Pelicana Chicken (Robson)

It goes without say that there are a bleep-load of KFC joints all over the Lower Mainland.  I'm not talking about Kentucky Fried Chicken either, rather, I'm referring to Korean Fried Chicken.  Once upon a time, it was merely a menu item at some Korean restaurants and we had late night spots such at Ajuker.  Now, we have several chains in town and a spattering of independent shops to compliment the restaurants that already serve KFC.  I have yet to try Pelicana Chicken and luck would have it, we were invited to try them out, specifically the Robson location.

So Pelicana ups the ante somewhat as they not only serve KFC, but also some classic items too.  Case in point, they have a variety of Kimbap.  We chose to try the Beef and Tuna Mayo.  These were crammed full of ingredients with just enough rice surrounding it.  The beef was tender, meaty and slightly spicy.  Veggies were tender with a bit of crunch from the spinach and pickled radish.  I really loved the tuna mayo as it was creamy, fishy (in a good way) and also a bit spicy.

For our selection of KFC, we had 3 small orders of Spicy Yang Nyum, Original and Soy Chicken.  These large dark meat nuggets were super juicy (literally juice and fat running out of it) and tender.  On the outside, the thin batter was crispy, even after being tossed in sauce.  I loved the spicy yang nyum as it was sweet with a nice kick.  Original was pretty typical with only a light brine on the chicken.  The soy was good too with enough saltiness balanced by some sweetness.

If some of the components of this Bibimbap look familiar, then you would be right.  Smartly using the some of the veggies and the beef for both this dish and the kimbap, they are able use these for more than one item.  This bibimbap was definitely rustic looking, but it ate really well with lots of toppings.  The veggies were well-prepared while the kimchi radish provided some spicy crunch.  We had some gochujang on the side where we mixed it into the rice.  Satisfying.

Staying with rice bowls, we also tried the Spicy Chicken Rice Bowl.  This not only included a chewy rice base, there was a bit of fried noodle and salad on top too.  The spicy chicken did live up to its namesake with a rice red pepper spiciness that had a touch of tanginess and sweetness. I felt the white onions were necessary for texture and taste, but it could've been cooked through just a bit more as it was rather sharp tasting.  Otherwise, this was a very flavourful dish.

Our last rice bowl happened to be the Pork Katsu Curry also with fried egg noodle and salad in addition to the rice.  The cutlet itself was tender while somewhere in between dry and moist.  The breading was crispy while not being particularly greasy-tasting. With the curry on the side, it allowed us to keep the breading crispy until we poured it on top.  I found the flavour to be strong enough that I could taste the curry spices.  It was nicely balanced and not as sweet as the Japanese version.

I know, I know, the Tornado Potato is quite the novelty item that can be found at the Night Market or PNE, but I really like it!  This one was crispy, well-seasoned and we enjoyed picking it off the skewer!  We ended our meal with the Bungeopang stuffed with custard and also sweet red bean paste.  Nicely browned and crispy on the outside, it yielded warm and sweet insides.  Nice treat for adults and kids alike.  Overall, the food at Pelicana is solid and reasonably-priced.  Great for takeout!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Juicy and flavourful KFC
- Solid rice bowls
- Biiiig Kimbap

The Bad:
- Not the best place to eat in, limited seating

  

Marifresh

Oh the humble Kimbap, a Korean sushi roll with various things in it that somewhat resemble a bibimbap.  I really love it when they cram copious amounts of tuna into the roll.  There are several places that specialize in Kimbap with one of the best now sadly closed due to a fire in the retail complex.  So where do I get my fix?  I mean I've tried the Costco one as well as Trader Joe's but how about something fresh and you can pickup easily after ordering online?  Well that would be Marifresh in the Coho Commissary on East Georgia.  I did just that and tried a bunch of their wares.

Before I got to the various versions of Kimbap, I dug into their Korean Fried Chicken first.  You can get a variety of sauces to go with the chicken such as Yangnyeom (as shown in the picture).  I found the chicken to have a light and crunchy batter than was seasoned.  The chicken itself was juicy and tender.  I liked how this was not greasy and even the parchment was not oily as a result.  Dipping the chicken into the sauce, it was balanced being sweet and spicy.

 

They also have a self-proclaimed World's Best Kimchi Fried Rice.  I have to say it as pretty darn good!  Chewy and discernible, each grain of rice was sweet and spicy with natural aroma.  This was fried with pork belly and spam so that there was plenty of body and umaminess.  The kimchi itself provided some crunch and tang while there was only a mild spice to it.  A runny sunny side egg help add some yolky goodness.  Oh and that coleslaw on the side was fresh, crunchy and tangy.

Currently, they have the Squid Game Combo consisting of Squid Ink Mari, Korean Fried Chicken, Dalgona Cookie and choice of beverage.  If you tag and post on IG, you will also get a Marifresh tote bag.  I won't get into the KFC as I have talked about that already but the Squid Ink Mari was a rather tasty and filling creation.  Keeping with the theme of the combo, the squid ink rice encased fried squid, jalapeno and chili pickle.  Naturally, with these components, we had some spice, tanginess and crunch to go with the tender squid.

Onto the selection of mari including the Spam Cheese Egg Mari and Tuna Mari.  First and foremost, I appreciated the care they put into constructing the kimbap.  Things were rolled tight so nothing fell apart while it wasn't too tight either.  That meant the texture wasn't too dense.  I like the rice where it was chewy and nicely aromatic.  For the Spam Mari, there was the usual buttery saltiness, but the egg really added fluffiness and brought the saltiness down.  As for the tuna, it was dressed in enough mayo so that it was not stiff nor dry.  Loved the crunch from the veggies.

The last 2 items was the Keto Bulgogi Mari and Spicy Pork Mari.  I found the bulgogi mari to be filling and without the rice, ate very well.  The sweet and tender meat combined with the crunchy daikon made for some great mouth feel.  As for the Spicy Pork, it was sweet with some kick.  As with all of the mari, the amount of rice was perfect.  Just enough that it let the components take the lead.  Overall, the options at Marifresh were carefully constructed and ultimately delicious.  Really have a craving for it as I write this blog post.  Would order again for sure!

*Some items were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Carefully constructed mari that is not overloaded with rice

- KFC is great!

- Reasonable pricing

The Bad:

- Purely takeout, so plan accordingly to enjoy the food at its best state

Seoul Bowl (Lincoln Square)

This food adventure started by us being totally baffled as where to eat for lunch today.  Yes, that happens and especially when we didn't do any research, it made it just a bit harder.  We tried to hit up several spots but they were all completely full.  Serves us right for not making any reservations for a weekend.  We made our way to Lincoln Square in Downtown Bellevue and stumbled upon Seoul Bowl.  It is located in a really tiny food court and they go by a self-service ordering system.  That worked pretty well, but the food did take awhile to come out.

We decided to try out their Traditional Seoul Wings served on a bed of fries.  This was the 8 piece order, but there is also a 16 piece if you were hungry or wanted to share.  These took forever to come out and we actually had these last.  I found them to be quite crispy with somewhat rendered skin.  The meat was tender and moist but lacking in a bit of flavour.  Underneath, there were some skinny fries and they were crispy but not dry. 

We had 2 bowls including the Bulgogi Bowl loaded with beef rib eye, roasted corn, kale, pickled jalapenos, pickled radish, sweet Asian salad, sweet mashed potatoes, caramelized onion and kimchi cucumber.  Yes, that was a lot of toppings and it actually outnumbered the amount of rice underneath.  Suffice to say there was plenty of texture and flavors including crunch, tang and spice.  I thought the meat was tender and nicely marinated.  Only issue is that there was so much in this bowl, things got a bit wet. 

We also got the Spicy Pork Bowl with all of the same toppings.  By virtue of being spicy, the pork had more impact while being tender and moist.  I didn't mention the rice yet, but thankfully it was on the drier side which worked well with both the sweet soy and yum yum sauce.  Not to mention, this lessened the impact from all of the wet components.  It was basically eating all the banchan, rice and meat in one bowl.  We often do that anyways at Korean restaurants.

Lastly, we got more fries for some odd reason in the Cheese Fries.  These were just like the ones found with the wings but tossed in cheese powder.  They were crispy, but not as crispy as I would've liked because they were sitting for a bit while waiting for the chicken to cook.  The timing was a little off so these got a bit cold and soft.  I think the food at Seoul Bowl is completely serviceable and satisfying to most.  Maybe not my personal favorite, but did the job considering we were out of lunch options.

The Good:
- They really load up the bowls
- Wings were quite good
- Fair pricing

The Bad:
- Maybe the bowls are too loaded?
- Timing for the fried items are off

Yory Korean Cuisine

There seems to be a new Korean restaurant opening up every month now.  Way back when I was a kid (yah, that was awhile ago...), we had a limited selection of Korean restaurants.  Now, it wouldn't be a surprise to find a decent one in any location across the Lower Mainland.  I've been noticing that more and more Korean restaurants are opening up in Surrey and Langley that can rival some of the best along North Road in Burquitlam.  The latest one on my radar is Yory Korean Cuisine out in Fleetwood in Surrey.  Jackie and I were invited to check it out.

We had a wide selection of dishes including their Assorted Seafood Pancake.  This was quite the robust version with a thicker-than-usual pancake loaded with seafood and green onion.  Despite being on the thicker side, the pancake did not eat heavy.  Sure, it was not exactly light, but it was not doughy nor dense.  It was almost fluffy with a nicely seared exterior being crispy.  Inside, the seafood was not overdone while the amount of green onion was limited.  Hence it wasn't one note in flavour.

One item that really caught our eye was the Deep Fried Flounder.  For only $21.95 this was one massive flounder.  It was heavily battered and deep fried to perfection.  Beyond the crunchy exterior, the fish itself was flaky and moist.  The fish was naturally sweet and was not fishy at all.  It was served with a spicy dip that really brought the dish to life.  This was the a la carte version where one could also have it in a dinner set.  It costs a bit less and I assume the flounder would be smaller.  For this one, I found it a good value and perfect for sharing.

Next, we had the Wang Jokbal or pork hock cooked in sweet soy and served with ssam jang, shrimp sauce, lettuce, garlic and jalapeno.  Somewhat similar concept to bossam, the sliced pork hock is wrapped in lettuce (rather than Napa cabbage) with all of the condiments.  I found the pork hock to be excellent being tender with nicely gelatinized fat and skin.  It was flavourful from the sweet soy braise while balanced out by the spicy ssam jang and fermented flavour of the shrimp sauce.

We also spotted KFC (Korean Fried Chicken) on the menu and of course we ordered some!  We got half & half of Sweet Soy and Spicy & Sweet Boneless Chicken.  This was a pretty large portion where we found large nuggets of dark meat.  The batter on the outside was crunchy despite being completely sauced.  Inside, the meat was juicy and tender.  Personally, I love the sweet soy flavour the most and this one didn't disappoint.  It was plenty tasty with with more sweetness than saltiness.  The spicy was no slouch either with a good balance between spice and sweetness.

The biggest item we had was the Jeon Gol Hansang (Korean Hot Pot).  We chose the Bulgogi Mushroom Jeon Gol with thinly sliced beef ribeye, glass noodles, mushrooms, Napa cabbage, rice cake, wood ear, green onion and crown daisy.  For $46.95, this was a fair portion where it would be best to share with 4 people (along with other dishes).  I found the broth to be sweet and clean while taking on the meatiness of the raw beef and umaminess from the assorted mushrooms.  Loved the glass noodles where it soaked up all of the deliciousness of the ingredients.

Their best value, in my opinion are their Hansang (limited to 15 per day).  We had the SoonDuBu Bakban Hansang for $19.95 and it included choice of pork cutlet or fried chicken, choice of seafood, meat or mushroom tofu soup, rice and assorted side dishes.   The side dishes included japchae, banchan, octopus and pancake.  I found the pork cutlet to be crispy from the panko coating, yet a touch dry on the inside due to the leanness of the meat.  The soup was full of ingredients and naturally sweet.

Just for kicks, we added the Spicy Kimchi Cheese Fried Rice served on a cast iron plate.  Although it wasn't really sizzling that much by the time it arrived at our table, there was a cheese crust on the bottom that was both nutty and texturally appealing.  When mixed with the rice and runny sunny side egg, there were layers of texture including the stringy cheese and silky yolk with the flavourful rice.  I liked the fact that the rice was a bit spicy, sweet and savoury without being sour from the kimchi.

We also had the Corn Cheese also served on a sizzling cast iron plate.  The cheese crust for this dish was much more aggressive being crispy and nutty.  Beyond the aroma, it added a nice crunch to the corn niblets and stringy cheese.  About the corn, it was grilled enough so that there was caramelization with intense sweetness.  Overall, the food at Yory was good and well-portioned.  Loved some of the unique items on the menu too including the great value Hansang.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Generally tasty

- Good portions

- Great value with the Hansang

The Bad:

- Staff can be kept very busy when the restaurant is full

Nadri Korean Cuisine & Fried Chicken

It has been quite some time since I last visited Nadri tucked away near the Hannam Market on the Burnaby side of North Road.  It is technically a food stall in a very quiet food court, but in reality, it is a restaurant because there is plenty of seating and also there is full-service.  Whatever the case, they really do dish up excellent Korean eats in big portions while doing it for very reasonable prices.  A truly hidden gem that is both a gem and actually hidden!  You might miss it on your first try finding it!

Well, I knew where it was and met up with 3 other foodies for a tasting (Jess, Eileen and Joyce).  Of course we had to start with their well-known house-made Half & Half Dumplings (Pork and Kimchi).  As you can clearly see, the dumpling skin was thin with some translucency.  There was elasticity to the dough, but the dumplings did get stuck to the silicon mat though.  For me, I loved both dumplings, but the kimchi stood out due to the slight spice and tanginess.

Staying with the classics, we also had the Half & Half KFC featuring Snowing and Sweet & Spicy Korean fried chicken.  Unlike the last time I was here, the chicken was boneless.  The picture doesn't do the portion size justice as it was massive!  Loved the crispy batter that was definitely there without being too heavy.  The chicken itself was succulent.  There was no shortage of seasoning as the snowing was completely coated with powdered cheese.  I found the sweet and spicy to be nicely balanced and not too sweet.

If we thought the KFC was a large portion, the Pork Tangsuyook overwhelmed us with a mountain of perfectly fried meat.  The lean pork was still juicy and was coated with starch that was crispy with some appealingly glutinous parts.  Of course the tangsuyook wouldn't be complete without the sweet & sour sauce right?  Well, it was served on the side, as usual, to maintain the crispy integrity of the pork.  The sauce was excellent with the right viscosity (so it adhered to each piece) and being tangy forward with balancing sweetness.

Typically, Jajangmyeon features noodles topped with a black bean onion sauce where you would need to mix the dish yourself.  However, we were served a stir-fried version in the House Special Black Bean Noodles.  There are a few differences other than being pre-mixed.  There was quite the amount seafood added to the mix while I found there was a bit of spice.  Furthermore, this portion size was pretty large.  In the end, this was delicious where the noodles were chewy and the sauce was flavourful being sweet and briny with some spice.

Staying a bit on the same flavour profile, we had the Seafood Fried Rice that sported a considerable amount of black bean sauce on the side.  Hence, we got the same vibes as the last dish except with fried rice.  About that rice, it was moist, yet still dry at the same time.  Good wok fry that made things aromatic.  Lots of seafood hidden within and when mixed with the black bean sauce, we got plenty of moisture, sweetness from the onions and overall savouriness.

Lastly, we had the Galbi Champong Noodles featuring their Instafamous big beef bones (can find this at Kang's too!).  Noodles in this were plentiful and chewy while the spicy seafood broth was briny with a bite.  But really, it was all about the fall-off-the-bone beef that was rich and tender.  Good compliment to the soup and noodles.  As you can see, the food looks fantastic at Nadri.  Yes it also tastes good with all the right textures and flavours.  To top it off, the portions are large and the prices are not expensive.  

*All food was complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Delicious
- Inexpensive
- Large portions

The Bad:
- Not the sexiest of places, but you come for the food right?
- A bit hard to find

Le Coq Frit

I'm sure you might be shocked that with my fried chicken sandwich obsession, I would've visited Le Coq Frit already.  Well, if you follow my IG account: @shermaneatschickensandwiches you will know that I haven't updated in awhile despite indulging in chicken sandwiches including Howlin' Rays in LA.  I guess I will have to update the account now since Le Coq Frit decided to have me in to try their chicken sandwich!

Now about that sandwich, we were served the Signature Spicy Chicken Burger with coleslaw, pickles and house sauce on brioche.  As you can see, this was an enormous chicken breast that we found was moist and coated with a light crunchy batter.  It was completely sauce where it was mildly spicy with balancing sweetness and some tang.  The coleslaw was crunchy and not very acidic, yet the pickles made up for that.  The use of brioche was a good choice as the bun conformed to the shape of the chicken breast and held things together.  Solid chicken sammie!

We can't forget the sides either as the burger comes with fries, but there are options for yam fries and in this case, Onion Rings.   I'm talking about these separately because they were really good.  The batter was fairly thin and was uniformly crunchy (and cooked through).  Inside, the onion was tender, yet not completely melted away.  Hence, we got the natural sweetness with a mild sharpness.  Didn't even need to dip it into sauce as it was good on its own.

Beyond this, the Chicken & Waffles was equally good.  This featured the Original Black Coq Frit dressed in honey garlic and soy sauce.  These large pieces of deep-fried chicken thighs were absolute money.  Juicy and tender, they were coated with a light batter than was crunchy and featured rendered skin.  The flavours were apparent and appealing with the sweetness of the honey balanced by the soy sauce.  Crispy garlic added crunch and aromatics.  The croffles on the side were crispy, flaky and light.  They were an excellent compliment to the chicken as they weren't heavy.

Our last item was the Chicken Salad with fried chicken tenders, mixed greens and house dressing. Nothing really complex about this one, but completely welcomed as we were able to get some greens.  Dressing was tangy and sweet while the chicken was tender with a crunchy batter.  Overall, I enjoyed the food at Le Coq Frit as their sammie was solid as well as their KFC.  Loved their croffle too.  Great place to grab some takeout if you were in the mood for fried chicken.

*All food and bevvies were complimentary for this post*

The Good:
- Properly fried chicken (crunchy while still tender inside)
- Competitive spicy fried chicken sammie
- Nice people

The Bad:
- Truly takeout, only a few counter seats  

Nene Chicken

Even since I first tried Nene Chicken, I've considered it one of the best places to grab some KFC (Korean Fried Chicken).  To prove my point, I've actually gotten takeout from them several times on my own coin!  With so many options for KFC, this is the first place I would go for it in the GVRD.  Now their Downtown location on Davie has added a few new items including Korean dishes to compliment their KFC and chicken burgers.  I was invited to try some of these just before heading to Le Coq Frit!  Double KFC day!

To get an overview of their KFC, we were served the Boneless Double Double Chicken featuring Swicy, CreamyOn, Soy Garlic and Snowing Cheese.  We added the fries on the side for good measure.  These big nuggets of leg meat were juicy and buttery while coated with a crispy batter.  My personal fav was the soy garlic with its sweet and sticky garlicky sauce.  Can't go wrong with the swicy as it had a kick and sweetness.  Totally covered in cheese powder, the snowing cheese was the crunchiest and plenty cheesy.  Finally, the creamyon was topped with onions and sweet mayo.  It was a combination of sharpness and creaminess.

One of their new items completely caught me by surprise.  The Magic Tofu Dice in soy garlic was so delicious!  It featured diced nuggets of medium-firm tofu that were coated and deep-fried.  Then they were sauced with soy garlic and topped with green onion.  Crispy and light, the tofu were great on their own, but the soy garlic added the tangy sweet and salty flavour that was addicting.  I would totally order these the next time I'm a Nene.

Onto some Korean dishes, we had the Rose Tteok Bok Ki that came as a pretty large portion.  It featured tender pieces of Korean rice cake that still had a bite, but were not that heavy.  They were sitting in a rose sauce that was plenty cheesy.  This would've been great on pasta, let alone rice cake.  But in reality, it ate like a Korean pasta due to the rice cake.  It was creamy with some spice and tang with the stringiness of the ample cheese.

Our last dish was the Nene Kimchi Hot Pot served with Korean black rice (but is really purple when cooked).  This was tangy and spicy with background sweetness.  We spooned the broth onto the rice and it soaked up all the goodness.  Due to the robust texture of the rice, it stood up to the moisture.  Furthermore, the little nuggets of pork really added depth and texture to the dish.  As expected, the KFC at Nene was excellent, but the Korean dishes were definitely a surprise.  Loved them all and was not expecting such items on the menu.  Completely changes the experience at Nene with more options other than chicken.

*This visit was complimentary*

The Good:

- Juicy pieces of KFC with equally tasty flavours

- Didn't eat the burgers this time, but they are good too!

- Surprising new Korean dishes

The Bad:

- As with anything these days, prices can get up there

NeNe Chicken

I first tried NeNe Chicken way back when they opened their first location on Kingsway in April 2021.  The KFC was awesome and that prompted me to return a few more times including their new location on Davie.  However for some reason or another, I didn't blog about any of these experiences.  Fast forward to the present and I still am a NeNe chicken fan, so on my last visit, I decided to finally write up a post.  For those who are unfamiliar, NeNe chicken is a chain out of South Korea and they are actually imported special deep-fryers to ensure that their KFC fries up perfectly.

Of course we have to start this post in talking about the Original flavour.  We ended up getting a half and half order with the other being the Snowing Cheese.  Both were boneless, which makes it much easier to eat.  Every time I've had these boneless little dark meat nuggets, they have been juicy and tender.  Moreover, the skin is completely rendered and crunchy.  I find the chicken itself has plenty of inherent flavour of its own.  The snow cheese adds a cheesy sweetness that coats the entire piece of fried chicken.  The kids love it.

The fan favourite flavour has to be the Soy Garlic.  Hence, we decided on a full boneless order of that particular flavour.  Once again, each nugget of chicken was crispy with well-rendered skin.  It was coated in just enough glaze that the whole thing wasn't dripping with sauce.  About that glaze, it was sweet, sticky and garlicky with a touch of ginger.  Each order also included a cup of pickled daikon.

Off to the spicy versions, I got the bone-in half and half of the Hot Bling and Swicy.  I gotta say the hot bling did live up to its name by having a kick with some sweetness.  As for the swicy, it was more sweet than spicy, but still had some heat due to the chilis.  Since these were bone-in, it included some white meat.  Of course it wasn't as juicy, but it wasn't dry either.  So did I notice more flavour with the bone-in?  Possibly, especially for the drumstick.  However, I would go for boneless for the convenience and seemingly more meat.

On previous visits, I've tried all of their chicken sandwiches including the Hawaiian Terri Burger, Hot Bling Burger, Twin Cheese Burger and Yes Burger.  My favourite is the hot bling due to the spiciness.  They use fried chicken thigh here and it is juicy and crispy.  I consider all of them to be pretty solid.  In fact, the chicken at NeNe is excellent and for me, consistent.  Wait times can be a little long due to the process involved and existing orders.  Best to do an online pickup order to avoid that.  Not the cheapest option out there, but worth the money IMO.

The Good:
- Juicy fried KFC
- Consistent
- Burgers are good too

The Bad:
- Wait times can be long
- On the pricier side