The crispy vegan fried chicken sandwich that finally satisfied a craving I'd been ignoring for a decade

I've been vegan for over a decade, and for most of that time, I told myself I didn't miss fried chicken. I'd convinced myself that craving was gone, buried under years of ethical commitment and environmental awareness.

But here's the thing about cravings: they don't disappear just because you ignore them.

Then I tried the crispy oyster mushroom sandwich at Crossroads Kitchen in LA, and suddenly I was 19 again, sitting in a fast food parking lot with grease on my fingers. Except this time, no animals were harmed and my conscience was clear.

Let me tell you why this sandwich broke through a wall I didn't even know I'd built.

1. The texture was actually there

Most vegan chicken substitutes fail at the texture game. They're either too soft, too rubbery, or they disintegrate the moment you bite down. It's like biting into a well-intentioned lie.

This sandwich used king oyster mushrooms that had been sliced, marinated, and double-breaded. The result? An actual crunch that gave way to tender, juicy interior.

The mushroom's natural texture mimics chicken breast better than any processed protein I've tried. When I bit down, I heard that satisfying crack of breaking through crispy coating.

The breading stayed put too. No sad pile of coating sliding off onto the plate, which is always a disappointing moment in the vegan chicken experience.

2. The flavor complexity surprised me

Here's where most vegan versions fall short: they nail the texture but forget that fried chicken has layers of flavor. The brine, the seasoned flour, the cooking method. All of it matters.

Crossroads apparently brines their mushrooms in buttermilk made from cashews and probiotics. Sounds fancy, but what it does is add that tangy depth you get from traditional buttermilk brining. The breading had actual spice to it, not just salt and pepper phoned in as an afterthought.

And they didn't try to mask the mushroom flavor entirely. Instead, they worked with it, letting that earthy umami play alongside the savory, slightly spicy coating. It tasted like fried chicken's cooler, more sophisticated cousin.

3. The toppings didn't try too hard

Sometimes vegan restaurants overcompensate with toppings. They'll pile on seventeen ingredients because they're worried the main component won't hold up. It's the culinary equivalent of nervous laughter.

This sandwich kept it simple: crisp lettuce, thick tomato slices, pickles, and a well-balanced mayo-based sauce with a little heat. Nothing competed with the star of the show. The brioche bun was soft enough to compress but sturdy enough to handle the job.

The pickles especially made sense here. That sharp, vinegary bite cut through the richness exactly the way it does on a traditional fried chicken sandwich. Sometimes the classics are classics for a reason.

4. It didn't make me feel terrible afterward

Remember how you'd feel an hour after eating fast food fried chicken? That specific combination of regret and digestive distress? Yeah, that didn't happen here.

I felt satisfied but not weighed down. My stomach didn't stage a protest. I didn't need a nap or three Tums. This might seem like a small thing, but it's actually huge when you're trying to satisfy a craving.

The mushrooms provided fiber and nutrients that chicken never did. The oils used were higher quality. I got the sensory experience I was craving without the aftermath I'd forgotten I used to dread. That's the kind of upgrade that makes ten years of veganism feel worth it.

Final thoughts

I think I'd been avoiding this craving because I didn't want to be disappointed again. After enough mediocre vegan chicken sandwiches, you start to protect yourself. You lower your expectations. You tell yourself you don't really want it anyway.

But this sandwich reminded me that cravings are valid, and satisfying them doesn't mean compromising your values. The technology and technique have caught up to our ethics. We don't have to pretend anymore that we don't miss certain foods. We can actually have versions that deliver.

If you've been vegan for a while and you've been ignoring that fried chicken craving, I'm giving you permission to chase it down. The right version is out there, and it's better than you remember the original being. Sometimes the future tastes exactly like the past, just kinder.