Feed Your Flock at Douce Diner

Fresh off our meal at Potluck Hawker Eatery and also a pit stop at Popina for some puff cream, Mijune and I were searching for more food.  We settled on North Vancouver, but did not choose a destination.  As we were driving towards 2 potential spots (Orto and Smoke & Bones), we took a quick right turn onto Pemberton off Marine Drive to see if Douce Diner was full or not.  Normally, Douce only offers brunch, but on Friday and Saturday nights, they do a special dinner called "Feed Your Flock" which included fried chicken and all the fixins.  Lucky for us, they had one table left and as a bonus, it was comedy night!

We didn't go overboard and settled on the 2- Pack Feed Your Flock meal that included 5 pieces of chicken.  It was really a half chicken as it had one drumstick, one thigh, one wing and 2 pieces of breast.  This was some pretty solid fried chicken featuring juicy and tender meat (including the breast) that was encased by a super thin, yet crispy batter.  The skin was fairly well-rendered and the meat was mildly seasoned.  I merely dunked the chicken into their fabulous house-made hot sauce (served on the side).

Included in the meal was a choice of 2 sides and Mijune being Mijune, decided to have ALL the sides!   My favourite of the bunch was the Shoestring Fries.  I already knew I would like them since I had them on a previous visit with their messy and delicious burger.  These thin and crispy fries still retained some potato texture in the middle, but really, they were quite crunchy and well-seasoned.  They were best eaten with the side of side of thick buttery gravy on the side.

There are so many different interpretations of Coleslaw and everyone has their preferences.  For me personally, I dislike overly dressed slaw as well as the type that is pulverized to bits (ie. KFC colesalw).  So the one at Douce was right up my alley.  It was a combination of cabbage, red cabbage and carrots that was lightly dressed.  Refreshing side in my opinion, but for some I can see it being underdressed.

Featuring halved new potatoes, the Potato Salad was also a very simple concoction.  It sported perfectly cooked potatoes where they were fork tender while still retaining a firm texture.  Again, this salad wasn't overdressed, so that it didn't eat overly heavy despite being all potato.  It was mildly seasoned, so I actually dunked it into the hot sauce.  I recommend you do the same if you like spice.

The final option for sides was the Marinated Bean Salad that featured black, kidney and navy beans.  They were prepared perfectly being tender and soft while retaining their appearance and structure.  Another mildly-seasoned salad with some acidity.  Although there probably wasn't any in the salad, for some reason I tasted nutmeg. 

Also included with all meals were Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits and Gravy.  Judging by looks alone, the rise on the biscuits was a clear indication of the buttery and fluffy layers hidden within.  That it was and combined with the crispy and firm exterior, lots of textures at play.  The gravy was pretty solid being buttery and only lightly salty.

Of course Mijune couldn't finish the meal officially until after getting dessert...  So we ended up with the Brûlée Banana Split with pineapple, chocolate and strawberry toppings.  Other than being a delicious banana split, the brûléed banana really elevated the dessert.  With a sweet and smoky hard crunch, it added both texture and another layer of sugary goodness.  Combined with the dessert and the previous meal at Potluck, we didn't finish our fried chicken dinner (yes, to Mijune's dismay...).  It was more than enough food for two (well, we did get all the sides...) and well-prepared.  Good option on the North Shore for eat-in or take-out.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:

- Properly executed fried chicken

- Reasonable-pricing

- That banana split!

The Bad:

- Small diner, so if you don't get a table, you are getting takeout