The only KFC that counts is Korean Fried Chicken

« It’s sweet, sour and salt, what more do you want? » Kwon Joong-Gon (52) has just eaten fried chicken with two colleagues in the entertainment center of the Young-Ro district in the South Korean capital Seoul and at least 95 will say that they love fried chicken.  » In front of the restaurant in the evening cold, the scent of fried chicken mixes with that of cigarettes.

Kwon and his colleagues have eaten real ‘Korean Fried Chicken’. Of course, everyone acknowledges that fried chicken in South Korea was introduced by the Americans, who have been present in the country since 1945. But when you make a comparison with Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), often for Dutch people the first association with fried chicken, Seoul is soon scamped. « The American version is crispy and crispy, it is only about the texture, » says Kwon. « With Korean chicken it is about the combination of flavors, through the sauce and the preparation method. That feeling … In addition, the water just runs into my mouth. »

Lee Ho-Kyung (56) has been running a little further since about seven chicken restaurant Michindak. « At KFC it is only about the batter and the crust and only dip sauce is served, » he says among the chain students. The Korean version is a full dish, with various sauces that are an essential part of it. « 

In South Korea, it is often said, would be more fried chickens than McDonald’s branches worldwide. According to the figures, this was still the case in 2020. Since then, the number of McDonald’s restaurants has grown to 43,477 in 2024, according to the most recent figures from South Korea, from 2022, there are just fewer chicken restaurants in the country: 41,436. But that is still a huge number, for a country with 51 million inhabitants.

Many of those restaurants are with the term chimakek described, a contraction of chicken (the English chicken) and beer (maekju In Korean). « The chicken is pretty fat and sticky, then a nice fresh beer is perfect, » says Kwon. Korean lager is often lighter and less bitter than Dutch brands. Lee Ho-Kyung: « Both chicken and beer are cheap in South Korea. Because it is a simple dish, it also appeals to so many people. »

In Korea, students often eat chicken on Friday, to herald the weekend. It is popular to watch sports competitions in a chimaek tent. « My father and his generation used to get salary on Friday, then they came home with bags full of fried chicken to celebrate, » Kwon recalls. « That childhood memory is affiliated with this dish. »

Korean Fried Chicken has also been on the rise in the Netherlands in recent years. Sojubar now has seven branches. Gangnam Chicken is located in Amsterdam and The Hague. Yoonjung Sunwoo (36) was born and raised in South Korea and opened pick-up restaurant Sonmat in the heart of Utrecht in 2020. In 2023 she moved to a larger building with a larger kitchen. « Now I hope to be able to expand a chain of Sonmat branches for the next five to ten years. »

« My favorite is the Yangnyeom chicken, chicken with sweet and sour sauce, » says Sunwoo. « It is a pleasant surprise for many Dutch people that chicken can be sweet, sour, salt and spicy – while the chicken remains juicy. At KFC the chicken is salt and spicy, but not sweet. »

Grab

On her menu she keeps the Korean names, as a tribute to the origin, but also in the hope that the names here will ever be so established as Sushi and Maki. She sees that many chains such as Sojubar and restaurants also focus on Korean chicken and certain all-you-can-end sushi restaurants ‘Korean’ for their fried chicken have put themselves on the menu. « But it’s a difficult dish to make, » said Sunwoo. She is happy that the dish is working broadly in the Netherlands, but personally finds many versions poor.

« It helps that the Dutch are already familiar with Eastern cuisines and keep garlic and onion – and of course with sweets, » says Sunwoo. She expects Korean Fried Chicken in the Netherlands to only get bigger. “Korean drama series (for example Crash Landing On Youed.) Promote chimakek regularly in scenes and also K-pop artists such as BTS advertise on social media (and in their own series BTS In The Sooped.), More and more Dutch people follow that via Netflix and other streaming platforms, « said Sunwoo. If she used to have had a tough day in South Korea, she ordered Yangnyeom chicken to cheer herself. » For me it is really soul food, that term is also in my logo. « 

Sunwoo: « I would love it if Korean restaurants with dishes such as Bibimbap, Bulgogi, Japchae and Korean barbecue get a prominent place in the Dutch culinary landscape, as is all the case with Italian and Chinese cuisines. »

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