When Korea-based KyoChon Chicken opened a branch in Koreatown in 2007, the idea of eating at a 1000-link fried chicken chain seemed about as appealing as funneling a quart of Drano. They defied the odds by delivering a dynamic preparation of fried poultry. KyoChon fried chicken comes in two flavors: Garlic Soy Sauce and Hot Sweet Sauce. They sell wings and sticks, but the best way to experience the bird is by ordering a whole chicken ($17.99). The cooks hack the chicken into two-inch chunks with total disregard for joint placement. The luscious meat is jacketed with a thin, crispy sheathe. The frying process fused the garlic soy sauce into the skin, and since the chicken isn’t battered, melts away the succulent skin’s fat.

Chef Larkin Mackey’s Good Ole Fried Chicken ($10) is lightly breaded, well seasoned and expertly fried. The dark meat retains its moisture while barely betraying a hint of grease. The crust couldn’t have been more than a millimeter thin, and the skin was virtually fat-free. The side: Aunt Carolyn’s Potato Salad, inspired by a version from Larkin’s aunt, “sweet and spicy,” studded with chunks of red and green pepper. The menu claims the potatoes inspire diners to “slap yo’ mamma.” My mamma was nowhere in sight, and my friend was bigger than me, so I’ll have to save the slapping for next time. The best time to get your chicken fix is on Sundays, when Larkin’s offers a “Poor Man’s Buffet.” Certain Sundays, the $12.99 feast includes all-you-can-eat fried chicken.

Celebrated French chef Ludovic Lefebrve returned to BREADBAR West Third on May 19 to relaunch LudoBites. Through August 22, Ludo will be behind the bar prepping “innovative twists on classic French comfort cuisine.” I expected Ludo to break out some culinary fireworks, but never expected him to lower the boom on fried chicken. He coats the dark meat in herbs de Provence and fries the bird in duck fat. That may have been a shortcut to poultry nirvana, but so what. On my visit, he plated the chicken on “Basque vegetables,” which consisted of spice-soaked peppers, onions and potatoes.