Polydish city guide

Best Chennai Chicken 65 in Chicago

“Nobody agrees why it's called '65' — the debate is almost as famous as the dish, which says everything about how beloved it is.”

Chennai Chicken 65

What the real thing tastes like

Bite-sized chicken pieces are marinated in a fiery red chili-yogurt marinade, deep-fried, then tossed with curry leaves and green chilies fried in the same hot oil, producing a bar-snack texture that's crisp outside and tender inside with an unmistakably red hue from Kashmiri chili rather than heat alone.

1,211 voices, one story

Reviewers rate the marinade's penetration into the chicken (flavour should reach the center, not just coat the surface) and the curry leaves' crispness as top markers. Versions relying purely on food coloring for the red hue rather than real chili are called out as inauthentic.

Order it here when it has

  • crispy tender chicken
  • vibrant chili flavour
  • fragrant curry leaves

Walk away when you see

  • very spicy
  • can rely on food colouring
  • greasy if overfried

Restaurant-level rankings for Chicago land as the Polydish review engine processes this city's reviews. Explore the dish itself while you wait —

Chennai Chicken 65 on Polydish →