Set for a May launch, Fortune Fried Chicken will serve a type of fried chicken that is popular in Bangkok made by marinating pieces of the bird overnight in a blend of soy, fish sauce, garlic and coriander before lightly coating it with rice flour and deep-frying it slowly creating a thin, crispy skin while keeping the meat tender and juicy.
The chicken will be prepared in front of guests on traditional tamarind wood chopping boards, with the option to have it hand-pulled off the bone, topped with golden garlic and served alongside sticky rice and a fresh som tam papaya salad.
The menu will also feature a chicken burger with tamarind sesame glaze, spicy green papaya salad and mayo, served in a soft potato bun.
A selection of Thai beers, house-made lemonades and teas will also be available.
Located in Spitalfields Market, the bright yellow and red branding is designed to evoke the vibrant street food stalls of Bangkok.
Fortune Fried Chicken will be available for both dine-in and takeaway.
The new concept will be part of Baweja’s HB Company, which includes Indian restaurants Gunpowder and Empire Empire and bakery brand Moi et Toi.
Alty has worked in some of London’s most celebrated kitchens including Bibendum, Racine and the Bangkok iteration of Thai restaurant Nahm, where she worked under the renowned chef David Thompson.
She is best known in the industry for founding highly-rated Peckham Thai restaurant The Begging Bowl.
She is understood to have left the restaurant last summer after around 12 years behind the stove there.
“Every time I visit Bangkok, my first stop is always for Thai fried chicken. Each vendor has their own take on it and I’ve spent years searching for the perfect version,” Baweja says. “After months in the test kitchen, we’ve perfected our recipe and Spitalfields Market feels like the perfect location to bring it to life.”
