Mao Fry, Taiwanese street food, XXL fried chicken and burgers to die for

Mao Dumpling Bar's little brother, Mao Fry takes a closer look at another mainstay of Chinese street food: the XXL fried chicken of Taiwan's night markets.

Young, self-taught chef Adrien Zheng opens his second restaurant in the Marais district. A flourishing success for this Franco-Chinese already behind the highly acclaimed Mao Dumpling Bar, which he inaugurated at just 20 years of age on rue de Saintonge, just a few hundred metres from this new address christened Mao Fry.

A child of the Marais district, Adrien Zheng cut his teeth on his own, supported by a talented nanny and cook who let him experiment all he wanted, like the idea of "melting cheddar cheese on Chinese ravioli". A plus for this young chef, who has since signed all the recipes for the two restaurants of his Mao Corporation, from the Chinese ravioli at Mao Dumpling Bar to the burgers and fried chicken at Mao Fry.

Driven by the need to reconnect with his dual culture, and always with his family, Adrien Zheng threw himself into cooking. "Before Mao Dumpling Bar I wasn't close to my Chinese culture. My parents come from the Zhejiang region in southeast China. Growing up, I tried to understand who I was and where I came from. In China, I was called le Français and in France I was called le Chinois. I recently realized that I was both," he recounts.

But how to stand out, when there are so many Chinese restaurants in Paris ? To do so, the chef drew inspiration from his nights spent strolling, sniffing and feasting in Taiwan's night markets. It was during these nocturnal wanderings that the chef had an Epiphany, realizing that there was indeed one specialty missing from the menu of the capital's Chinese restaurants: XXL chicken steak à la taïwanaise (€9).

"The restaurant's signature recipe, XXL chicken steak, I brought back from Taiwan. It's a kind of escalope Milanaise, to be eaten with your fingers at any time of the day or night. It didn't exist in Paris. I wanted to fill the gap," he explains. In reality, it's a French chicken fillet, marinated in a sauce made from soy, rice alcohol, sesame oil, ginger and garlic, seasoned with 7 carefully guarded secret spices, with the option of chilli for the more adventurous, breaded in a double breading of potato and sweet potato, then fried in a hot oil bath.

Carefully hammered to break down the chicken fibers and give it a size approaching 15 centimeters long by 10 wide, this XXL chicken steak can be eaten alone or with others, accompanied by seven-spice fried chicken skins (4€) - you don't have to be afraid of the oil, we agree. On the tasting side, we found the breading on the XXL steak slightly sandy, but the chicken itself was moist and juicy.

Available in bowls (14€), Mao Fry's fried chicken is best revealed inside burgers that are to die for - we're weighing our words, this is one of our most stunning street-food discoveries of the new year. Once again, the chef has opted for top-quality products that resonate with street-food fans. Indeed, the bread is no stranger to the scene, since it's the plump, golden potato bun from Shake Shack, the famous American chain so beloved by foodistos americanos.

On the tables of this futuristic Taiwanese-style stall, where neon and stainless steel meet, or outside on the mini terrace, you'll discover 3 burgers whose recipes vary only slightly. All feature a chicken thigh (for tenderness and softness) fried in seven spices, but while the Sesame Hanbao burger (€14), our favorite, comes with a homemade sesame coleslaw, the OG Hanbao burger (€13) is spiked with a spicy mayonnaise, and the Mao Chicken Hanbao burger (€13) is fresher with lettuce and pickles. Of course, you can't pass up the cheddar option (+1.50€) for even more enjoyment.

For a sweet ending to these big burgers, there's nothing like a little pastel de nata with Macao sauce from Adèle Bakery (6€ for two) or a homemade iced mochi (6€ for two). For the Sesame Hanbao burger, we'll definitely be back!

This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please mention it in the comments.