Let’s be honest. When it comes to fried chicken, there are only so many ways you can reinvent the wheel and we thus tend to take it for granted.

So much so that when something like the Korean fried chicken craze comes around — flapping its unusually sticky, sweet, garlicky, spicy wings at us in places like BonChon Chicken, 4 Fingers, Yogiyo and Chicken Up — we think it is practically the best thing in the world. Until we come across the next big thing.

But for many of our local chefs, it is the simple, humble nature of the dish that is exactly what makes it versatile enough for them to work their magic on.

One of those championing fried chicken in various ways is Artichoke chef-owner Bjorn Shen.

There are arguably few here more in love with the fried chicken than Shen, who has a tattoo of a fried chicken wing on his left forearm. “I’m glad there is a renewed interest in fried chicken,” he said, pointing to the recent buzz surrounding the chicken and waffles combo that followed the Southern-style and Korean varieties.

Shen revealed that he has secured a pop-up space (which he declined to reveal just yet), where his best-selling Middle Eastern fried chicken will be the star dish. He hopes the dish, which is served with toum, a Lebanese garlic sauce that’s not for the faint-hearted, will click with a more mainstream crowd.

His other restaurant Bird Bird (Palace Of Thai Chicken), which opened last November, also extols “the virtues of fried chicken”, and it will be launching a supper menu in a few weeks featuring two “Bird-gers” — one with a chicken patty and the other with a duck variant.

“My main inspiration is the McDonald’s Singapore McChicken, which is one level below the McSpicy,” he declared. “We want to evoke an elevated fast-food feel; it’s like McDonald’s but made from scratch.” (Coincidentally, McDonald’s Singapore launched a “customer-inspired” Crispy Chicken Burger last month.)

These are not gourmet burgers; there are no brioche buns or whole chicken thighs. Instead, Shen will be featuring a blend of breast and thigh that are minced and seasoned with herbs and spices, then dipped in buttermilk and flour and deep-fried.

In keeping with Bird Bird’s Thai theme, the burger is finished with a little green papaya salad, onions, mayonnaise and som tum sauce (made with fish sauce, tamarind and palm sugar). Even the price, at S$10 a burger, is “a bit ghetto”, he shared, which is how he wants to keep it.

MORE BURGERS IN VOGUE

In fact, if there was one so-called fried chicken trend popping up now, fried chicken burgers probably fit the bill.

Last year, celebrity chef David Chang of Momofuku fame launched his concept spicy fried chicken sandwich shop Fuku in New York, selling only that one item on its menu at US$8 (S$11).

Meanwhile, Wolf Burgers at PasarBella Suntec City has been serving one of the best fried chicken sandwiches in Singapore. “We wanted to create an interesting fried chicken dish,” said chef-owner Sarah Lin. For the dish, boneless chicken thigh is first marinated overnight in herbs, spices and buttermilk to ensure a tender mouthful with every bite. It is paired with homemade coleslaw and a salted egg mayo “specially formulated to complement the chicken and the slaw”, and served in a fluffy artisanal bun.

And then you have other popular fried chicken-between-bread options: Roadhouse’s crispy Cajun chicken burger and eight-month-old sandwich speciality shop Park Bench Deli’s tender Chicken Katsu sandwich, among others.

“There are many versions (of fried chicken), and that means everyone has a style they enjoy best,” said the latter’s chef, Ming Tan, who set up the sandwich shop with fellow admirer of American-style sandwiches chef Andrei Soen. “The characteristics that should be inherent to all types of crispy bird are texture, flavour and visual appeal,” he added.

The deli’s previous chicken sandwich was a buttermilk fried chicken sandwich paired with a Southern coleslaw, which was very well liked, and very American in nature. “We’ve tried to look for more Asian flavours in this version, and we found in our testing that a katsu-style crust was lighter than a buttermilk-soaked, flour-dredged iteration. Our hope is that this version appeals to more locals as the flavours are familiar and accessible.”

That said, this Japanese katsu-style deviation is not any easier to whip up. Whole boneless chicken thighs are first sous-vide cooked for four hours, then rested overnight in the chiller before they are floured, and coated with egg and Japanese breadcrumbs. “We aim to keep the crust light, looking out for floury and chewy pockets,” Tan explained.

“The deep frying process is just long enough to colour the crust and crisp it up without over-cooking the meat, which, in the right thickness and temperature, will retain an extremely high level of moisture and tenderness.” The sandwich is finished with Kewpie mayo and Bull-dog Sauce, a classic pairing of smooth and tangy condiments. For a touch of freshness, slices of Japanese cucumber and a marinated cabbage slaw are included. “We went with a soft, local bun for this sandwich, as this most closely mirrors the refined Japanese sliced bread used in pork katsu sandwiches.”

CHICK FLICKS

Of course, these new ways of enjoying deep-fried chicken do not only involved serving one between two burger buns or bread slices.

Following the launch of its Cajun chicken tenders stacked with melted cheese and whipped cream last year, Korean franchise Chir Chir Fusion Chicken Factory introduced its latest spin on the Korean fried chicken this week.

Inspired by a similarly-flavoured potato chip craze that hit Korea recently, Chir Chir’s Honey Butter Chicken is available in Korea but is currently a unique choice available in Singapore.

“In 2014, Haitai-Calbee in Korea launched their honey butter flavoured potato crisps and the overwhelming popularity triggered a wave of copycat versions and similarly-flavoured snacks, such as almonds and corn chips,” said Levi Ho, director of operations at Chir Chir Singapore. “Chir Chir Korea was inspired to create our own honey butter chicken, which features crispy fried chicken, potato wedges and pan-fried Korean rice cakes tossed in our proprietary honey butter glaze and honey butter seasoning; it is served with dried cranberries, sliced almonds and honeyed garlic mayonnaise.”

He added: “I think Singaporeans have always seen fried chicken as a familiar comfort food, and when it’s presented in a new way or in a unique flavour, people are intrigued and want to try it.”

That is likely also the case with The Pipe District Bistro’s fried chicken wings, which now come in 10 far-out flavours — from marmite honey to wasabi mayo (with yakiniku sauce on the side) to the ubiquitous chilli crab and salted egg yolk.

Fried chicken is “ageless”, said Lin, who affirmed that it is food people eat to feel good. “From the irresistible shade of golden brown crust peeking out from the bubbling oil to the moist juicy, tender meat when cooked perfectly, it pleasures and gratifies diners of all ages.”

Lin’s other restaurant, Carvers & Co on East Coast Road is known for its meats, roasts and comfort food — and next week, it will be adding its rendition of the classic Southern fried chicken, dressed in a buttermilk sauce.

“Fried chicken might have been forgotten when locals looked to trends like Cronuts and burgers, but a staple dish like this always comes back in vogue.”