There’s a little bit of Nashville going on right now in Chinatown. Howlin Ray’s, which opened this month amid the souvenir shops and Chinese herb merchants in Far East Plaza, has brought Nashville-style Fried Chicken aka “Hot Chicken” to our fair city and it’s spectacular.
Expertly breaded and seasoned, spiced to your tolerance level (I prefer mine lip-burning and perspiration-inducing), and fried to crispy golden perfection, this chicken has people queued up way out the door. I waited in line for over an hour and have no regrets.
The menu is as simple as can be: hot chicken, hot chicken sandwich and, on weekends, hot chicken and waffles with butter and maple syrup. There’s a side dish that changes daily, but there’s always seasoned crinkle cut fries and pickle chips. Daisy Duke and Boss Hogg would no doubt approve.
Howlin Ray’s is located at 727 N. Broadway, Los Angeles (Downtown, in Chinatown).