This week, Feeds for Three converges on our favourite and local stomping ground: Lidcombe. Dirty Bird Food Truck made a surprise appearance at Westside Petroleum in Lidcombe, so what better opportunity to grab some juicy chicken wings.

Location: Check @dirtybirdfoodtruck for updates.

 

Perry Perry Chicken Burger $14

Eamon – 3.75/5

I’ve been asked to keep these reflections short this week so I’ll try my best. Chicken burgers featuring a deep-fried fillet are a tough arena to do battle in. Because of the extra coating, it can be difficult to add flavour to the burger without the end product be too heavy. This burger navigates that fine line rather precariously. In addition to what is a crispy yet juicy hunk of chicken, there is a zesty sauce which brings a new flavour to the burger. In addition to the slaw, it helps reduces the oily weight of the chicken and cheese. At the time, I was prepared for a spice shock but was pleasantly surprised with the end result. An exciting twist on a standard chicken burger!

James – 4/5

Having previously tried the Crack Burger, I thought the Perry Perry was an upgrade, providing that extra kick from the sauce which the former burger was missing. Great crunch on the chicken itself which is battered in rice, adding that tempura-like texture. The tangy sauce may be a bit too lemon-y for some but I quite enjoyed it – I thought it balanced well with the pickled radish to make the burger more flavoursome.  I could see this not being for everyone, however if you do enjoy your chicken burgers I would recommend giving it a try as its difficult to accurately put my thoughts into words.

Melissa – 3/5

I have to start off by saying I’m not a major fan of chicken burgers in general (main exception is Mary’s chicken burger). This burger had a great salad and slaw inside, with Asian inspired flavours and a crunch cabbage. Chicken in general as a meat does not hold as much flavour as beef and this was countered extremely well with a mildly spice peri peri sauce. I wish they used the same chicken as what they had for the wings. This chicken was a fillet and although it was tasty, it did not have the same kick as the wings.

Wings $16

Eamon – 4.5/5

What I remember most about these wings is the chicken (duh). Even after ripping through all the crispy outsides, the chicken on the inside was of incredible taste. I have no read on what spices where used in the coating but it was excellent. A sauce could be fun to mess around with and mix it up here and there but 4 wings is barely enough of the real deal to keep a person satisfied. The addition of a slaw on the side featuring a few pickles is an essential and the one that was served was exceptional.

James – 4.5/5

Dirty Bird’s wings are certainly hard to beat and have become one of my favourite items out of all that we have reviewed. Delicious seasoning topped on a crispy, generous-sized chicken wing that is extremely well cooked – Dirty Bird ticks all the boxes. Once a condiment like a dipping sauce or a butter are perfected, these wings may just reach a 5 out of 5 for me. Big call I know, but this is the kind of food that will give me cravings and guarantee my return visit in the near future. Often overlooked as well, is the slaw that accompanies the wings, providing a fresh kick of flavour that pairs nicely with the chicken. Only thing missing was a fork for the slaw!

Melissa – 4/5

So good. Perfect level of spice, salt and crunch. Chicken was juicy and delicious and the outer layer of crunch was perfectly fried. $16 gets you four large wings. Chicken this good needs no sauce but we did experiment with some honey butter given to us by the kind Dirtybird hosts. This was a sweet honey infused butter, which melted over the chicken when dipped in it. I found the honey butter too sweet and overall an unnecessary addition to the chicken.

Sides: Chips $5, Truffle Aioli sauce $2

Eamon – 3.5/5

I think food truck fries have an unfortunate problem where it’s almost impossible to prepare fresh fries upon order. This leads to a softer, less crunchy fry which makes scooping up some aioli almost impossible. As for these particular fries, after coming off the high of the Ume Burger chips, these ones showed themselves to be nothing fantastic and as for the truffle, this particular aioli was good and I was glad to have it on the side but I have had my fair share of truffle over the last few weeks so it was not something I was overly enthused by.

James – 4/5

If you love your fries then you can’t go wrong here. Well seasoned with a tasty umami salt and well cooked to give your meal that balanced experience. Would have liked more as I could have kept eating them throughout the whole night. On the other hand, truffle aioli I could have done without, but that’s because I’m not a fan of truffle in general.

Melissa – 3/5 

Your average shoestring fries. The umami salt was nowhere near what they had at Ume Burger, but overall added a nice tidbit of flavour to the chips. Truffle aioli was so addictive. Definitely on the stronger side but I kept dipping anyway.

The Wrap Up

Despite the name, there’s nothing dirty about this food truck. With the chicken burger being a welcome addition to the burger-truck scene and wings that’ll have you coming back again and again, the Dirty Bird Food Truck is undoubtedly worth a visit, or two. Make sure to check out their instagram at @dirtybirdfoodtruck to find out where they will be next. (Plugging because this place is 110% the real deal!)