Korean Fried Chicken at Jangdokdae Korean Food Truck. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
The K-wave has well and truly crashed over Canberra and I for one am very pleased to be swimming in a sea of gimbap, tteokbokki, kimchi and, of course, Korean Fried Chicken.
This crispy fried Seoul food (see what I did there?) joins the likes of Southern, Kentucky and Kingleys in our hearts and, to be honest, our arteries, but let’s not worry about that just now…
Here are a handful of our favourite places to grab some Korean Fried Chicken in Canberra.
Jangdokdae, Turner
Yoonhee Jang and Michael Oliver are a lovely couple churning out some incredible fried chicken from a tiny trailer in Turner. This has become a semi-regular cheeky takeaway treat for me and I am slightly obsessed with their sweet and spicy sauce (one of five choices on the menu). The batter is crispy, light and not oily, while the meat is beautifully moist.
Be sure to order a side of Yoonhee’s incredible kimchi to have alongside your chicken (also available in tubs to take home). I also like to get the gimmari – rice noodles wrapped in seaweed and fried in a light batter – and have them with the leftover sauce from the chicken. It will cure whatever ails you.
Hancook Korean, Wanniassa
South siders are lining up out the door for the food at Hancook Korean and there’s a good reason why: it’s excellent. The fried chicken here is just one part of a longer menu which features many traditional Korean stews, shared dishes and snacks. I’m yet to try anything here that isn’t excellent and the fried chicken definitely lives up to this high standard.
I love that they use the Korean words for the sauces here: yangnyeom is sweet chilli, maneolganjang is garlic soy. They’re clearly very proud to share their Korean heritage and I love learning something with my meals. The banchan side dishes are especially good – radish pickle is the standard side for fried chicken, but the kimchi and sweet yellow pickled radishes served here are amazing too.
Fried chicken and beer at Verity Lane’s Seoul Chicken. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Seoul Chicken, Verity Lane
The folks at Seoul Chicken really understand the need to fulfil the craving for Korean Fried Chicken. It’s just about their only menu item which means they are focussed on making it the best it can be.
The meat is juicy, the serving sizes are generous (although I always need extra radish pickle on the side) and the crumb is crisp, thanks to the use of soy oil in the deep fryers which allows them to get the oil super hot. They have the usual range of sauces and toppings to choose from, but the garlic soy is particularly good here. They also offer UFO burgers with specially shaped buns to hold onto the sauce. Thanks to their Verity Lane location you can order from a huge range of craft beers to accompany your meal.
Plus each serve of fried chicken come with waffle fries, a great way to finish the work day (or start a big night out).
Rogane Chimac Fried Chicken, Dickson
Chimac comes from the Korean slang term chimaek: chi = chicken, maek = beer. Yep the combo of fried chicken and beer in Korea is so beloved there is a dedicated word for it.
Rogane Chimac embodies this easy-going, drinking and snacking culture so beloved by Koreans. It’s casual and certainly not fancy but very delicious. They’ve got lots of different sauce options for their fried chicken, from snow cheese to gochujang rose (creamy and spicy).
But if you like things hot, Rogane is the place for you. Koreans have a famously high spice tolerance and I was once humbled by a staff member here who told me that their in-house spice meter goes from one to five for their signature chilli fried chicken: “But for you: zero.”
She was right – a zero was the spiciest thing I’d ever eaten in my life (but I’d do it all again).
A shout-out also goes to the chicken at neighbouring restaurant Ondam Table.
There’s so much more than meets the eye at Sonamu in Griffith. Photo: supplied.
Sonamu Restaurant and Teahouse, Griffith
Stepping into this wood-clad teahouse is like stepping into another world. The walls of this cosy space are beautifully decorated with ceramics and artworks from Chef and owner Jaehee Hong’s artist friends back in Korea. Everything on the menu is made in-house using organic ingredients. Unusually for Korean restaurants there are also plenty of vegan options. Jaehee’s fried chicken is – like everything else on the menu – made with love in a homestyle fashion. A little bit rustic but utterly delicious.
Be sure to finish your meal with some Korean tea and a sweet, the dried persimmon and walnut balls are simply divine.
We’ve also heard great things about Chef Jun’s special fried chicken at Azuma Den at East Hotel and there are a few places in Gungahlin we’d like to try. And of course there are many Korean BBQ places around Canberra who also serve great fried chicken, but we’ll give them a shout-out some other time!
What’s your favourite place for Korean Fried Chicken in Canberra?
