How Well Do You Know Your Hollywood Rotisserie Chicken?

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I know I spend a lot of time railing against chicken (comma Los Angeles’ love of) here on Midtown Lunch… but I can’t help it.  Choosing white meat chicken breast over pork, lamb, goat, and even dark meat chicken is a crime against all that is holy and good about eating.  It’s a cop out.  That being said, not all chicken is bad.  For example, rotisserie chicken = good chicken.  White or dark meat… if you allow the liquid fat from other chickens to drop onto your chicken while you cook it, getting the skin all crispy and greasy, that makes an acceptable chicken.  And lucky for me, there is no shortage of rotisserie chicken in Los Angeles.

Family issues aside, Zankou is the undisputed king of chicken (if not in taste, certainly in popularity) but if you work near Hollywood and Vine, there are a few other worthwhile (and more importantly, cheaper) options.  Certainly you could drive East to Zankou (there’s one on Sunset and Normandie), but Al Wazir and Ro Ro are close as well.  Can you tell the difference between the three?  Let’s find out…

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So which one is which?

The fact that A and B have rice poking out, but C doesn’t should be a dead giveaway.  Zankou doesn’t serve rice with their chicken combo.  And Al Wazir gives you pickled turnips, but Ro Ro doesn’t.

Of course, once you taste the food- there is no mistaking which is which.  The garlic sauce alone is a dead giveaway… Zankou’s is like liquid gold, and while others try to imitate they can’t quite match that perfect garlic punch.  Their chicken is the best too- great flavor, and crisp skin, but still fairly moist on the inside.  But Zankou is the most expensive (almost $9 for a half chicken!), and you don’t get rice (although in fairness, the rice doesn’t really add much- so it’s not really much of a plus.)  Ro Ro is the cheapest ($4-5 for a quarter chicken, rice, hummus, salad, and pita) and really gets the skin crispy, but Al Wazir gives you pickled turnips.  In the end though, when it comes to the rotisserie you can’t go wrong at any of the three.

A. Ro Ro Chicken, 6660 Sunset Blvd. (on Cherokee), 323-461-9999

B. Al Wazir, 6051 Hollywood Blvd (on Gower), 323-856-0660

C. Zankou Chicken, 5065 W Sunset Blvd (nr. Normandie), 323-665-7842

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