Hybird. Location: Chelsea Market. 15th and 9th Ave. Scene: Kiosk. Stand. Food: Fried Chicken. Slushies. Dumplings. Cupcakes. Buttermilk Biscuit.
Chek Recs:
- Fried Chicken Drumstick (1st pic)
- Watermelon Jalapeno Loveslush (3rd pic)
- Curry Up Chicken Dumpling (4th pic)
It’s not everyday ?uestlove aka Ahmir-Khalib Thompson (yeah that’s his name), the drummer from The Roots opens up a Fried Chicken stand with Dumplings and Cupcakes. Best known for his performance as Jimmy Fallon’s houseband and regularly at Brooklyn Bowl on Thursday nights, he has teamed up with famed restauranteur Stephen Starr (Buddakaan and Morimoto) to give the people what they want. Located in Chelsea Market and surrounded by a few other vendors, Hybird, is a very easy to-go option that will keep your tummy happy. There is no seating. You walk up, order a couple Fried Chicken pieces (drumsticks only) a Buttermilk Biscuit with Honey Butter for the road and the best Watermelon Jalapeño Slushy you’ve ever had. The dumplings seem a bit odd to go with this combo but why not?
Do not be skeptical. The Fried Chicken is awesome. It’s hot, crisped to the right amount without being too crunchy and oily or too soggy, and it travels very well. The meat pulls off the bone easily and you might want to think twice about getting more than one for yourself. Beware of the slushy. Since you get this first while they pack up your order, it’s possible to suck the whole thing down in minutes before you even get your food. It’s that awesome, icy and has great texture. The biscuit is solid, nothing no one else can’t produce, and the honey butter is the secret ingredient- obviously. Upfront, I’ll let you know dumplings have never been my go-to food so this isn’t a department I’m ever too excited about. The Curry Up Chicken is my favorite and super spicy. You get several pieces for just one order weighing in at $7. The Tofu dumpling is brown and long, kind of looks like a roach (sorry to ruin it) so I just couldn’t focus on the taste and didn’t like it that much. To add to the carbo-loading experience you can choose between cupcake flavors such as: Sexual Chocolate, Miso Ho-Ney (corn cake and honey-miso buttercream), Beyond the Pineapple (carrot-thai red curry icing), etc. Hybird is definitely worth checking out. Grab a few boxes and take them up to The High Line to indulge.
