If you ask any true Miamian what meal defines this magical city, you won’t have to go far before someone mentions Chicken Kitchen — and its Mustard’n Curry®. This fast-casual grilled chicken chain has 28 locations throughout South Florida, and it goes through 600 to 700 gallons of its curry mustard sauce every week, according to Christian de Berdouare, Chief Chickenologist and owner. I know people, many people, who have literally chugged this sauce out of a bottle. It’s that good, and for as long as I can remember, this creamy curry sauce has been a condiment constant in my life.
The recipe is simple: mayonnaise, yellow mustard, curry powder and a little water. But there’s something special about the way Chicken Kitchen makes the sauce; no other spot has been able to duplicate it (and many have tried). Curry spices like cumin, turmeric, ginger, and cardamom shine through and coat whatever the sauce is drizzled on with just the right amount of tangy flavor. And it’s a must for any Chicken Kitchen order.
From hangovers to busy days where cooking seems impossible, Chicken Kitchen and its curry mustard has played a huge role in keeping me happy and fed. My go-to is the Cuban Chop-Chop, a bowl brimming with grilled chicken breast, yellow rice, lettuce, tomato, and black beans, which comes with your choice of two sauces. For me, it’s always double Mustard’n Curry®, plus paying extra for at least two more (the limit does not exist!). I gently mix in the two containers of sauce into the generously portioned bowl, and as I eat, I add more sauce. The perfect texture for this dish is something I like to describe as “nearly soupy.” I know, it sounds a little unappetizing, but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.
This sauce tastes like home to me, and I’m not the only one who feels this way. Friends who moved away from Miami always ask if we can order it when they visit, and if I’m planning a boat day with friends, more often than not, we order family-size bowls feeding 10 to 12 people, and of course, lots of sauce. As far as I’m concerned, Chicken Kitchen’s Mustard’n Curry® is the king of Miami sauces.
