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SPICY CHICKEN WINGS. PHOTO COURTESY BON CHON

the famous sauce. With restaurants across nearly all continents, Nando’s is truly offering a unique chicken experience everywhere it lands. As mentioned earlier, marketing chicken dishes these days, in a saturated food market, requires creativity as restaurateurs have to push their chefs to offer more than just standard fare plates. Isaiah Ruffin, head chef of The Bird in D.C., gave us his insights on how he ensures his chicken dishes stand out from all others. According to Ruffin, the bird itself is just as important as the process used to prepare it. The Bird sources its chickens from New York and Pennsylvania and they come “BoBo style”, meaning that the head and feet are not removed. This guarantees a level of freshness that is hard to find in other restaurants and makes the unique ingredients that Ruffin employs pack an even bigger punch. Take the “Thai Barbecue,” one of

The Bird’s standout chicken dishes. It is marinated in fish sauce, lemongrass, and other Thai flavors before being smoked. The fish saucelemongrass combination together creates a pungent flavor that is not common in traditional American dishes. In addition to fascinating new ingredients, chefs can turn to unique cooking methods to create special culinary masterpieces. Navy Yard newcomer, Chloe, offers a delicious roast chicken on its menu, served on a bed of softened greens and paired with a tangy chili-lime sauce. The secret to Chloe’s delicious take on a classic roast chicken is that the bird is air-dried overnight, resulting in its crispy, crackly skin and tender, moist inside. Chicken’s popularity in the foodscape proves that you don’t always have to go for overly EATERY PULSE NEWS | 25