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Fried Chicken in Vancouver

Keith Talent

By Keith Talent
in Western Canada: Dining

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Keith Talent

Keith Talent

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

So I went to LA Chicken for lunch. I've only driven by this place maybe a thousand times, it would never in a million years occur to me to go in. It's a crappy little storefront locale, in a fourth tier mini mall, who's tennants seem to comprise primarily of businesses that'd like to move up to the third string mini mall across the street. Ordered the two piece combo, spicy. Fries, gravy, chicken and a diet coke for 4.99. Fries are frozen variety, oil seems like it is due for a change. Gravy powdered, but with some added spice that give it some zip. The chicken was very very good. Nice and spicy, crispy, juicy but not greasy at all. I was pleasantly suprised. In fact, I could eat more. Here I am, an hour later, no apparent queasy feeling from too much grease, the most common apres chicken ailment. Not exactly the healthiest lunch, but quite tasty.

Thumbs up. Not worth the trip, but well worth a stop if you find yourself hungry in the neighbourhood. Actually it's quite close for anyone making an Ikea run and not sated by tiny meatballs and herring with rye.

canucklehead

canucklehead

Posted
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I brought some of the regular (non spicy that is) to my friends that live in Richmond over the weekend for their kids. Everyone was very happy with it - especially the kids. It tasted like KFC without the odd pressure cooked sawdust texture / taste.

It was nice to support a local little guy - and for my friend's this will be there new go to guy for fried chicken.

fud

fud

Posted
Posted

^ Adding to my list. Right after Stormin Norman's :)

Anyone tried Juicy's? It's just oh so close to me I might break down and try it.

"There are two things every chef needs in the kitchen: fish sauce and duck fat" - Tony Minichiello

inanimate

inanimate

Posted
Posted

Hm... other top 2 meals before death... I haven't actually figured those out. Lee's is the only one that has a permanent spot on the list.

I should have noted, the fries are nothing to write home about and neither is the gravy. When I go to Lee's, the chicken is the main event.

As well, I only ever order the crispy version and never the regular/famous recipe version. I've had the famous chicken when they toss me a bonus piece (I visit once a month like clockwork).

Honestly, I would go crazy if they had the sides that popeye's has. The chicken at popeye's I've often found good but not terribly exciting, but also small and expensive but the sides have often been great.

I'm thrilled you guys are enjoying the chicken though. I've had too many of my favourite family run food joints close down for lack of business in my lifetime (mirasol + home sweet home).

inanimate.ca
  • 4 months later...
makanmakan

makanmakan

Posted
Posted

I'm dragging this out of the depths of the deep fryer as I've had a serious fried chicken craving for the last few weeks.

Other than Lee's (that I still haven't tried) is there really no where else (other than KFC) that I can fulfill this greasy craving?

Somewhere that I don't have to cross 2 bridges to get to?

Somewhere in the downtown vicinity or am I out of luck?

My greasy fingers thank y'all.

Quentina

Chef Fowke

Chef Fowke

Posted
Posted

A little tangent....

I CRAVE KFC every year or so...usually when I am sick. Last week I went DOWN with a serious virus and ended up in bed for a week. KFC was the answer on the rebound ~ WOW...love the flavour, it is so artifical and nothing in nature compares to it. I love it.

Unfortunately, my wife ate it as well, and spent the night clutching the toilet....

Fried chicken is not for everyone.

Chef Wyles eats it, by the dozen pieces, everytime his wife goes out of town ~ IN ONLY HIS UNDERWEAR AND WITHOUT A NAPKIN.

I am just hoping someone opens a Fried Chicken and Waffle House in Vancouver soon...and knows how to make a proper white gravy with sausage chunks!

oh to dream....

Chef/Owner/Teacher

Website: Chef Fowke dot com

Daddy-A

Daddy-A

Posted
Posted
Chef Wyles eats it, by the dozen pieces, everytime his wife goes out of town ~ IN ONLY HIS UNDERWEAR AND WITHOUT A NAPKIN.

oh to dream....

You are one sick dude. :hmmm:

A.

jtcookie

jtcookie

Posted
Posted
Chef Wyles eats it, by the dozen pieces, everytime his wife goes out of town ~ IN ONLY HIS UNDERWEAR AND WITHOUT A NAPKIN.

oh to dream....

You are one sick dude. :hmmm:

A.

Yes, really! Who would think of eating a bucket of fried chicken "WITHOUT A NAPKIN"?

John

"Venite omnes qui stomacho laboratis et ego restaurabo vos"

bill_n_opus

bill_n_opus

Posted
Posted

I wanted to try out Popeye's last week, dropped by after shopping at Coquitlam Center - looks like closed for renos. Or maybe it's closed for good I don't know.

fud

fud

Posted
Posted

I noticed Popeye's was closed as well (Reno I think) when I was by Coquitlam Centre on Wednesday night. It's still on my list of places to try. I DID go down to the old "Lee's Chicken' off Steveston Highway but was replaced with LA chicken and I don't think it was as good as people say (so I assume it was due to the ownership change).

Incredible fried chicken in Belize though. But that's not really considered Vancouver :biggrin:

"There are two things every chef needs in the kitchen: fish sauce and duck fat" - Tony Minichiello

PaoPao

PaoPao

Posted
Posted

We ate at Diner last night and a new menu item is their "Bucket 'O' Fried Chicken". 2 Large fried thighs served in a little red tin bucket. The chicken was pretty good, really liked the potato salad and Watermelon that came with it.

Daddy-A

Daddy-A

Posted
Posted
The chicken was pretty good, really liked the potato salad and Watermelon that came with it.

You're joking right? Fried chicken & watermelon?

Hey, let's perpetuate some more food stereotypes ... no grits in there? Black eyed peas perhaps?

Jeesh.

A.

PaoPao

PaoPao

Posted
Posted
The chicken was pretty good, really liked the potato salad and Watermelon that came with it.

You're joking right? Fried chicken & watermelon?

Hey, let's perpetuate some more food stereotypes ... no grits in there? Black eyed peas perhaps?

Jeesh.

A.

Wow, I didn't know people were so threatened by Fried Chicken being served with <gasp> watermelon!

Please elaborate on just what you find so offensive and why you believe this is stereotypical...

Jeffy Boy

Jeffy Boy

Posted
Posted
The chicken was pretty good, really liked the potato salad and Watermelon that came with it.

You're joking right? Fried chicken & watermelon?

Hey, let's perpetuate some more food stereotypes ... no grits in there? Black eyed peas perhaps?

Jeesh.

A.

Wow, I didn't know people were so threatened by Fried Chicken being served with <gasp> watermelon!

Please elaborate on just what you find so offensive and why you believe this is stereotypical...

Coupl'a news links might shed some light on it:

Seau says 'watermelon' remark was a joke

King's birthday was mocked on campus with chicken and watermelon

I know a man who gave up smoking, drinking, sex, and rich food. He was healthy right up to the day he killed himself. - Johnny Carson
Xando Head

Xando Head

Posted
Posted (edited)

There is a stereotype aimed at African Americans (particularly those from the U.S. South). It originates (I believe) from old minstrel shows. I'm sure a google will bring up more information.

I'm aware of this stereotype, but I'm not sure how the meal -- served to the masses in Vancouver -- is stereotypical in and of itself.

I've certainly eaten more than my fair share of meals of fried chicken, potato salad and watermelon. It's a very common meal where I come from in southern Maryland. (And yep, we eat grits, black eyed peas and collard greens too).

An interesting side note about Diner's fried chicken -- I'm quite certain they put Old Bay seasoning in the batter...

Edited by Xando Head (log)
Food Lover -- nothing more, nothing less
Mooshmouse

Mooshmouse

Posted
Posted

Fried chicken, potato salad and watermelon: three foods that were part of many a childhood picnic... and you're well aware that I'm far from being of African descent.

I agree with Xando Head's comment on how this meal served to Vancouver's dining public seems fairly inoffensive in and of itself. No more so than Nick's Spaghetti House serving spaghetti and meatballs on red-and-white checkered tablecloths set with candle-wax-laden Chianti bottles.

Joie Alvaro Kent

"I like rice. Rice is great if you're hungry and want 2,000 of something." ~ Mitch Hedberg

BCinBC

BCinBC

Posted
Posted

I've gotta say that Diner serving fried chicken, potato salad and watermelon doesn't strike me as particularly racist either. No I am not black, but I mean seriously, let's say Diner started serving chicken chow mein (pronounced "main") and egg rolls with plum sauce. And no MSG upon request. Would I be offended then? No. I wouldn't order it, but nor would I be offended.

I really, really cannot see racism or perpetuation of stereotypes as Heather's intention. She did not strike me as particularly Fuzzy Zoeller-ish. But perhaps there is only one person here who would know... Ashley_k, what are your thoughts??

My trip report: South of France, September 2005

-----

I'm okay, you're okay!

canucklehead

canucklehead

Posted
Posted

Heather should also make Fried Chicken and Waffle's - totally within her realm of expertise too. MMM MMMMMMM

All of you who are curious about Popeye's - I think that they are kaput. Plus the chicken was not so delicous - the oil did not taste fresh - but the sides were nice.

Had LA Chicken on Friday - and I like more each time I go. It is a good mix of KFC seasoning and homestyle frying. That pressure frying that they do at KFC is seriously wrong. Fried chicken should still taste like chicken. No what I mean?

fud

fud

Posted
Posted (edited)
Had LA Chicken on Friday - and I like more each time I go.  It is a good mix of KFC seasoning and homestyle frying.  That pressure frying that they do at KFC is seriously wrong.  Fried chicken should still taste like chicken. No what I mean?

I musta had an off day with LA chicken because I found it really dry and the skin wasn't crispy. Maybe I'll give it another shake!

Hey any chinese (maybe even any asian) can tell you that fried chicken and watermellon are the perfect yin and yang. One is "hot" and the other is "cool". The net being a happy person. If you eat fried chicken without a 'cooling' element you end up feeling hot and flushed all day (and that wierd scratchy throat feeling).

Gotta balance the heat with the cool. That's why you get them cool plum drinks after hot pot. Mmm...balance is key.

Watermellon is like THE cool food item. It trumps most hot things ;p

p.s. I saw the chicken on the menu at Diner tonight but I had to have the cheeseburger in the grilled cheese. Sorry Pao Pao I had to steal your 'thing'. Man what a wonderful combination. The waiter told me he simply had to try it now.

Edited by fud (log)

"There are two things every chef needs in the kitchen: fish sauce and duck fat" - Tony Minichiello

flowbee

flowbee

Posted
Posted

y'all should try korean-style fried chicken, available with or without that sweet spicy sauce. very nice stuff! there's one place on 41st in Kerrisdale called "Cco Cco Chicken", sort of across the street from the Oasis bubble tea place. We had the plain undressed 1/2 chicken there and it was very nice and juicy, lightly battered and crispy. Not greasy at all.

i'd also recommend H-Mart (Han Au Reum) on North Rd and Lougheed. They've got a stall in the corner selling fried chicken and red bean-filled fish waffles. Even with sauce added, the fried chicken still has the crunchiness of the batter coming through. Delicious!

album of the moment: Kelley Polar - I Need You To Hold On While The Sky Is Falling - 2008
Keith Talent

Keith Talent

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

Just for illustrative purposes, here's what cracker Fuzzy Zoeller said, it's fairly consistant with popular sentiment of a couple genrations ago; "You pat him on the back and say, 'Congratulations' and 'Enjoy it' and tell him not to serve fried chicken next year. Or collard greens. Or whatever the hell they serve," was a joke."

It was in response to Woods picking the Champions dinner menu after winning his first Masters.

canucklehead

canucklehead

Posted
Posted
y'all should try korean-style fried chicken, available with or without that sweet spicy sauce. very nice stuff! there's one place on 41st in Kerrisdale called "Cco Cco Chicken", sort of across the street from the Oasis bubble tea place. We had the plain undressed 1/2 chicken there and it was very nice and juicy, lightly battered and crispy. Not greasy at all.

i'd also recommend H-Mart (Han Au Reum) on North Rd and Lougheed. They've got a stall in the corner selling fried chicken and red bean-filled fish waffles. Even with sauce added, the fried chicken still has the crunchiness of the batter coming through. Delicious!

You can sample the H-Mart chicken at their downtown location - which is great shopping fun btw. The chicken comes is small bone in pieces - mostly dark meat. It caters to the whole Asian chomping on bones kind of thing. The spicy sauce is like a very sweet bbq sauce - and surprisingly - not alot of heat but with strong cinnamon undertones. If you can get your head around it - the chicken itself is very juicy and the batter is nicely crunchy. 4 small pieces set me back $4.

bill_n_opus

bill_n_opus

Posted
Posted
The chicken comes is small bone in pieces - mostly dark meat.  It caters to the whole Asian chomping on bones kind of thing.

You damned racist!

Unless it really does cater to Asian preferences ... then it's just perpetuating the "stereotype" ...

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