In any language, chicken-fried chicken is one of the best things you can put in your mouth. This is closely followed, of course, by fried chicken sandwiches. In my estimation, more cultures around the world fry up chicken in some form than don’t. It’s almost universal, but of all the global versions, one of my very favorites comes from Taiwan. Ji pai, with its soy-centered marinade and crispy coating (usually of sweet potato flour), bursts with flavor at every layer.
Just imagine for a minute, that someone thought to put that on a bun with basil mayo. OK, no imagination necessary. It’s at Teas’n You Fusion Tea House in Tysons Corner and it is amply worthy of obsession.
Teas’n You is the bubble tea concept from Happy Endings Hospitality, the group behind beloved local restaurants like Chasin’ Tails Cajun Seafood and Roll Play Vietnamese Grill. The exhaustive drink menu includes options from mangonadas to blue matcha (I ordered a white rose cream tea, which pairs floral flavor with salty cream), but the Salty Snacks section of the bill of fare includes only four items. When they’re this laudable, that’s all you need.
I got the chicken sandwich combo, which includes both the sandwich and fries. For a $1 upcharge, it seemed madness not to try the garlic-Parmesan fries. The crisp lengths of potato are made to order and arrive hot with garlicky knots of melted cheese clinging to them.
The chicken sandwich is available mild or spicy. The latter, it turns out, reveals only a whisper of heat, just enough to make the eater take yet another bite to search for it. The application of basil mayo might have been a bit too liberal, but I wiped the excess off and simply enjoyed the interplay between puffy bun and crunchy, garlicky chicken.
Next time a craving for a chicken sandwich strikes, I entreat you to skip the easy answer of fast food and head to Tysons for a crispy, pillowy bite to remember. 8032 Leesburg Pike, Vienna
Feature image by Alice Levitt
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