Pecking House Chinatown
The chili chicken sando is a fried thigh drenched in warm duck fat chili oil under a lemony mayo, held together by sweet milk bread, and Will Hartman calls it the best version of fried chicken to eat here.
Why go
Pecking House started as a delivery pop-up and went viral with well over ten thousand people on the waitlist, and the chicken that did it is Southern-style, crunchy, dusted in Chinese spices or chili oil.1 Hartman's more useful steer is away from the bird: just because everyone is here for chicken doesn't mean you should underestimate the sides, which are often more interesting.
He names butter beans in a black vinegar vinaigrette, a charred cucumber salad with ginger, and a classic potato salad. The shop is very small, and most visits here are takeout. The Infatuation's page for the original Brooklyn door on Flatbush Avenue is flagged permanently closed, so Henry Street is where to go.
Order this / avoid
- Order: the chili chicken sando, plus a side you were not planning on. The blackened sando is the alternative,
coated in a cumin and anise-forward blackening seasoning, then layered with salsa macha, melted Oaxaca cheese, and pickled jalapeños.
1 - Avoid: a sit-down plan for more than two. The room seats a handful along the wall and the rest of the trade goes out the door.
What locals & experts say
- Will Hartman, The Infatuation, 25 October 2024, rated 7.9: on the sando,
A juicy, crunchy fried chicken thigh drenched in a warm duck fat chili oil and a lemony mayo? Sign us up. This is the best variant of fried chicken to eat at Pecking House, made better by the sweet milk bread that does its best to contain the mess.
1 - The same review, on the room:
swimming your way through Pecking House makes this location feel more lived-in and fun than the original near the Barclays Center.
1
Good to know
- Timing: lunch and dinner.
- Booking: none. Walk in, or order takeout.
Jeff's take (his words)
- Note: "Sichuan fried chicken"
Verdict
could-visit — Will Hartman rated it 7.9 in October 2024, and he says the seasonal sides are often the most interesting thing on the tray. The chili chicken sando is the thing to order. It is a small shop built for takeout, and the Brooklyn original on Flatbush has closed, so Henry Street is the door.