Belles Hot Chicken

Overview

Lovers of hot fried chicken are in for a treat as cult fried chicken joint Belles is set to touch down in Auckland.

Belles Hot Chicken is the brainchild of Australian chef and former Nashville resident Morgan McGlone and Miranda Campbell. The pair have been combining eye-wateringly spicy fried chicken with natural wine and hip hop since opening their first store in Fitzroy, Melbourne in 2014. They've since opened a further six restaurants in Melbourne and Sydney, and have featured on everything from Masterchef Australia to F*ck, That's Delicious with Action Bronson.

Following an appearance last August, the fried chicken specialists will once again pop up inside Ponsonby's Longroom this February. Belles will be stopping by for five days only with Longroom's lunch and dinner menu completely replaced by the succulent Southern hot fried chicken. The pop-up kicks off for dinner service on Waitangi Day, Wednesday, 6 February, before hanging around until Sunday, 10 February.

Take your pick from tenders, wings or drumsticks and choose from the lightly seasoned spice all the way up to the tear-jerking 'really f**king hot'. If you choose the latter, Mediterranean lager Estrella Damm will also be onboard to cool the palate and to set the scene for what has been described as a "Spanish-inspired beer garden."

Rounding off the February takeover will be the Really F**cking Hot, Hot Wing Challenge, which will invite diners to devour six, 'really f**king hot' wings in the fastest time. Contestants will receive a Belles Hot Chicken x Longroom T-Shirt, while the fastest three chook munchers will win prizes. Interested parties can register here.

Image: Nikki To, Belles Hot Chicken.