The Chicken Shop serves up old-school fare in Paddington

Chicken proved an unlikely food star in 2016, and it continues to scratch around in 2017. Merivale's Paddington spin-off, The Chicken Shop, opens this week (January 26) with poultry-pushing chef Ben Greeno offering a takeaway arm to the chicken revival he helped launch at neighbouring venue, The Paddington.

"What I've discovered is everyone has an opinion on chicken. Some people find something too dry, someone else too juicy," Greeno says.

The Chicken Shop isn't trying to push boundaries. That means no Portuguese-style, or other overworked chicken exotica.

"We just want to do really good traditional roast chicken (half/whole $12/$22), Greeno says. "There'll be a different hot vegetable every day. Potato gratin, fries, and salads. Daily dinner specials, maybe fish one day, then lamb rump or pork belly."

It is a stuffing-free zone at this stage, but there are some killer-sounding daytime sandwiches, including one with smashed edamame and fish fingers.

"I have a reputation as the chicken man," the one-time Momofuku Seiobo head chef laughs. "I do feel like I eat a lot more chicken, even out of work."

382 Oxford Street, Paddington, merivale.com.au/thepaddington, 02 9240 3000

Daily, noon-9.30pm