Canberra brothers Mo and Marwan Saad with their Fricken food truck at The Jetty. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
Who are Mo and Marwan Saad: We are the Fricken brothers who own Fricken in Braddon, The Jetty and Capital Brewing Co.
Best dining experience: We’d probably have to say Molto Italian in Kingston. The pasta is always fantastic, especially from the parmesan wheel.
Favourite cuisine: Mo – I’d say a mix of Italian and modern Australian. Marwan – Probably American cuisine.
Most embarrassing pantry or fridge item: Mo – Red jelly. I still love that stuff. Thankfully they make them sugar-free now.
Marwan – Smokey BBQ sauce. It’s not embarrassing, but I love putting it with everything, especially parmigiana.
The Cacio e Pepe pasta is served piping hot, straight from a giant wheel of pecorino cheese. Photo: Molto Italian, Facebook.
What ingredient can I not live without and why: Garlic, for sure – it can go in and on anything and everything!
Next big thing in the Canberra food scene: Probably more outdoor hospitality activations and pop-up food trucks and bars.
The Kimchi Fried Chicken Burger with coleslaw, house pickles, special burger sauce and cheese, served with house salad and sweet potato wedges is a must-try at Maple and Clove. Photo: Maple and Clove, Facebook.
Favourite place for lunch in the ACT: Mo – Maple and Clove in Barton.
My go-to coffee spot in Canberra: Mo – my local – Cesar’s Café in Florey. It’s always got great coffees and great vibes.
Favourite coffee: Mo – I love almond milk flat whites. Marwan – I’m not really a coffee person, so it’s Red Bull for me.
Mo loves the coffee at Cesar’s Café. Photo: Cesar’s Café, Facebook.
A must-try on our menu: Our ‘Teri-fricken-yaki’ burger- it’s one of the newer burgers on the menu, and it’s slightly messy- but amazing! The Kimchi, Teriyaki sauce, kewpie and fried chicken fillet really go well together.
Our most used ingredient at Fricken: Plain flour, as it’s the base for our breading that creates that crunchy golden finish. Although not far behind is our gluten-free flour mix. We’ve had a great response to our GF Coeliac-safe fried chicken. It enabled many people to have fried chicken out for the first time.
Mo says the ‘Teri-fricken-yaki’ burger is a must-try at Fricken. Photo: Fricken Fried Chicken.
What makes us unique: There are a few things about us that make us unique; the biggest is the original recipe that Mum created. Our branding and name also has a fun element; kids love saying fricken! We also use local and fresh ingredients that make our final product the quality that it is.
Spicy Slaw Burger and QPS Box, Fricken Chicken. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
Our top pick from our desserts: Our ‘Frownie’ by far! It’s a deep-fried brownie cookie. It’s fluffy and gooey, but if I were you, I wouldn’t go too hard on the mains if you’re planning to have one. It is also gluten-free!
As well as delicious frownies, you can also get Belgium waffles with vanilla bean ice cream with your choice of Oreos or Lotus Biscoff toppings at Fricken. Photo: Fricken, Facebook.
Biggest culinary influence: Our Mum! Without her there, there would be no Fricken. She is a brilliant cook and does much more than fried chicken; she’d give Gordon Ramsey a run for his money.
Favourite cookbook: Mo – I’d say Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking. Marwan – Bad Manners by Thug Kitchen.
What’s the special of the week at Fricken: On Wednesdays, we do 50-cent wings at our shop at Braddon. Our buffalo wings are insane if you don’t mind the heat! Highly recommend with a side of blue cheese sauce.
Did someone say chicken wings for 50 cents? Photo: Fricken, Facebook.
Dream destination? Mo – Greece. I’d love to go one day. My parents even lived there for a bit, and I’ve heard great stories. Marwan – Tokyo. I must try the Kobe beef in Kobe, and hopefully, open a Fricken store there one day!
My least favourite food: For me (Mo), it’s raw seafood, I cannot do sashimi, but Marwan loves it! Marwan – pineapple, if it’s on pizza. If it’s deep-fried fritters, it’s totally ok.
My favourite vegetable: We both love potatoes because that’s where chips come from!
Our top three recipe tips:
- The secret is to undercook the onion (the great Kevin Malone)
- For real, don’t be shy with salt – it brings out the flavours
- Cook meats from room temperature – it makes a difference.
COVID-19 response: We’ve had to adapt our business model from the get-go as we launched our physical store right at the beginning of the COVID lockdown.
We were very excited to finish the dining area, but unfortunately, no dine-in was permitted. But we were able to set up an online platform quickly and partnered with delivery services to adhere to the restrictions and be able to operate from our Braddon store.
Fricken is open at 10 Lonsdale Street in Braddon from Monday to Friday, 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and 5 pm to 9 pm, and on Saturday and Sunday, 11:30 am till late. The food trucks at The Jetty and Capital Brewing Co are open Wednesday to Sunday, 11:30 am to 9 pm.
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