Chefs Esther Choi, Kardea Brown celebrate fried chicken at a South Beach event

MIAMI BEACH – Fried chicken was spotted at the W South Beach hotel this weekend.

Two chefs with very different culinary backgrounds – Esther Choi and Kardea Brown – came together to celebrate fried food during the South Beach Wine & Food Festival’s “Chicken Coupe” event.

The $300-plus-per-person event paired two different styles — Southern-style highlights and Southeast Asian-inspired pop — with champagne flutes, proving that fried chicken isn’t just refreshing in America. It never really went away.

Choi believes the appeal of fried chicken is its range.

“Chicken is one of those things where it’s clean and easy to eat,” the New York-based chef told Fox News Digital. He spoke as attendees sampled his Korean-influenced K-Pop Chicken marinated in white kimchi tartar sauce and plated over kimchi potato salad.

“Also, it’s just fun, but I feel like Americans always love chicken. Especially fried chicken. I mean, who doesn’t like fried chicken?”

Choi’s take is about accessibility and cultural breadth. Fried chicken may be a staple here at home, Choi said – but its demand extends beyond domestic borders.

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“I think fried chicken is popular everywhere in the world,” he said, pointing to the food’s global appeal.

Nearby, the South Carolina-born Brown was channeling his Southern heritage into a “reimagined” dish that he says is one of the most requested requests at his Southern Kitchen restaurant at the Charleston airport: chicken wrapped in his signature fried balls.

Samples of Choi’s K-Pop chicken are shown above, ready to eat. (Peter Burke/Fox News Digital)

The inspiration comes from her love of grits, Brown said.

“So, I came up with the idea of ​​just adding shredded chicken to my already well-done meatballs,” Brown told Fox News Digital.

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The current chicken craze isn’t just about taste, Brown believes. It’s about economics, too.

“Because it’s cheap,” Brown said when asked why Americans seem to be flocking to chicken.

Celebrity chef Kardea Brown shows off her chicken balls served during the “Chicken Coupe” event at a food festival in Florida. (Red Eye on Earth)

“You know, red meat is very expensive for people – [while] chicken, for the most part, has remained affordable. So, I think the chicken shines, as it deserves.”

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Affordability may fuel its popularity, but sentiment keeps it on the menu, chefs say.

“As a Southern woman who absolutely loves fried chicken, I’m really excited about that,” Brown added.

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Other Saturday night fried chicken samples include Nashville hot chicken and chicken oysters with caviar.

Even as chefs continue to experiment with chicken, Brown didn’t shy away from sharing a single cooking item he could sell, whether it be food styles or the restaurant’s menu.

Chef Brian Morris of Hattie B’s Hot Chicken in Nashville, Tennessee, shows off his hot chicken oysters topped with caviar at the “Chicken Coupe” event. (Peter Burke/Fox News Digital)

“I saw people eating chicken tartare,” he said.

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“Raw chicken – I wouldn’t recommend that to anyone, but raw chicken is not my jam.”

Choi and Brown brought their own unique style to this year’s “Chicken Coupe” event. (Red Eye on Earth)

Choi believes there’s still room to rethink how chicken appears on the plate — even beyond the fried.

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“I always like fried chicken, which I don’t think is done as often as it should be, because it’s actually a healthier way to prepare chicken,” she said.

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