Quebec, the City of Gourmet: Finally, Korea’s first fried chicken restaurant

Koreans are particularly fond of street food. This Asian country’s culinary offering is finally beginning to expand in Quebec City with its first restaurant specializing in authentic fried chicken.

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“Chicken in Korea is like poutine in Quebec, it’s really popular,” photo of Sukmin Jang, partner with wife, Chef Yuri Kim, of Korean Restaurant Snack Chicken & Pub.

They warmly welcomed me to their restaurant in Beauport on Monday, their only day off, to share their passion.

Founded in Quebec for over five years after living in France, they wanted to make Korean culture, which is very popular among young people, better known.

“It was something we wanted to do for a long time. We loved our fried chicken and couldn’t find much of it in Quebec,” says Sukmin, who has been in charge of service since opening in October.

After looking for premises everywhere, the couple chose an old subway in the Courville sector. This local, not too big, was perfect because they wanted to start their business slowly.

Word of mouth did its job, and those who managed to find the business, since there was no sign visible from the street yet, came out amazed.

The secret is in the sauce

The Korean fried chicken is double fried, which makes it extra crispy. The chicken nuggets and crumbs are mild and not overly salty. The marinated chicken is cooked right to stay juicy and tender. It is succulent and not greasy.

You can have the regular fried chicken—also available boneless—with the sauce on the side, or ask for it already covered. If you’re a sauce type like me, choose the second option because the flavors envelope the chicken beautifully.

Sukmin recommends mirroring those on their first visit, to avoid unpleasant surprises if you don’t like the sauce.

Besides, the secret lies in the sauces. I loved the yangnyeom, a sweet and sour spicy sauce with gochujang. Chef Yuri has made sure to adapt the flavors to the Quebec palate and offers other options that are milder, yet just as delicious: soy, onion, and maple honey.

ready to order

The friendly owners explain to me that in Korea, chicken is traditionally accompanied by tangy seasoned Korean radish, which brings plenty of freshness and balances out the stir-fry. Here, they decided to serve it with french fries instead.

The restaurant also serves bowls of rice called pap. Don’t miss the classic bulgogi marinated in korean bbq sauce.

In the fridge are imported South Korean drinks and homemade kimchi.

Finally, know that the chicken is fried to order to the chef’s quality standards which takes about twenty minutes. You can eat in or take out.

Tuesday to Thursday from 11:30 am to 7 pm, and from Friday to Sunday from 11:30 am to 8 pm.
1045 LaRue Street
On Instagram: chicken_et_bap

Two more Korean titles

long live kogos!

The kogos, the degenerate Korean promoters, continue to gain new followers. The Chungchun chain recently opened a third branch in the area in Beauport, on Rue Clémenceau. It has been added to the restaurants of Plaza Laval, in Sainte-Foy, and Rue Saint-Jean. What makes kogos magic is the customizable aspect: a choice of chicken, beef sausage, mozzarella, or a vegetarian option. The Asian batter that covers it can be rolled into a filling—like ramen—before being fried. Everything is served with a great selection of sauces. Nice little sin! chungchunqc.com

Beyond the controversy

Bab Sang, which caused a lot of ink to flow because of the service in English when it opened, is worth seeking out for the quality of the food. To discover: traditional bibimbap, chicken fried in sweet and spicy sauce or pork belly with gochujang. The downside is that the service can be slow. Don’t be in a hurry or order your food out.

1282 Maguire Ave.