I often ponder the mysteries of life in the shower.

Things like: how has Snooki published a book before me, why do Australians pronounce po-tay-to and then tom-ar-to when both are spelt the same and how does one consume fried chicken and waffles?

Seriously, how does one go about eating chicken and waffles?

Is it two courses on one plate? Are they supposed to be combined? What’s the deal and oh man I’ve been in the shower for too long.

I decided I had to find out and the only place where I could make this discovery was at the Jazz City Milk Bar in Darlinghurst.

Located off Sydney’s famous Oxford Street, Jazz City Milk Bar is kind of hard to find if you don’t know where it is. Try looking for it on Google Maps and poor Google will guide you to the middle of the road. Fortunately I went with a friend and she knew exactly where this hidden gem was located.

I already knew what I was going to order but I was also very excited to try a beverage I have never had before.

That beverage was an ice cold root beer.

This did not taste anything like what I was expecting. When I think root, I think of dirt and the underground veins of plants. I did not expect a soda that had just the right amount of sweetness and refreshing trait. Great way to get my appetite going and I’m kind of sad I’ve gone twenty two years without sampling it.

Speaking of twenty two year deprivations, it was time to unravel the methodology behind eating fried chicken and waffles.

I honestly don’t think my photo does this dish justice. It looked absolutely amazing in front of me. I felt like I was in the presence of culinary royalty, and yet I had no idea how to greet it.

Before we got to the diner, my friend and I discussed my strategy behind eating this dish. I would try the chicken first, then the waffle, then combine the two and see if there was any synergy.

I went for a piece of chicken and discovered some spinach underneath. I haven’t been that surprised since I sat through the Usual Suspects for the first time. It’s like Jazz City was trying to give off the illusion that this dish was even remotely healthy. I ate the spinach first because I didn’t feel it belonged on top of a waffle and was hit by the most buttery vegetables I’ve ever had. It was awesome; I had never had buttery spinach before.

Chicken first; I must say that this was some premium fried chicken. I have a feeling that it was double fried as the skin was reminiscent of Korean fried chicken. The meat within was extremely tender and wasn’t dry at all. The skin crumbled away with every bite and I immediately knew what tasty delight would be in my dreams.

The waffle was a surprise. I’m accustomed to having waffles as a dessert; usually with some drizzled chocolate and maybe a scoop of ice cream. These waffles weren’t sweet at all; in fact they were savory. I probably should’ve inferred that with the presence of spinach but I was still thinking about how awesome the Usual Suspects was. These waffles aren’t as crisp as say Max Brenner’s but the texture is more akin to a pancake.

Now, is there synergy? Or are they two random food items tossed on to a plate?

Verdict: They’re symbiotic. Both were very good by themselves, but combined in one bite with a slight dip into maple syrup? Absolutely scrumptious. Something about all the different flavours and textures working in harmony created the most fantastic food party in my mouth. I would have loved to have more than two pieces of chicken as the waffle was quite large but that’s just me nitpicking.

Here’s what my fried ordered.

My friend told me that she was expecting a grease laden burger and was pleasantly surprised. She noted that she was accustomed to Thai-style soft shell crab and that Jazz’s variety was far less oily. It was quite a large burger which justified it’s double digit price.

I didn’t have any of the burger but  I’ve got to talk to you guys about the fries.

I’ve had some great fries in my life and these sweet potato fries definitely belong in that conversation. They had a great crunch to them and the salt really accentuated the airy sweetness of the sweet potato. Sweet potato fries might be my way to go from here on out.

Here’s the TL; DR for the folks who just wanted to look at photos

– I spend a really long time in the shower

– Root beer is the one beer I can drink

– Chicken and waffles is a great example of food synergy

– Sweet potato fry day should be a thing.

Jazz City Milk Bar, Darlinghurst

Republic 2 Courtyard Palmer St

Open Tuesday – Saturday

Lunch: Thur-Sat 12pm to 2pm

Dinner: Tue-Sat 6pm to 10pm

 

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