.
The tender tastes brined, its juicy, it pulls apart easily revealing a moist - steaming tender bite. Definitely made to order because it came out piping hot. (The way it should.)
The CRUNCH ON THAT skin alone - crispy, savory, a light heat , and battered with what I would say is a quality mixture of corn meal and spiced seasonings. (No bloat)
The crisp on the outside stands almost alone as its own thing separate from the tender, but together they work extremely well - all harmonizing beautifully with the sauce.
I will say the skin separates from the chicken which was a new experience for me, but I didn't mind it. It was as though the chicken meat was skinless and then dipped in the batter. It felt clean. As clean as a chicken tender can feel.
We chose the goji berry sauce. Bright color. Fragrant. Beautiful sweet and sour heat. You can make fucking orange chicken out of that and you would start a whole new wave of orange chicken flavor. (Genius) ... Also delicate and not overwhelmingly sugary.
Overall,
It feels kinda odd to harp on about a tender but I would say that perhaps that's the cool irony about a high quality chicken tender. Maybe Happies actually represents how a chicken (tender) should be experienced in terms of matching how they taste with how they make me feel.
When I think about chicken tenders I also tend to think about the memories I've had where chicken tenders were involved... (lol), but also then infusing that nostalgia with a high regard for how that feeling should then be expressed through the consumption and the experience of eating the tender. (Dope)
The menu is broken up into options. Most are a la carte - the chicken tenders starting at $6 -Which I dug because I didn't want to blow a tons of money just to try the main stage item. I was happy I could walk in and order a single tender, and get an idea of the level of care or thought that is being put into the food.
Now if you wanted to go all out - I will say - you could you rack up the bill. $8 dollar drinks, $1.50 sauces, ice cream, other sides above $5 etc... Which in most cases would be ridiculous. Are things perpetually getting pricier over Los Angeles, absolutely. Is $8 for drink kinda ludacris - yes. Didn't even order it myself, albeit it looked pretty damn good.
But I do think that what we're missing a lot in Los Angeles are more shops dedicated to a single item or concept that they just do really fucking well and curate with dignity, and quality.
I believe in many ways that's what this place is.
(Albeit this was just my first visit so upon return ill see if their is a shift in quality or taste for me)
Quality can feel and many times, just simply is, a privileged experience to have or feel...
We've turned (quality) into that in many ways, but contrary to the neighboring food establishments within the area, it feels like you can come here and have something that feels decedent at an achievable cost for the patron.
The people working the joint bring the place to life - moving, saying what's up. The chef seemed to be walking around and chatting about their food, happily. The space is snug but fitting for the meal.
Yes it's in the arts district, no parking isn't great, yes it's a gentrified area that sometimes can carry a certain tone to it. (Urth cafe vibe spill over).
But, overall the quality is there. And I'm happy to say that I'll be back to try a few more items to see what else they have to offer, and I will definitely order a tender to start off with.
I'd say give a shot - give the single tender a try, dip it in the goji sauce. And, EAT IT HOT.
-Dude with Green Hat