Whenever I see fried chicken on a Perth breakfast menu it becomes the must-try dish, with all other options immediately dismissed. It just seems so decadent – or is the word naughty? – at that time of day.
Anyway, when I stopped and thought about it, I realised that there’s quite a few great fried chicken breakfast dishes around town – here’s the ones that I’ve tried.
Now hand me that jug of maple syrup…
Typika, Claremont – The Angry Bird
The Angry Bird is not part of the standard Typika menu, but it should be.
Featuring crispy Korean fried chicken with guacamole, a house-baked corn & chive waffle and a fiery sauce ($23.50) this dish appeals to me on so many levels. Not for wimps, it’s at the top of my list for good reason.
Mary Street Bakery, Highgate – Fried Chicken & Buttermilk Pancake
This dish is legendary – fried chicken, buttermilk pancake, peanuts, maple – chilli and fried egg ($22). The picture says it all really. Take your stretchy pants.
As much as I love this dish, I’d like the chilli to be more prominent and I wonder if the fried egg really adds anything.
May Street Larder, East Fremantle – The Soul Sandwich
This dish is even more legendary than the last one – polenta waffle, buttermilk fried chicken, avocado, smoked sour cream, chilli maple syrup & jalapenos ($23).
There’s a different set of flavours going on here, and I can imagine it not being to everyone’s taste. The fried chicken is moist, waffles simultaneously soft and crispy and the subtle heat in the chilli maple syrup inspired – I’d happily drink it from the bottle.
Tbsp, Bayswater – Fried Chicken Sandwich
Ah, Tbsp…my all-round favourite place in Perth for coffee and breakfast right now. This stunning Fried Chicken Sandwich includes gochujang slaw, pickled cucumber, brioche bun and shoestring fries ($22).
What’s wrong with fries for breakfast?
Aliment, West Leederville – Buttermilk Fried Chicken Crumpets
Here we have buttermilk fried chicken breast, maple bacon, house-made crumpets, smoked paprika and a fried egg ($21).
This dish felt a bit like an assembly of items to me, it needed something to bring it together – perhaps some thick, chilli infused maple syrup. The crumpets were a little soft for my liking…but don’t get me wrong, this is still a great dish. The fried egg works well here.
Tropico, North Beach – Waffle & Fried Chicken
Tropico used to be one of my favourite places for breakfast, but our last few visits have been disappointing and I can’t see us going back in the near future. Shame.
The fried chicken on this “plate” is an add-on, not part of the main dish, which is the leatherwood honey waffle with pickled & slightly dried grapes and mascarpone – $17 on its own, or $22 with the crispy fried chicken. I should note that you can add fried chicken to any Tropico breakfast for $5, although this is where it actually appears on the menu.
My opinion of this dish was that the waffles didn’t actually need the chicken, which I found to be rather dry. There, I said it.
Still to try: Brooklyn Lounge, Claremont – The Colonel
Brooklyn Lounge is very high on my list of places to try but I just never seem to get there for two reasons: it’s quite a long way from home, and they don’t start serving breakfast until 9am.
There are many things I want to try on the menu, but the relevant item relevant is “The Colonel” – a Belgian waffle topped with buttermilk fried chicken, American style streaky crispy bacon and lemon infused maple syrup ($24). I’ve seen photos and it looks amazing. Stay tuned for the verdict on this one.
Bonus Round: Jack & Jill, Kalamunda – Duck Waffle
Okay, it’s not fried chicken but it’s obviously what they’re going for. This dish features confit duck leg, waffle, sausage crumb, mustard maple and fried egg ($22).
A bit like at Aliment, this just didn’t quite work for me. It felt like another collection of ingredients, and I found the dish as a whole lacking in flavour. Even the mustard maple was disappointing. I expect some oomph when I order a dish like this – this one was just a bit too polite.
Where else??
So there you have it…now which one is your favourite, and more importantly where have I missed? Tell me in the comments.



batter UP’s Nashville hot chicken w Mac n cheese waffles!!!
The original fried chicken and waffle guys!
Good Things in Mosman Park has absolutely the best fried chicken waffle dish that is out there. Haven’t found anything like it as I tried a lot of varieties ?