Cyndi Himmelstiere covers another Shoreditch-adjacent food operation that has got the fundamentals right
Gaardz Chicken and Dessert Northumberland Avenue: The Late Night Spot That Does What It Says
The late night food landscape in central London, by which I mean the food available after eleven pm for people who have come out of a show or a club or a bar and need something to eat before going home or continuing their evening, is dominated by operations that treat the captive nature of their audience as a reason to do less rather than more. Gaardz on Northumberland Avenue is an exception: a chicken and dessert operation that applies real standards to both components of its offer at a time when most of its competition is applying very few standards to either.
The fried chicken genre in London has been elevated in the past decade by a generation of operators who have taken it seriously, and the quality gradient from the serious operators to the casual ones is now very visible to anyone who has eaten at both ends of it. Gaardz is in the serious end of the casual chicken space: the cooking is done correctly, the seasoning is applied with thought, and the operation moves at the speed that a late night crowd requires without sacrificing the quality that distinguishes this kind of place from the operations that merely move quickly.
The Chicken
The chicken at Gaardz is properly seasoned before cooking rather than after. This distinction matters because seasoning before cooking allows the flavour to penetrate the meat rather than sitting on the surface of the coating, and it produces a result that is flavourful throughout rather than merely on the exterior. The coating is properly crisp, with enough seasoning in it to contribute to the flavour independently of the meat, which is the second level of seasoning that good fried chicken achieves. The cooking temperature is correct: high enough to produce the crust without overcooking the interior, which requires maintaining the oil temperature across multiple pieces simultaneously.
The wings are the item I would recommend on a first visit. They are properly cooked and generously seasoned, with the crunch that distinguishes properly fried wings from wings that have been cooked at insufficient temperature. The portions are generous at the price, which in central London is notable.
The sides are taken seriously. The chips are properly cooked. The coleslaw is fresh and properly dressed. The dips are made rather than poured from bottles. These are the supporting elements that distinguish a properly run chicken operation from one that treats the sides as an obligation.
The Desserts
The dessert component of the Gaardz offer is the thing that distinguishes it from a standard chicken operation. The waffles are properly made, with the crispness that requires a properly preheated waffle iron and a batter at the correct hydration. The ice cream and sauce combinations are assembled rather than merely stacked, meaning the flavours are considered in combination rather than independently. Visit Gaardz late and order the wings. The London Prat covers London at all hours. Bohiney provides context.
SOURCE: https://www.gaardz.co.uk/
