It's simply impossible to walk by one of the Hot Star Large Fried Chicken locations in the city and not find yourself staring longingly with envy at some stranger devouring a truly magnificent (and giant) piece of fried chicken. And by giant, we truly mean giant — these things are as big as your face.
Hot Star Large Fried Chicken has been serving up its signature oversized chicken cutlets since 2014, quickly becoming a cult favourite. The restaurant's concept originated in Taiwan in 1992 and has since expanded internationally, bringing a taste of Taipei's famous Shilin Night Market street food to Australia.
At the core of Hot Star's menu is, of course, their iconic large fried chicken made from 100% chicken breast — this ain't no giant processed chicken nugget. Each piece is marinated for a full 24 hours in a closely guarded blend of spices, then dredged in tapioca flour for extra crispiness.
Then, it's deep-fried in cottonseed oil, resulting in a golden-brown exterior that gives way to juicy, flavourful meat inside. Priced at $11.90, the large chicken comes in several flavour options, including cheese, spicy, seaweed, salt and pepper, chicken salt, cajun, and even plum.
Hot Star's menu boasts a small supporting cast of other tempting options. Crispy chicken wings ($8.50 for six pieces) and chicken pops ($8.50) offer a smaller but equally satisfying crunch. Not feeling chicken? Grab the salt and pepper squid ($5.90), the sweet potato fries ($5.50), or regular fries ($3.50).
If you're after a quick in-and-out, cheap, and most of all tasty snack in the CBD, you really can't go wrong with Hot Star. Just keep in mind that there may be a bit of a queue depending on when you go, as each piece is made fresh to order.