The most important thing to know about Seoul Fried Chicken is to order and pay ahead of time, lest you find yourself in the daily outside lineup of pour souls torturing themselves in the wafting scents of SFC’s deep-fried delights. It’s much better to be the person showing up, with your buy-10-get-one-free card in hand, after receiving an “order ready” confirmation text. That way, you can collect your bounty and smile smugly at the salivating masses as you head off to chow down much sooner than they will. Point being: It’s absolutely worth waiting in line for, but good god, why would you do that to yourself?
Assuming you don’t immediately devour your meal in the parking lot — and hey, no judgment here — it’s important to keep it out of reach on the way home. If you’re driving, we suggest putting it in the back seat and keeping the windows down so the smell doesn’t overwhelm and tempt you into having “just a taste,” leading to a full-on feasting, getting grease all over the steering wheel and causing a crash.
Maybe put it in the trunk, just to be safe.
Because SFC isn’t a snack. It’s not something to nibble on while watching a show. It’s a meal that demands your undivided attention and will bring out your inner caveperson as you slam your fist on the table and say “ohmygodsogood” every third or fourth bite (just me?).
The menu has a nice variety — Golden Kari’s Japanese curry powder is unique in the fried chicken world and the G.P. Cheese is decadently delicious — but always include Garlic Soy in your order, because it’s the best flavour. I don’t mean best flavour at Seoul Fried — I mean best flavour, of anything, in Edmonton (in my opinion). After my second night of leftovers (you should always order enough for leftovers and never share), I made a mental note for next time to order some Garlic Soy side sauce just to dip the other flavoured chicken in. Thinking about it now, I’m wondering if it might work as a nice salad vinaigrette, too.
7904b 104 St. NW, 780-761-3616, seoulfried.com
Fried chicken with beer may not have originated in Korea, but the combination is so beloved that it’s been dubbed chimaek, a mash-up of the Korean words for “chicken” and “beer.” Chimaek is also the inspiration behind Liger Ale, the latest collaboration between Seoul Fried Chicken and Situation Brewing and the perfect one-two punch on the end of a fried chicken combination. The duo is such a no-brainer that calling it “chicken and beer” just feels redundant.
One order of chimaek, please!
This article appears in the September 2021 issue of Edify
