New & Noted: Captain Rooster
What: Fried chicken & beer
Where: 75 Changshu Lu, near
Julu Lu. Tel: 5456 2050
Why: You like imbibing craft
beers on a sunny patio
The South Korean hit TV drama “My Love From the Star” started a Chinese craze in February when the lead mentioned she wants “fried chicken & beer” as the first snow falls. The viral reaction resulted in four million Weibo posts about that phrase alone, and reports of binging on the combo have made headlines, notably for counts of pancreatitis and one near-miscarriage from the show’s voracious fans. With this food fad on the rise, what could go wrong for the newly-opened self-titled “fried chicken and beer” emporium Captain Rooster?
Apparently, a lot. Under seasoned chicken, unending service fumbles, missing menu items – all the hallmarks of inexperience are on display, but these slip-ups are surprising here. Part of CHG restaurant group, these guys had no opening jitters with their other new, wildly popular project, Dos Locos. A couple of doors down from the Captain, the group’s original restaurant Piro is closed for renovations, freeing up seasoned staff to help with the deep fryer, yet the kinks still need ironing out.
Take the signature dish, buttermilk fried chicken. We sampled it twice, once at dinner (RMB 75 for half, RMB 150 for whole), and again at brunch (RMB 85 with bacon atop a waffle). Both times, the bird was forgotten from our order and waitstaff needed prompting (in the case of brunch, we had to ask thrice over 30 minutes). When the unsalted poultry did arrive, it was mediocre and incomprehensibly butchered, making passing down a requested wing or breast a guessing game in maiming.
Better were the boneless wings (RMB 45 for 8, RMB 75 for 16), also fried Southern-style in buttermilk. Served wet with an array of sauces – from honey mustard to barbecue - the crunchy fried mouthfuls went down a treat in comparison to the whole birds. Wings (RMB 45 for 6, RMB75 for 12) marinated in vodka (a Korean preparation that puffs out the paper-thin fried skin to the crispiest of finishes) get the same sauce treatment, and we liked them best with the mouth-watering spicy dry rub option. Garlic and parmesan flavours got lost in the deep fryer.
The best sides are the mac & cheese (RMB 65 for standard, RMB 75 for caprese). Both are decadently creamy and topped with a satisfying breadcrumb crunch, while the latter is given an Italian makeover with tomatoes and basil. Give the mushy buttermilk biscuits and haphazardlyseasoned Cajun fries (both RMB 45) a miss.
There are more than a dozen craft beers in the fridge, so they’ll pack out the twostorey black and chrome space for happy hour. And with a gorgeous terrace that stays sunny until practically twilight, it’s an inevitable daytime drinking destination. But when it comes down to the chicken side of the equation, the Colonel knows more about frying than the Captain.
