Mao Fry, Taiwanese street food, XXL fried chicken and killer burgers

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 is opening his second restaurant in the Marais. A flourishing success for this Franco-Chinese chef who was the force behind the highly sought-after Mao Dumpling Bar, which he opened at barely 20 on Rue de Saintonge, just a few hundred meters from this new spot named Mao Fry.

A kid from the Marais, Adrien Zheng cut his teeth on his own, backed by a nanny and a talented cook who let him experiment at will, even with the idea of "melting cheddar on Chinese dumplings". A real boost for this young chef, who has since signed all the recipes for the two restaurants of his Mao Corporation, whether it’s the Chinese dumplings at Mao Dumpling Bar, or burgers and fried chicken at Mao Fry.

Driven by the urge to reconnect with his dual heritage, and still with his family by his side, Adrien Zheng dives into cooking. "Before Mao Dumpling Bar I wasn't close to my Chinese culture. My parents come from the Zhejiang region in Southeast China. As I grew up, I tried to understand who I was and where I came from. In China, I was called the Frenchman, and in France I was called the Chinese. I recently realized that I am both." he says.

But how to stand out when there are so many Chinese restaurants in Paris?

To do so, the chef drew inspiration from nights spent wandering, sniffing the air, and savoring at Taiwan's night markets night markets of Taiwan. It was during these nocturnal strolls that the chef had an epiphany, realizing there was indeed one specialty missing from the capital's Chinese restaurant menus: the XXL Taiwanese-style chicken steak (€9).

"The restaurant's signature dish, the XXL chicken steak, I brought back from Taiwan. It's a Milanese-style cutlet you can eat with your fingers at any time of day or night. It didn't exist in Paris. I wanted to fill that void," he explains. It is actually a fillet of French chicken, marinated in a soy-based sauce, rice alcohol, sesame oil, ginger and garlic, seasoned with seven spices kept strictly secret, option piment for the more adventurous, breaded in a double crust of potato and sweet potato, then fried in a bath of scorching oil.

Pounded to tenderness to break down the chicken fibers and shaped to about 15 cm long by 10 cm across, this XXL chicken steak is best enjoyed on its own or shared, accompanied by seven-spice fried chicken skins (4€) — yes, it’s a little oily, but that’s part of the appeal. On the tasting, we thought the XXL breading was a touch sandy, but the chicken itself was tender and juicy.

Available in a bowl for 14€, Mao Fry’s fried chicken shines most when stacked inside burgers that will blow you away - we mean it when we say it’s one of our standout street-food discoveries so far this year. Once again, the chef has leaned on top‑quality ingredients that will strike a chord with street‑food enthusiasts. The bread isn’t new to this scene either, featuring the chunky, golden potato bun from Shake Shack, the famous American chain beloved by foodistos americanos.

At the standing counters of this stall with a futuristico-Taiwanese vibe where neon and stainless steel rub shoulders, or out on the tiny terrace, you’ll discover three burgers with only slight recipe tweaks. All feature a fried chicken thigh for tenderness and juiciness, spiced with seven spices; while the Sesame Hanbao Burger (14€), our favorite, comes with a homemade sesame coleslaw; the OG Hanbao Burger (13€) is punched up with spicy mayo; and the Mao Chicken Hanbao Burger (13€) leans toward freshness with lettuce and pickles. Of course, you can add cheddar (+1.50€) for even more bite.

To end on a sweet note after these gros burgers, nothing beats a little pastel de nata with Macao sauce signed by Adèle Bakery (€6 for both) or a homemade mochi ice cream (€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 let us know.