Cold Cocked

A number of chefs in Toronto can't help but make and sell food stuff unrelated to their restaurant's main business: the doughnuts and Beast sandwiches at Beast restaurant, freshly baked sourdough bread at super-hot Bar Isabel. As for myself, I've been trying "cold" dishes for the hot weather (not that there has been much heat this summer) such as the watermelon gazpacho at Hello Darling or cold ramen at Ramen Raijin. So on Friday night, when the chef of Hoopgood Foodliner was tweeting photos of himself making fried chicken for tomorrow's cash-only cold fried chicken to-go, I thought: "two great trends that taste great together!"

I went there on Saturday at lunchtime and scored some chicken and slaw ($10). At first, the packing didn't look too appetizing. White Wonder bread lining the bottom of the take-out container? But the chicken pieces were large and the slaw was substantial. It was delicious: still crispy, rich and oily, with a small kick of spice. There was also a hint of sweetness, especially at the crusty ends. The slaw was finely chopped, creamy, and not too acidic. Even the bland bread tasted great as it has soaked up all the juice and grease. This lunch-box special was a wonderful meal.