After years of tried-and-true menus, we’re now spoiled for choice of rotisserie chicken. Try Lebanese wraps with serious spice, wood-roasted birds like those found in Korea and a burger that rivals a fast-food fave.
Quincy Malesovas
Chicken shops have long been part of the Australian food landscape, from the rotisserie chooks of the 1960s to charcoal chicken introduced by Mediterranean and Middle Eastern migrants around 1980.
Today, they endure as a suburban staple, whether independent or part of a chain such as El Jannah (founded in Sydney in 1998 and now boasting 13 Victorian outlets) or Chargrill Charlie’s (started by a South African family in 1989).
Now a new generation of Melbourne entrepreneurs is putting a fresh spin on the trusty chook. From Korean-style rotisserie to American-inspired chicken sandwiches, here are four fresh ways to get your fix.
For an American fast-food riff: Chook
Fourteen years ago, Fonda shook up Melbourne’s fast-casual Mexican dining. Now, its co-founder Tim McDonald is ready “to modernise the charcoal chicken offering and give people what they want in 2025” with his new venture, Chook. That translates to a choice of fried or roasted chicken served in wraps, bowls and sandwiches (the American term for chicken burgers).
The fried chicken – pressure-fried so it stays juicy and absorbs less oil – borrows a technique from popular US fast-food chain Chick-fil-A. Roast chook nods to classic Aussie styles. Available whole, halved or quartered, it’s salt-brined and finished in a combi oven, which allows the bird to steam while it cooks, avoiding dryness.
Hot tip: For a close Chick-fil-A dupe, order the Proper Chicken Sandwich with fried chicken, buttermilk ranch and pickles, plus a side of waffle fries.
208 Swan Street, Cremorne, instagram.com/chook.community
For Lebanese chicken with love: Habibi
After winning hearts in Wagga Wagga, Habibi brought its Lebanese charcoal chicken to Melbourne earlier this year. Birds are marinated for 24 hours in a heady mix of garlic, cumin, coriander and paprika before hitting the rotisserie. Grab a combo with flatbread, pickles and garlic-herb Habibi sauce, or spice things up with the Blame the Flame wrap – chicken, chips, slaw, Lebanese-style pickles and a garlicky chilli sauce – that’s brushed with extra chilli and toasted to order.
Hot tip: Take home some Wagga-made sauces and seasonings. They’re part of Habibi’s mission to support regional communities with jobs, something echoed in the name – “my love” in Arabic.
9 High Street, Preston, habibichicken.com.au/preston
For a different kind of Korean chicken: Smoky Hen
Korean fried chicken may have gone global, but chargrilled versions – known as tongdak-gui – are just as beloved back home. Seeing the popularity of Aussie chicken shops, Smoky Hen co-owner Scott Lee returned to Korea to research tongdak-gui before bringing it to Melbourne. His chicken is brined for 24 hours, then slow-roasted over oak wood on a rotisserie imported from Korea. While the method is traditional, the sauces – garlic cheese, habanero-apricot and galbi (soy and sweet garlic) – speak to the tastes of younger generations.
Hot tip: Swap out chips for tteokbokki – chewy Korean rice cakes simmered in sweet-spicy sauce with dumplings and fish cake.
311 Stephensons Road, Mount Waverley, smokyhen.com.au
For street-food wraps: Tawooq
Named after Lebanon’s beloved chicken skewers, Tawooq offers its own take on the chargrilled chicken wrap. Meat is cubed and marinated overnight in garlic, lemon, toum (garlic sauce) and spices, then grilled on a flat-top and rolled into flatbread with chips, pickled turnips, slaw and more house-made toum. It may look like a kebab, but owner Boudy Yaacoub is quick to clarify: “It’s not as messy. It’s not as greasy. Our tagline is ‘not a kebab’.”
Hot tip: Can’t get enough chicken? Try the Asbe – toum, tomato, pickles and chicken liver on a baguette.
109 Lygon Street, Brunswick East, tawooq.com.au
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