Dulan's Soul Food Kitchen

We do far too much Asian food while travelling and at home.  I guess there is something comforting about it.  Well, there is a different type of comfort food that we don't normally have the opportunity to access when we are at home in Vancouver.  Despite the diversity, there is very little-to-no soul food around.  But while in LA, we decided to hit up Dulan's out in Inglewood.  They are well-known for their large portions with all the classics as well as all the sides too!

There was no doubt we would be ordering the Fried Chicken.  This recipe has been passed down generations and it was definitely solid in my books.  The chicken was fairly tender and had a crunchy exterior with rendered skin.  I wouldn't say it was super-flavorful, but it wasn't bland either.  For the sides, we had the Mac & Cheese and Collard Greens.  Soft & cheesy with a seared crust, the mac & cheese was pretty heavy.  This was certainly a comfort version of the dish.  I really liked the collard greens as it did have a beautiful smoked turkey essence.  It was mildly-seasoned and was great with the fried chicken.

Weighing a tonne, the Short Ribs were definitely fork-tender as advertised.  However, due to being rather lean, the meat was on the drier side.  It did have a natural meatiness to them and the stewing juices were sweet from the onions and full-of-depth from the meat.  For the sides, we had the Candied Yams and the String Beans with Carrots.  Soft and incredibly sweet, the yams were texturally-appealing and buttery.  A bit too sweet for me, but I'm sure others enjoy them immensely.  The beans and carrots were pretty typical being soft and naturally-flavoured.

Really enjoyed the Oxtail as they were tender and fell-off-the-bone.  Lots of gelatinous parts and there was plenty of umami meatiness.  Some fall flavors with the seasoning gave it lots of body.  We got the Mashed Potatoes and Corn Bread Dressing as the sides.  Loved the mash as it still had plenty of potato texture left.  The gravy was smooth and not too salty.  As for the bread dressing, it was soft and fluffy while being sweet and aromatic.

So our meals also included Corn Bread.  Really liked eating these as they were moist and fluffy while still having the typical cornbread robust texture.  It had a balanced corn sweetness.  Overall, the food at Dulan's was definitely comforting and you certainly won't go hungry.  Each meal could easily feed 2 less hungry people.  I particularly enjoyed the oxtail and fried chicken.  Most of the sides were good and the corn bread was solid.  So if you are hungry for comfort eats, Dulan's got you covered.

The Good:
- Solid comfort food
- Large portions
- Lots of tasty sides

The Bad:
- Shortrib was a bit dry