Fowl and Fury, Nashville hot chicken, Cathays, Cardiff review

The fundamental question you must ask yourself when you visit Fowl and Fury in Cathays is not what you should order but rather how spicy you should order it.

Speaking from first hand experience, it’s the crucial factor in determining whether you enjoy a tolerable level of chilli heat or have to endure a weird and painful chilli endorphin high. 

With a menu focusing on various iterations of Nashville hot chicken and hot cauliflower, they're all available in six different spice levels. 

Country, the mildest, is chilli free and akin to Southern fried chicken whilst Fury, the hottest, is accompanied by both a health warning and a glass of milk.

I’m firmly in the mild camp and I wouldn’t recommend starting any hotter than this. It’s important to remember that even mild Nashville hot chicken is still pretty hot.

Owned by husband and wife team Jamie and Natalia Rees, the duo built up a loyal following at their previous pop-up location in Sticky Fingers street food market. So, the move to a permanent unit close-by seems like the logical next step.

With just four tables and no reservations, you’ll have to cross your fingers that there’s a seat free when you visit. When we rocked up on a Wednesday lunchtime around 1pm, we were fortunate to bag the last table and Jamie informed us this was the quietest they'd been since a very busy opening. Still, you can always order takeaway.

Fowl & Fury’s chicken tenders (£9) are always my go to order. A trio of whopping and gorgeously tender overnight brined chicken breast pieces are coated in a beautifully gnarly crisp crumb dusted with a spice mix with a lovely savoury and sweet complexity and lip tingling chilli heat.

They’re accompanied by cleansing dill pickles, enjoyably crisp yet pappy white sliced toasted garlic bread and a pot of comeback sauce (essentially a peppery thousand island sauce).

If you’re more of a chicken burger kind of person then their sando (£9) is excellent too. A squishy yet sturdy challah roll is stuffed with a whopper of Nashville hot chicken breast, light and crunchy cabbage slaw, tangy comeback sauce and dill pickles.

We wanted to give their Nashville cauliflower a run for its money too and so ordered a portion of their cauli’ loaded mac (£6.50). 

On the evidence of this dish, it’s safe to say their veggie options are no mere afterthought - the tender cauliflower pieces and rugged spiced crumb coating work exceptionally well together. They’re heaped onto a thick and peppery mac and cheese, slaw, herby ranch dressing, toasted garlic breadcrumbs and chopped pickles. 

Finally, a portion of crinkle cut fries (£4) were coated in a thick and rich buttery cheese sauce. Whilst very tasty, they weren’t as assertively crisp as on previous occasions, meaning they eventually became a bit soggy.

I’m a big fan of Fowl and Fury and there’s no doubt that they serve some of the best fried chicken in Cardiff. It’s great to see this excellent Cardiff independent taking the next step from pop-up to permanent.

The details:

Address - 99 Wyeverne Rd, Cardiff CF24 3BZ

Web - https://www.instagram.com/fowlandfury/

Telephone - 07921 395438