One of America's most famous chicken sandwiches makes it Texas debut this Tuesday, April 6. Celebrity chef David Chang's Fuku concept comes to both Houston and Dallas via its partnership with Reef Technology, which operates ghost kitchens across the country.
That means Houstonians will soon be chowing down on the restaurant's chicken sandos, chicken fingers, and fries via third party delivery apps such as Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub, and Postmates. Originally made with thigh meat, Fuku switched its recipe to utilize white meat chicken breast in 2020.
Diners may choose from a spicy fried chicken sando topped with pickles and mayo; the "knockout" sando topped with knockout sauce (described as "creamy, tangy, and savory"), shredded cabbage, and pickles; the C.B.R. topped with bacon, ranch, and pickles; or the sweet and spicy sando.
Chicken tenders come regular or sweet and spicy. Four dipping sauces and waffle fries round out the offerings.
Chang, a multiple time James Beard Award winner and founder of the New York-based Momofuku restaurant empire, initially developed the Fuku chicken sandwich as an off the menu special at Momofuku Noodle Bar. Fuku opened as a dedicated concept in New York 2015; it has since expanded via ghost kitchen to Baltimore, Washington D.C., Miami/Fort Lauderdale, and Philadelphia.
“We’re thrilled to let our Texan fans know we’re finally making our way to the Lone Star State,” said Alex Munoz-Suarez, CEO of Fuku, in a statement. “Through this delivery-only model, we’re able to introduce Fuku to Dallas and Houston in a safe and controlled way, allowing Fuku fans to enjoy it from the comfort of home.”
To celebrate its debut, Fuku and Reef will donate opening day proceeds to the Southern Smoke Foundation, the Houston-based non-profit that provides emergency funds to restaurant industry workers in crisis situations. Chang donated $1 million to the organization when he won the top prize on ABC's Who Wants to be a Millionaire.
Fuku serves four chicken sandos.
