I thought I knew chicken, then I tried the new chicken at NU Chicken

Fried chicken is not – and will never be – healthy. But at NU Chicken , the calories hit with a little less catastrophe.

Specifically, NU Chicken focuses on Nashville hot chicken , along with a streamlined menu that includes mac & cheese, fries and milkshakes – similar to what you see at many similar chicken joints.

So what makes it different? It boils down to little differences in the cooking process. NU Chicken uses avocado oil in their deep fryer as opposed to seed oils. They also dredge their chicken in gluten-free flour. The milkshakes? They're made with frozen custard instead of ice cream.

These aren't earth-shattering changes. But they are subtle wrinkles to the great fried chicken explosion that's currently occurring across the restaurant industry.

It's enough to convince me that, yes, we all could benefit from another fried chicken restaurant in Worcester if it's going to bring something a little different to the table.

NU Chicken also benefits from having a nifty space/moon aesthetic – because the chicken is "out of this world."

A look around NU Chicken on Worcester's Park Ave.(Nick O'Malley, MassLive)

NU Chicken in Worcester | Review

NU Chicken follows a similar menu model to what you see at Dave's Hot Chicken or Raising Cane's. The chicken is the main attraction and is available in three forms:

• Large chicken tender served on bread ($5.99 for one, $9.99 for two)

• Chicken sandwich ($9.49)

• Chicken sandwich meal, including fries &drink ($15.48)

• Chicken tender meal, including fries & drink ($11.99 for one tender, $15.98 for two tenders)

When you order, you get to choose your spice level. The choices all lean into NU Chicken's space theme

1. Moon Landing - No Spice

2. Comet Tail

3. Meteor Shower (Recommended)

4. Solar Flare (Hot)

5. Supernova

The lower spice levels incorporate cayenne pepper for some earthy, low-ember heat. Solar Flare incorporates habanero to get a more peppery kick. Supernova is made with Carolina Reaper peppers, which are no joke.

NU Chicken's spiciest option: Supernova.(Nick O'Malley, MassLive)

What does the chicken taste like?

I'm a huge fan of NU Chicken's take on the chicken sandwich. It's a bit on the pricy side. However, the tender you get with your order is enormous. My sandwich had chicken stretching out the sides like a Great Dane trying to sit on a barstool.

The sandwich is served on a potato bun and comes with kale slaw, pickles, cheese, honey drizzle and NU Chicken's special "moon sauce." It's a clever little sandwich, working in layers of savory, sweet, creamy, hot and tangy through all the different components.

As for the spice level, I really liked the Level 1 Comet Tail as something with a tiny bit of kick to balance out the sandwich.

For the sake of science, I did try the Level 5 Supernova. It's definitely more peppery and fruity than the lower levels. In terms of heat, it puts you into a spacy state of spice delirium that drives you to take another bite.

How are the sides?

Anytime I go to a fried chicken restaurant, I feel compelled to try the mac & cheese.

NU Chicken's version is tasty and slightly unique. Underneath a nicely baked breaded top, you'll find a light, creamy take on mac & cheese with a nice pop of flavor. It leans more toward béchamel sauce than melted cheese.

For dessert, you'll find a fun quartet of frozen custard options available in either sundae or milkshake form: chocolate crunch, strawberry shortcake, apple crisp or roasted blueberry smash.

The flavored mix-ins are great. I adored the spongy strawberry shortcake crumble. Meanwhile, the apple crisp was legit. It's actual apple crisp served on there. NU Chicken didn't have to go that hard on dessert, but they did it anyway.

So is it any good?

Yeah, it's great. I really enjoyed the chicken and the sides.

The big thing for me is how well the chicken itself was fried. Whether it was the avocado oil or gluten-free dredge, the chicken came out delightfully crispy with an impressively low level of grease.

Normally, I would have expected to go into a food coma, given the amount of fried chicken and ice cream I ate. But I felt pretty good leaving NU Chicken.

It's a little pricey. But if you're looking for chicken that stresses quality and is a little better for you, NU Chicken is a great stop.

The final word

If you spend any time on Park Ave. in Worcester, NU Chicken should be pretty familiar on multiple levels.

First off, it's a sister restaurant to NU Kitchen, the health-conscious cafe that's just down the road on Chandler Street. NU Kitchen founder Joshua Van Dyke is one of the three co-owners of NU Chicken, along with Douglas Zavala and Aaron Smith.

Second, there's a chance you've eaten fried chicken at this exact spot before. Until February, the location was home to B.T.'s Fried Chicken & BBQ.

Third, there are already plenty of fried chicken restaurants nearby. If you drive a mile-and-a-half north up Park Ave., you'll find Dave's Hot Chicken. Drive a mile-plus the other direction, you'll hit Popeye's.

Some people may see this as a problem. I see it as the "fried chicken restaurant" entering the stable of top-tier restaurant models – like burger joints and taco spots.

Heck, just look at how many pizza places there are. If you look within 1,000 feet of where NU Chicken is, you can find four separate pizza places (Antonio's, Blue Jeans, Central Pizza and Domino's).

I think we're just fine with another chicken restaurant.

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What to know about NU Chicken

Check them out— Website | Instagram

Is there online ordering?— Yes, you can order through the NU Chicken website .

What's the address?— 318 Park Ave., Worcester, MA 01609

What's the parking situation?— NU Chicken has its own off-street parking lot next to the building.

When are they open?— Here are the listed business hours at the time of writing.

• Monday: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

• Tuesday: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

• Wednesday: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

• Thursday: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

• Friday: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

• Saturday: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

• Sunday: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

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Read the original article on MassLive .