Founded by award-winning chef Aaron Turner (of hatted Geelong restaurants Songbird Thai BBQ and Tacos y Liquor), the Hot Chicken Project brings spicy, Nashville-style fried chicken to Geelong’s Little Malop Street restaurant precinct.

Choose from juicy tenders, wings or drumsticks plus a selection of burgers and sides including hulking mac and cheese croquettes, fried okra and various salads. All chicken is coated in signature spices at a heat level of your choosing, ranging from Southern (mild) to Evil (eye-watering, sweat-inducing spicy – proceed with caution). For the vegetarians, mammoth deep-fried halloumi burgers are the next best thing.

Wash it all down with a pint of craft beer from a selection of taps including a rotating guest sour.