What can you tell me about Chooks?
Chooks is the third north London venture from Gideon Joffe (son of Giraffe founders Juliette and Russel Joffe), after MonkeyNuts in Crouch End and Chez Bob in Belsize Park. Taking over a site in the Broadway previously occupied by an ASK outlet, the new outfit is a welcome addition to the famously lukewarm restaurant scene in Muswell Hill, which often plays second foodie fiddle to its sibling suburb, Crouch End.
Chook being Aussie lingo for chicken, there are no prizes for guessing what the main attraction is on the menu here (actually, there are some prizes if you enter the Inferno Wings Challenge, but more on that later). Chooks is the latest in a line of London restaurants riding the crest of a chicken wave, with (very familiar) retro details, exposed brickwork and a vintage Americana vibe.
Where should I sit?
Chooks has a no-bookings policy so it’s luck of the draw depending on how busy it is. We were there on a Friday night and it was doing a brisk trade, with couples and young families sitting on birch benches at mismatched formica-topped tables or occupying booth-like sections for four. There’s a distressed wood table in the centre of the restaurant, big enough for sharing or groups of eight to 10. Food is also available to take away (collection only), so you could even eat at home in front of the telly.
Where should we meet?
Muswell Hill isn’t exactly renowned for its pubs and bars, as any local will tell you, but the O’Neill’s a few doors down is housed in a converted church with a rather impressive interior, or try The John Baird round the corner in Fortis Green for an unpretentious local boozer.
What should I order?
Well, it would be rude not to go for chicken, so we tried the signature Buttermilk Fried Chicken With Mash & Gravy (£10.95). The generous portion of Suffolk-reared chicken came on a tray lined with Chooks-branded blue and white paper (is Joffe planning a roll-out, we wonder?) and was deliciously crisp and crunchy, while the mash and gravy had the nostalgic flavour of childhood about it. We also sampled the Grilled Chicken (£4.25 for a quarter; £7.50 for a half; or £12.95 for a whole chicken), which comes in a choice of three marinades: Lemon & Herb, All American BBQ or Buffalo. The Buffalo Chicken was beautifully smoky and the sauce on the side packed a mighty spicy punch – you have been warned.
We sprinkled it all liberally with chicken salt – a new one on us, but apparently this blend of salt, chicken stock, herbs and spices is an Aussie staple.
Sides come at a very reasonable £3 each, served in folksy blue and white enamel bowls, and we didn’t hold back. The Dirty Rice with peas and carrots was infused with cumin and caraway, the Crispy Onion Rings were thin and lovely, while the Coleslaw and Chooks Baked Beans (including black-eyed and pinto beans) were particularly good.
Kids and veggies are catered for, while on Friday nights only, there’s also a BBQ Spare Ribs option (£16 for a whole rack with fries).
The Chooks Inferno Wing Challenge, meanwhile, is definitely not for kids or the faint-hearted – eight wings cooked with ghost chillies (the hottest in the world) must be consumed in five minutes for a chance to win a T-shirt, get your wings for free and see your mugshot up on the 'Wall of Flame'. If signing a disclaimer form is your idea of dining fun, this could light your fire.
The dessert list offered two American classics – a Chocolate Brownie (£4.50) and Vanilla Cheesecake with raspberry coulis (£3.95), both sweet and gooey – and a choice of four ice creams, including the almost obligatory salted caramel (£2.60).
Rolls of kitchen paper and handy wipes were provided so we could clean our sticky hands as we ploughed through all this finger-lickin’ indulgence.
What should we drink?
Kick things off with the Chooks house cocktail – a frozen margarita served in a jam jar (£6). If you move on to wine, the list is super-streamlined – one white, one red and one rosé, all from Gascony. Drink it by the glass (£4.50 for £175ml), or carafes of half a litre (£10.50) or one litre (£18.95). Alternatively, push the boat out with some fizz from Chapel Down winery in Kent (£5.75 for 125ml or a bottle for a very reasonable £25.00). Non-wine drinkers can try a bottle of the award-winning Chapel Down Curious Brew Lager, brewed with champagne yeast (£3.95), Curious IPA (£3.95) or Orchard Pig Reveller Cider (£5). We opted for half a litre of the easy-drinking Chardonnay, and very light and pleasant it was, too.
Overall thoughts?
As Muswell Hillbillies born and bred, we reckon Chooks' simple dining concept will catch the eye of locals hungry for new blood in the Broadway's restaurant scene. It may not be the kind of place you'd cross town for, but it's fun, friendly and definitely filling.
Chooks, 43 The Broadway, Muswell Hill, London N10 3HA, open Monday to Sunday, 11am-11pm.
Prices were correct at time of writing. Hot Dinners were invited to eat at Chooks.
