Hot Chicken Sandwich at Soul Shack - Hot Chicken for the Soul

It's a dreary, drizzly Wellington evening, the wind chills me to my bones. Hot chicken is the perfect way to warm up, and where better than Soul Shack, home to (in my humble opinion) the best chicken in town. From modest beginnings in Porrirua, to the Reading foodcourt, and now (post Reading closure) located in a food truck in Leeds Street. The cool thing about their new location is that you can purchase a drink from their neighbour, the funky craft beer bar Goldings Free Dive and dine in. Goldings has a great selection of craft beers and an impressive and reasonably priced international wine list, and is always a good time. This Wednesday night, as usual, it is packed to the gunnals. Huddling under the eaves of the caravan, I order my favourite Hot Chicken Sandwich. There are a range of spice levels to choose from, ranging from 1 (mild) to 4 (lethal). I select level 3, as usual. The level 4 spice mixture contains California Reaper peppers, one of the hottest peppers fit for human consumption. Ranked as the #1 hottest pepper in the world, the California Reaper boasts 2,200,000 SHU on the Scoville scale. I have vowed to train myself up to level 4 by eating raw chilli and putting cayenne pepper on everything for a month. Even level three is a kick in the pants and I would like to think I have quite a high tolerance (to me, Thai Hot is quite mild). 

I am told it will be a ten minute wait. I pass the time bantering with the lovely manager Ruby. She had been a chef for over a decade, and it shows. Working for Soul Shack has afforded her a better work-life balance she tells me, and better pay. A Living Wage employer? I support that! The time flies and soon my sandwich is ready. I practically run up the stairs to Goldings, grab a seat at the bar and order a pint. Eagerly, I unbox my prize. The photo I took myself is not great, as Goldings' lighting is well... mood. Soul Shack kindly provided me with a much better photo that almost does justice to their product. Look at that crispy coating - don't you just want to lick your screen? I take the first bite. Caliente! The bun is fresh and soft, the lettuce fresh and verdant. The chicken, oh where to begin? If my culinary education has taught me anything (aside from a colourful new vocabulary) it is that good food is all about contrasts, be it flavour, appearance or texture. The crisp, crunch of the coating is the perfect counterbalance to the moist, tender chicken thigh within. Sensational, superb, exquisite, delectable, delightful... I have used up all of my superlatives! For the price, it is a generous amount, and of the highest quality. The piquant pepper powder is mellowed out by the creamy chipotle mayo. The sandwich is perfectly sauced, not so much that it runs down your chin, but enough to moisten the sandwich marvellously. With a tasty Pilsner to fan the flames on my tastebuds, I almost wish I had gotten level 4. Next time. I devour my sandwich in record time, and if I had another stomach I would have ordered two more. And the wings. And the fries. Next time.

For the price-to-quality ratio (and speediness, and level of service), Soul Shack might just be the best cheap eat in town. I will be back again and again (wings and fries review coming soon) to support an ethical business with 5 Star food at a steal of a price. Run, don't walk, to Leeds Street and get some in ya!

Food: 11/10
Service: 11/10
Ambiance: 8.5/10
Cost: $12

Next to Golding's Free Dive, 14 Leeds Street, Te Aro 6011