The other day I was really ravenous on my lunch break, and no kind of sandwich was going to do, so I wandered to the not-hugely-appetising surroundings of HFC on London Road, near Elephant & Castle roundabout. I normally like a combination of spicy wings and regular chicken, so even at £3.49, two pieces, three hot wings, chips and drink seemed pretty good value (even if it’d normally be £2.99 in Dalston).
This is one of those chicken shops that I have no idea how it does any business – it’s hidden away behind some trees, under a balcony, on a busy street for cars and buses that no-one ever walks along. It’s opposite South Bank Uni, but I’ve never even see the students from there go in it. Anyway it was clean, which is something. And it had plants up, which is nice for the atmosphere, makes it feel a bit more classy than your average budget chicken shop.
The chicken was pretty mediocre though. It was freshly cooked, but something lacking in the recipe… I wonder if HFC/SFC/all them ones get their spices in a bog-standard packet? I don’t suppose the coating is mixed up fresh on site.
Also the chips were the usual crap you get in these places – freshly cooked but lacking any kind of crunch – just a bit greasy. It was a hot day so there was no way I was touching the mayo on the counter, just salt and pepp…errr. The hot wings saved the day – crispy without being stale, and they had a proper spicy kick. I should’ve just got a hot wings meal in retrospect.
Verdict: not brilliant – not awful, it was freshly cooked and did the job – just not brilliant. 6/10
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