Fried Chicken Bliss with Clucked restaurant in St Kilda
Clucked is a new fried-chicken, warm your soul kind of place in Carlisle St in St Kilda - family owned and run, recreating beautiful fried chicken breast using a secret recipe that has been passed down through generations of the family. The World Loves Melbourne was highly impressed with Clucked as a foodie haven at affordable prices, and on trend in terms of delicious healthier eating. Felix and Claire the owners have struck gold with this modern and engaging eatery. Fried chicken is a popular genre in Melbourne but the question is, should it all be a southern fried chicken style? No, not all chicken should have to be southern fried style.
Clucked have perfected a family recipe that is unique. The chicken is juicy and the seasoned skin has a delicious herbaceous hit that stands out. We loved the chicken during our meal but on the way home I realised I also "felt good inside"; this wasn't a greasy fry up but more a healthy style meal. Clucked talks about there being little fat and the chicken is free range. Even though I was full I also felt the chicken drawing me back; I can see why this recipe became a favourite within the family circle of friends over the years before it has been taken now to a wider audience.
Not only is Clucked delicious, it's healthy too - using a unique breading that is full of different herbs and spices, the chicken is then cooked in brown rice oil making it very healthy with only 2grams of fat per serve - now that's impossible to find! Many diners in Melbourne love a fried chicken feed but are health conscious and prone to guilt; you could go to Clucked for repeat visits and avoid the "guilts".
Serving up their signature chicken, house-made vegan salads, exceptional chips (featuring a blend of salt that they make exclusively in house), and hand selected wines and beers - this is a casual, no fuss dining experience that is second to none. We were sold on our first visit. And we enjoyed the family pride and passion in the business. They don't cut corners but use the best oils and dressings for their salads, and gourmet ingredients.
Decor is modern with exposed brick and attractive industrial lighting, copper taps and pipes, with desirable green booths.
Fried chicken and craft beers is the combination we seek. We also love a place that offers $10 craft beer jugs all day! As they say, "chicken, beer and wine". This place is family friendly, and we enjoyed the generous sized booths for group dining. You may want to order a Spider for you kids (or for the child in you).
We enjoyed some excellent hot spicy Chicken thighs to begin our meal; the spice on the thighs showed complexity (including several types of chilli) without being overpowering. These were boneless thighs served in a cardboard box with standout aioli and were a joy to eat.
The Chicken breast pieces with original recipe also came in a box, cooked to perfection, along with a large serve of their compelling fries. Order a box of 5 pieces, or a smaller box with 3 pieces. Each piece is a decent size and boneless. One of their secrets is to cook the chicken in minimum temperature for fried chicken to limit fat absorption into the chicken. Enjoy the sauces; aioli, dill seed and sriracha choices available (we tried all 3 and sriracha was the favourite).
They also have a secret seasoning for their fries.
The salads are simply stunning with a density and complexity that make them a meal of their own. Vegans actually come here for the salads! A winner is the vegan Red quinoa & roasted pumpkin salad! With watercress, pepitas, cranberries, chives & Claire's special dressing. Or check out the Mayo-free coleslaw with organic cider vinegar and fresh dill dressing. Or our favourite the Red rice salad with sautéed red onion, capsicum, zucchini, and lemon zest dressing, finished with flat leaf parsley. You don't even need a knife for these salads but you can just use a fork to enjoy. These salads are packed with ingredients!
The Taleggio arancini was a surprise on the menu (or try the semi-dried tomato and mushroom) and was also excellent; crispy outside and creamy inside.
Ice cream sandwiches are an enjoyable dessert. What is better than an ice cream when the sun is shining? Caramel and pecan ice cream sandwich @patandstick and 3 others tastes available @CluckedStKilda.
Check out this gem in the heart of St Kilda near Luna Park. You might get addicted to their original recipe chicken (I'm coming under its power) and compelling healthy salads. You can even pick up or use MenuLog for delivery.