Mildred Armah is a National Reporter for Stuff who is a self-proclaimed fried chicken connoisseur.

OPINION: Hundreds of fried chicken-loving Kiwis have taken over a central Auckland street eagerly waiting to get their claws on some highly anticipated chicken from Global Korean food chain NeNe Chicken.

The name of the restaurant literally translates to ‘Yes! Yes! Chicken’, and has finally migrated to New Zealand after months of fanfare.

We’re a nation of fried chicken lovers, so much so that we have our own annual Fried Chicken Festival. But does NeNe Chicken have what it takes to rule to roost over KFC?

We went in and tried three of their most popular flavours to see if it was worth squawking about.

Original

You know you’re in for a greasy treat when you’re handed plastic gloves to wear while eating the meal.

Like most Kiwis, I love fried chicken. There’s just something about taking a bite into chicken that is crispy, crunchy and succulent, and this lived up to all my expectations.

The first bite is definitely the loudest, with a crispy outer shell, and meat that is moist, soft and piping hot!

As the name suggests, this is your classic-fried chicken flavour with no sauce or seasoning lathered over it. I loved it, and I’m proud to say no meat was left on these bones! But, for those who prefer more, this may taste a tad bland.

Swicy

Yes, you read that right. But this combo of sweet and spicy leaves a lot to be desired for spice lovers like me.

I grew up in a West African household where all our meals (even plain rice) had some kind of zest to it. Because of this, I will admit my spice tolerance is pretty high, so I was hoping it would be hot. Instead, it was more sweet with barely any spice to it at all.

Perhaps next time, I’ll go with the snowing chilli or “freaking hot” flavours.

There’s also nothing worse than sinking your teeth into a hot chicken wing only to taste…well the wing. The ratio of bone to meat was disappointing if you’re not a fan of all bone.

Its only saving grace was the rich, thick, sauce sizzled on top. When I think of Korean Fried Chicken – this is what comes to mind! – crispy chicken coated in decadent red sauce.

The coating is thick and sugary and tends to linger around the mouth. Not a good idea to wear white if you happen to be a messy eater!

Snowing Cheese

Now I am not a cheese lover (unless it’s on pizza) but we heard this flavour had been widely praised, so it was a no brainer it made the taste test.

I was hesitant to try it, expecting an avalanche of melted cheese tucked inside the coating of the crispy outer shell. However, this was not the case at all to my immense relief.

Instead, the ‘snow’ is referring to the cheese powder sprinkled over the top. It’s light in flavour and tastes more like cheddar flavoured crisps than actual cheese.

I didn’t mind it and appreciated the salty and powdery texture but hardcore cheese-lovers may be disappointed.

The Verdict

It wasn’t quite Finger Lickin’ Good, but I would rate it a solid 7/10. It’s slightly more on the expensive side with four pieces costing $11.90 for the original pieces and $12.90 for it flavoured. Eight pieces are priced at $20.90 and $21.90 for the flavoured pieces.

Sides are also available and include sweet potato fries, cheesy stickys, cheesy mayo chips, tornado potato (deep-fried on a stick), Korean salad and black rice, chips and coleslaw.

NeNe chicken is sure to be a tight squeeze for those on a budget, but the convenient location on Lorne Street is sure to make it a hit with late night partygoers.