David Chang Boldly Stated This Country's McDonald's Had Some The Best Fried Chicken In The World

We're all aware by now that Chef David Chang, the founder of the Momofuku restaurant group and star of Netflix's "Ugly Delicious," is anything but shy when it comes to sharing his opinions. Recently, he made another bold claim by stating that McDonald's fried chicken in China is among the best fried chicken he's ever had. Considering that he's partied with Anthony Bourdain, spent years studying ramen in Japan, and allegedly invented chili crunch crisp, the man knows his food.

In an episode on his podcast "The Dave Chang Show," he praised the experience of eating fried chicken from McDonald's in China. His friend and former editor in chief of "Lucky Peach" magazine, Chris Ying, begins by asking him: "True or false? McDonald's fried chicken is the best chicken in China." Chang exclaims, "I don't know why that's true or false because it's clearly a fact." Chang goes on to argue that he believes all QSR restaurants in China (that's quick-service restaurants, for any non-industry people) are the "best versions" of anything you'll get anywhere else in the world. That might also explain why the fast food brand isn't as beloved here in the States. (Chang specifically praises Chinese KFC, which was recently Reddit's pick for worst chicken chain restaurant.) China, on the other hand, apparently has an incredible fast food scene with so much competition that different brands have to compete fiercely with flavor.

This isn't David Chang's first time praising fast food fried chicken in the People's Republic. In the same podcast, he also pointed to an episode of "Ugly Delicious" in which he sampled Szechuan-spiced fried chicken from a KFC in China, describing it as one of the best versions he'd encountered. Similar to KFC, McDonald's in China features a variety of chicken dishes tailored to local tastes. Chang wasn't trying to be a bratty contrarian (for once), but to remark on how well the country adapted to Western menus and palates with their version of bold, crispy, highly seasoned chicken. His reasoning? "The reason why KFC crushes it in China is that they need to have a hamburger explained to them. When they see a bucket of fried chicken, that's Chinese food. It's communal."

As beef prices continue to rise, spicy McWings, spicy fried chicken legs, and Coca-Cola chicken wings are only going to grow more popular in China. Chang's comment isn't too much of a shocker considering he's long advocated that good food can be found in everyday places: from street stalls to fast food courts and even in his favorite kitchen appliance, the microwave. Great food isn't limited to traditional restaurants or high-end kitchens, which is probably another reason why Chang appreciates the simplicity of perfectly fried chicken. Considering that his favorite beer is Bud Light, perhaps the outspoken chef really is a man of the people.