Korean fried chicken is a star rising in the food industry both here and abroad.  Covered internationally, it has its own Wikipedia entry.  ZenKimchi has covered it.  Expat Jane, too.  Of course, BBQ got covered by Fat man Seoul.  And even the Metropolitician got in on the superiority of Korean fried chicken.

A friend of mine related to me an old wives tale, which actually seems true when you think about it. He marked the trajectory of fried chicken’s rise to fame.  It was 1998 in the middle of the IMF crisis and countless men in their 40s and 50s were forced into retirement or let go.  They took their severance and many of them, with their wives in tow or leading the charge, invested into chicken HOFs.

With the memory of the Avian Flu epidemic of 2004 almost forgotten and the beef scare of recent memory just receded, Korean fried chicken establishments are surging.

They are as diverse in name as they are plentiful:  Kyochon, BBQ, Pelicana, Two Two, Mom’s Touch, Hot Sun just to name a few.  Nearly all of the best deliver and nearly every piece of chicken requires more than a few napkins-preferably wetnaps–at hand.  They come seasoned, calcium enriched, cooked in olive oil, fried, rotisseried (off the back of trucks), even baked chicken is making inroads. 

So, by now, you probably want to order some fried chicken.  But wait!  We’d like to put it up for discussion first.   Tell us what’s your favorite chicken brand and why?

–Editor

Similar Posts:

• Summer Eats| Street Foodie’s Best of Busan
• Review | Word of Mouth Grows Kings Tap
• Food Buzz | Affordable and Tasty Mexican Food
• Wazwan | Indian | Itaewon St.