Nadri Korean Cuisine & Fried Chicken

It is always a real delight to find hidden gems, especially when they truly hidden (like you cannot see it unless you knew where it was).  However, Nadri Korean Cuisine & Fried Chicken isn't really a hidden gem per se because it has been around for a year or so.  Therefore, I have totally missed the boat or have been living under a rock to not know about it.  Can I blame it on Covid?  Whatever the case, I finally made it out to try the place, which is located in a food court adjacent to the HanNam market on North Road on the Burnaby side.

One of my favourite Korean dishes is the Tangsuyook and of course I got to try it.  This was a huge portion of large chicken pieces that were fried perfectly.  I often find that the batter can be rather gummy, but this one was light and crispy.  Since they served the sauce on the side, the chicken remained crispy from start to finish.  About that sauce, it was lightly sweet and tangy with plenty of ingredients.

Staying with the deep-fryer, their KFC (Korean Fried Chicken) was fantastic as well.  We got the Honey Garlic and Sweet & Spicy in the bone-in version.  With large leg portions, the chicken was tender and juicy.  Skin was nicely rendered and crispy too.  I found the flavour to be good with the sweet & spicy being the most impactful.  The stickiness of the sauce only helped it stay adhered to each piece.  The honey garlic was more subtle but was still tasty.

Going with the usual classics, we had the Dolset Bibimbap.  As I've always said, this is not a complex dish.  Rather, it is all about the ingredients and the rice.  Well, the ingredients were good and plentiful.  The rice was chewy and not overly wet.  Good thing too because once we added the gochujang, it provided both spice and more moisture.

Next up, we were presented with a large plate of Japchae that was full of ingredients.  I liked how the noodles were not clumped together while not being greasy at the same time.  There was a balance of flavours with enough sweetness and saltiness.  Good essence from the onions and peppers.  There was enough sliced tender beef despite it not being evident in the picture.

They also make their own Dumplings, where we tried the kimchi and the regular pork.  The first thing that we noticed was the paper thin dumpling wrapper which was delicate, but still had an al dente chew.  Inside, the pork filling was soft and moist with a balanced amount of veg.  We preferred the kimchi dumplings as it had a nice kick and tang.

Lastly, we got the Chicken Bulgogi served with a side of rice.  This featured tender strips of chicken that had a nice sear.  It was also well-marinated so it had the classic salty sweet caramelized flavour.  Obviously, we didn't finish all this food and ended up taking the rest home.  This is actually an important point since Nadri is mainly a counter service restaurant, so it is perfectly suited for takeout.  Especially in these uncertain times, this is a great way to enjoy authentic Korean food in a safe environment or from your own home.

*All food was complimentary*

The Good:
- Solid authentic Korean eats
- Good portions
- Great for takeout and delivery

The Bad:
- Limited dining space due to Covid, but it is safe