Just a quickie post — went to the newly-opened-for-two-days, BBQ Chicken aka Chicken & Beer, which is right next door to Honey Pig. It’s such a fun space with a fun mural, a quirky glow-in-the-dark bar, colorful walls, cozy booths, with Korean and American pop songs blasting in the background. By the way, did you know, the name of the restaurant is BBQ Chicken (not barbecue but B-B-Q which stands for Best of the Best Quality). Chicken & Beer is what they serve. Catchy, huh?

A Korean chain, they use 100% olive oil. I was only able to try the Olive Original Chicken and the Olive Sweet Spice Chicken. Oh my gosh, the Olive Original Chicken is soooooooo good. Possibly the best regular Korean fried chicken in town. The skin is super crispy with a slight herby taste and a hint of olive oil. It is so tender and juicy. It. Is. Delicious!!!

The Olive Sweet Spice Chicken is also good. The sauce they use is so garlicky with just a tiny hint of heat (would have liked it to be more spicy). It is not cloyingly sweet and the consistency of the sauce is just right (not too sticky and gooey).

But wait. You wanna know what would really blow your mind? The waffle fries. Imported from Korea, the pieces are small but they are so crispy with no hint of sogginess or oiliness. The Cajunish-cheese dusting they’re sprinkled with makes them oh so wonderful. Mind blowing. I kid you not.

Prices for 2-pc combos (with a side, salad and drink) start at $6.95, half-order chickens start at $9.45, and whole chickens start at $17.95. The menu is quite big with salad, wings, and burgers.

Do it! NOW.

BBQ Chicken (Chicken & Beer)
3473 Old Norcross Rd.,
Duluth, GA 30096
678-417-6464

Technorati Tags: chicken, KFC, Korean fried chicken, Duluth, Atlanta

Pedestrian, run-of-the-mill Korean fried chicken. Small pieces. Okay batter. Get the plain ones. The spicy kind isn’t spicy at all and I really can’t get past the thick, gooey, cloyingly sweet sauce the chicken pieces are covered with.

The wings have potential, however. Crispy. Spicy. Juicy. Tiny.

Did you know what’s good, though? The chicken livers. The cornstarch batter is thin and crispy. The livers are fresh and tasty. Yum.

There’s no rice at this place. Yet. But plans are underway. Maybe next week, I was told by the motherly owner/chef/mom. So you’ll have to eat your chicken with fries. Frozen crinkly ones that are crispy fried. Surprisingly good.

For a limited time: chicken + pizza = $27.99. I’d rather spend my money next door.

Kko Kko Chicken and Pizza
3230 Steve Reynolds Blvd
Ste 108
Duluth, GA 30096
(678) 502-7226

Technorati Tags: Korean fried chicken, Duluth

Since the chef hasn’t changed, no visit to this place is complete without their old specialty: man doo. These huge Korean dumplings are filled with lots of ground pork, minced tofu and green Asian cabbage. The wonton wrappers are soft and moist and the fillings are perfectly seasoned. The sweetish-salty dipping sauce adds depth of flavor. Yummy. (Side note: did you know that BHFM was among the first in Atlanta to mass produce man doo? About 10 years ago, they had a Korean food section where cooked food, pre-marinated meets, assorted banchan, and man doo were made. Two Korean ladies and one man made man doo all day long, every single day. They had two kinds, steamed to order, and the best man doo in town. My mom used to bring home three dozen or so pieces every week she went there. I miss those!)

The hot pot takes center stage here now. For $29.99, two people can share a shabu meal that is simply quite the best in town. A pot of fresh vegetables and mushrooms in kimchi broth is simmered on the table top stove. With it comes a plate of beautiful ribbons of paper-thin meat and a bowl of thick noodles. The kimchi broth is spot on.  It is spicy good.  The veggies are so fresh, and the noodles are chewy.  Truly delicious.

There is a proper way to eat Korean hot pot:

•  let the pot boil
• add small amounts of meat
• serve meat, veggies, and broth onto your own bowl
• dip meat into dipping sauce with wasabi mixed in to it before eating
• repeat until all meat is gone
• lastly, add the noodles, let boil
• when most of your hot pot is gone, leftovers will be transferred to a serving bowl

Now comes the best part — a bowl of rice, minced beef, and chopped greens, topped with a raw egg will be cooked in the same pot. Let me tell you that this is the best bibimbap (minus the chili paste) I have ever tasted. The egg and the kimchi-laced pot adds so much flavor. It is the best “fried rice” ever!

Aside from two kinds of hot pots (regular and ribeye), they also still have their famous Korean fried chicken which sets you back $16 and although they are small pieces, they give you quite a lot. It is the best Korean fried chicken in town, by the way. The spicy garlic fried chicken is a little less expensive and as good but I prefer the plain fried chicken.

Insider tip:
Sodas are $1 with one free refill — beware, they come from 2-liter bottles which tasted like they were opened one too may days ago.

The scoop:
Shabu King
2550 Pleasant Hill Rd.
Duluth, GA 30096
(770) 476-8599

Technorati Tags: man doo, Korean, shabu, hot pot, Duluth, GA, Gwinnett, Korean fried chicken