London, UK
The Chicken Shop in Kentish Town serves only rotisserie chicken and sides to go with it. I heard about it because a friend of mine let me taste some of her left over apple pie from there, and even when it was a day old and not even kept in the fridge, it tasted amazing. So I decided the trip to North London must be worth it. It was difficult to find, as it is located downstairs with only a small paper bag on the doorknob as signage. While I was looking for it I came across Dirty Burger nearby, owned by the same people. I wish I’d tried it at the same time, as I’m not sure when I’ll bother making my way up to that area again. I went on a Saturday afternoon, and there were mostly families with young children there, which brought down the coolness factor slightly. I could still see its potential as a cool night-time spot to eat with a group of friends. I sat at the bar with a friend and watched the chefs chop up the chicken. To accompany the meat we ordered the avocado salad and chips. We had half a chicken, which was more than enough for two people. It was really juicy without showing any signs of being under-cooked, and the skin was amazingly crispy. I didn’t use any of the custom sauces provided, as the meat had enough flavour on its own. Both sides were simple and tasty. The all-Spanish staff (recession?) was friendly and attentive, although some struggled to understand English. Although I was very full, I had to have some of the apple pie that brought me there in the first place. The waiter brought out the whole American style pie pan and cut a piece in front of us. I thought this added a cute touch to the presentation and experience. Served with vanilla ice cream, it was as to be expected, even better than the day-old one, and a perfect conclusion to a filling meal.
