Downtown Honolulu just got a little louder at lunchtime. BirdyGo! — the casual fried-chicken counter from the same crew behind Bar Leather Apron and MĀZE — quietly slid into service this week under the mezzanine at the Topa Financial Center, trading in tasting menus and cocktails for chili-slicked chicken and takeaway boxes.
The soft-opening lineup is tight and focused: a fried-thigh sandwich dipped in house chili oil and finished with BirdyGo! sauce, pickles, and a tart cabbage slaw, plus chicken tenders, cauliflower nuggets, and seasoned fries. For now it is a takeout-only setup during limited midday hours while the team works out the kinks.
According to BirdyGo, the counter is tucked into 745 Fort Street, Suite 130, and is currently serving lunch from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Tuesday through Friday. The concept is billed as a casual, evolving offshoot that lives “Below Bar Leather Apron,” letting the BLA and MĀZE teams play in a more laid-back lane.
Menu and prices
The star of the show is the fried chicken thigh sandwich: crisp on the outside, juicy inside, plunged into a scallion chili oil that carries a hint of duck fat, then dusted with a seasoning blend inspired by Korean ramyun packets. It is finished with BirdyGo! sauce, pickles, and cabbage slaw, and customers can choose their spice level from no heat to “super hot.”…