Fried Chicken Bites Series. Sawtelle Round 1a

May 10th, 2019

My housemate and I decided we wanted a go-to fried chicken bites place. There’s always something about having a quick snack on the go, and fried chicken bites are easy to eat. There’s no bones or mess. So, this is the first round of the Fried Chicken Bites Series. The Series will consist of various categories to rate the fried chicken bites.

We started with 3 kinds of fried chicken bites in Sawtelle – Volcano Tea House, Shin-Sen-Gumi and Popcorn Chicken Taste of Taiwan:

Take-Out service: Volcano Tea House = Ready in less than 10 minutes Shin-Sen-Gumi = 10 to 15 minutes Popcorn Chicken Taste of Taiwan = A least 15 minutes

Total Costs: Volcano Tea House Spicy Fried Chicken = $5.86 Shin-Sen-Gumi Yuzu-Pepper = $7.39 Popcorn Chicken Taste of Taiwan = $4.93

Packaging: Volcano Tea House = Small, open, easy to carry, logo on bag Shin-Sen-Gumi = Styrofoam and tied up in a generic plastic bag Popcorn Chicken Taste of Taiwan = Small, open, easy to carry, logo on bag

Crispiness: Volcano Tea House = Very crispy, small bits are so yummy and crunchy Shin-Sen-Gumi = Not crispy at all because of the packaging Popcorn Chicken Taste of Taiwan = Nice, thin and crispy with spicy powder

Meat Texture and Flavor: Volcano Tea House = Juicy and flavorful Shin-Sen-Gumi = Tender with an umami flavor Popcorn Chicken Taste of Taiwan = Texture inconsistent, juicy but bland

Sauces: Volcano Tea House = Spicy powder adds a great kick. Need to shake in bag. Shin-Sen-Gumi = Yuzu -pepper sauce served on side. Not spicy. Meh. Popcorn Chicken Taste of Taiwan = Spicy powder on crispy batter. Love it!

Overall verdict:
Volcano Tea House: Housemate = 8.5/10, Me = 9/10 Shin-Sen-Gumi: Housemate = 6.5/10, Me = 5/10 Popcorn Chicken Taste of Taiwan: Housemate = 6.5/10, Me = 7/10

Volcano Tea House is the winner!!

End of Fried Chicken Bites Series Round 1a. There’s a few more fried chicken places to check out in Sawtelle. Look out for Round 1b soon…

(And by the way, we found out that fried chicken bites is great with rice and egg-pudding milk tea. The texture of soft, fresh rice goes well with the crispy, juicy chicken. And the sweet, icy-cold milk tea soothes the tongue from the spiciness.)

Volcano Tea House:
2111 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025

Shin-Sen-Gumi:
1601 Sawtelle Blvd, #101 Los Angeles, CA 90025

Popcorn Chicken Taste of Taiwan:
2224 Sawtelle Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90064