How 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken Became Westernized

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Inspired manager, Tana, ready to help you love Korean fried chicken at 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken

(Gerry Furth-Sides) The new, Singapore based,  4Fingers Crispy Chicken  store on Sawtelle in West LA, serving Korean-style, fried chicken, shows off the best of American entrepreneurship. The colorful, minimalist atmosphere feels organic with wood tables under an airy, two-story ceiling.  We know that Asian fried chicken is light, and Korean fried chicken turns out to be the lightest of them. The skin is barely battered and crispier with very moist meat. On the other hand, American-style fried chicken relies on a thick, well-seasoned crust for crunch, often made even thicker by soaking the chicken pieces beforehand in buttermilk.

You can read the several options of the clear, quick-service, illustrated menu above the ordering counter almost as soon as you walk in the door The food is prepared and served as efficiently and almost as quickly as any McDonald’s, and the staff is friendly.  They appear from behind the counter to present your food, and to keep the place immaculate.

However, we weren’t prepared to find someone as inspired, welcoming and capable at manager, Tana.  She will be the deciding “return customer” factor on the competitive street. And from our experience and the guests we chatted with (each with their own favorite way of cooking fried chicken), she is right on track.

Tana bringing the order of Korean fried chicken at 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken

Signature wings are dipped in one of three commonly used flavors for Korean fried chicken: hot or soy garlic or a combination of the two.  Want the dip in separate dish?  You got it. The  hormone-free, free-range chicken has an ultra-crisp skin and and contains no processed ingredients.

Signature wings at 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken

4 Fingers was founded by four friends who experienced Korean-style fried chicken for the first time while vacationing in New York City.   Their goal was to evolve big chain’ formulaic fried chicken into something new, adding the concept of sustainability and health, while keeping the crispiness and flavor of the bird.  There are many other chains which use their motto: “To serve the world Great Food. Fast.” But this concept is different.  Their sustainable serving dishes say it all.

The absolutely ingenious “plate” at 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken. The paper pops out to be discarded. The pan keeps the food hot.

At 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken, “voila!” The disposable paper pops out of the pans to be discarded.

Even the paper cups and straws are sustainable at  4 Fingers Crispy Chicken,

4Fingers follows afarm to fork concept, offering fresh chicken, freshly baked burger buns and kimslaw (kimchi coleslaw) that’s fermented onsite. Also on the menu are chicken burgers, sandwiches, and salads. Side items include steamed white rice and french fries with the same coating options.

Crispy fried are cut-thin, par-boiled and then fried to ensure a tender inside and crispy outside at 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken.

Kinchi Slaw is very moist and filled with kimchi sauce fermented on site at 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken

The Asian-inspired menu also offers vegan options plus  preservative-free, all natural sauces with no MSG.  And very piece of chicken is hand brushed to ensure the highest quality.

The “fried chicken chop” at 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken!

The company looks to adapt to local tastes to attract more customers and be competitive.  So it is no surprise that a vegan burger option is in the offing on a limited time offer basis .  Right now Kyochon and Bonchon are the biggest competitors in the Korean fried chicken market.

The clear, illustrated menu is so easy to read over the counter at 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken!

Arun Ratnaa, head of marketing for the chain explains the location choice of Sawtelle as being “home to a vibrant community much akin to the melting pot we call home, a culturally rich enclave that is bustling with charm that makes it uniquely LA.” The truth is that the street, Sawtelle, was once the center of a thriving Japanese demographic, rich with highly respected nurseries and restaurants.  Through the years as real estate skyrocketed, the businesses which required land, such as the nurseries, disappeared, along with the small  YMCA.  During this century, small, fast-service Asian restaurants appeared and thrived and took over.

Still, 4 Fingers does a “Wally Amos” of the Famous Amos Cookie move right on the outside, but not in the thick of the competition on stretch street jammed with traffic.  They are located in the shopping center in the SouthEast corner of Olympic and Sawtelle.  So there is also free parking! (though when we were there the beginning of lunch hour the parking structure was gridlocked with what felt like a throng of last-minute Christmas holiday shoppers.

4 Fingers Crispy Chicken!

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays to Wednesdays and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays.  The four-year-old 4 Fingers chain has grown to 35  stores in Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Indonesia, and Thailand.   Additional outlets are in the works for Orange County with others soon to come in Texas.

4Fingers Crispy Chicken. 2206 Sawtelle Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064.


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