With the words “A Fine Brining Establishment” right under their name you can pretty much guess what Fuku specializes in.
That’s right: fried chicken. Only, you’ve likely never tasted a chicken sandwich like this and its coming soon to West Palm Beach.
Created by chef and restaurateur David Chang at his NYC MomoFuku Noodle bar originally as a reward for chefs after a long day on the line, this sandwich was a crispy, spicy, instant hit with his staff.
Crafted by the five-time James Beard Award winner and ultimately deemed “too good to be kept behind the counter,” it soon made it onto the menu. This flavor juggernaut very quickly outgrew its place on the menu and demanded its own space. That wish was granted with the opening of the original Fuku in the East Village in June 2015.
Just what makes the chicken sandwich at Fuku so good?
Fuku culinary director chef Jimmy Lee said the success of the sandwich starts with their brine that features habaneros. “We lean into being a little spicier than everybody else. We’re not trying kill everyone with it, but it is part of our identity and habanero has a very nice floral note to it without burning.”
Another element that sets their chicken sandwich apart is the breading.
“If you ask a chef, any chef, they’ll give you a different answer on what’s the best way to bread chicken,” Lee said. “Our breading process comes from a Korean fried chicken style.”
Rather than flour, egg wash, breading, Fuku’s method/Korean style is dredging the chicken into a batter and then into their seasoned flour before frying. Lee said this method helps the breading adhere to the chicken and gives it a better texture as well.
Fuku’s mayo gives their sandwich even more firepower.
“It’s a mayonnaise-based sauce that has all the ingredients we love including garlic and Korean chili peppers,” Lee said. “It’s our secret sauce… mayo with Fuku’s identity melted into it.”
Finally, Lee said that it’s the perfect mix of cultures. Both he and creator David Chang are of Asian descent, but grew up in the South, with Chang in Virginia and Lee in North Carolina. Lee said that it’s the best of two worlds. “Our identity is having a background in Asian flavors, but also Southern,” he said.
When Fuku first opened in New York City in 2015 it was pretty simple: chicken sandwiches, waffle fries, beer and wine. Since then they’ve expanded to offer two variations on the classic sandwich including the sweet & spicy and miso ranch with slaw version. They’ve even introduced a chicken burger with griddled onions, American cheese, pickles and Fuku mayo that Lee says “is the best thing you’ll ever try.”
They also have multiple sides like their spicy cucumber salad, potato salad with wasabi honey mustard and Kewpie mayo and, chef Lee’s favorite, the chicken garlic rice.
What brought Fuku to CityPlace?
Serving its specialties at venues and sports arenas from New York to San Francisco and even Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Fuku also now has several standalone restaurants.
The original is in New York City, another recently opened in Coral Gables and soon… drum roll: CityPlace in West Palm Beach.
“When we started exploring Palm Beach County, we said ‘oh this (CityPlace) is where we want to be,'” Fuku CEO Claudia Lezcano said.
In addition, in terms of having a solid customer base already, Lezcano said “We’re very well known and established in New York, so it’s a nice fit with some of the people that are moving down to West Palm Beach.”
“We’re honored to have the opportunity to go in and be a part of CityPlace,” she said.
The new Fuku restaurant is hoping to open by late June at 423 S. Rosemary Avenue in the popular shopping and dining complex.
As their website says about their original sandwich that started it all “Created by the culinary icon who bravely asked ‘Just how good can a fried chicken sandwich get?'”
Want to find out? Then don’t miss Fuku at CityPlace this summer.
Fuku, West Palm Beach
Where: 423 S. Rosemary Ave., West Palm Beach
Hours: opening summer 2026
Information: eatfuku.com/find-fuku/west-palm
Eddie Ritz is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at eritz@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Is a famous NYC fried chicken sandwich coming to Palm Beach County?
Reporting by Eddie Ritz, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
