Korean fried chicken fanatics looking to appease their afternoon to late-night cravings can now do so at a new quick service restaurant that recently opened up in a Port Coquitlam mall.
The new Pelicana Chicken joint, located at 206-2748 Lougheed Hwy, is open from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Established in 1982 in Daejeon, South Korea, Pelicana Chicken has launched aggressively around the world, including in B.C., with the first Pelicana Chicken in Burnaby in 2020.
The website boasts chicken that is "veggie-fed," non-GMO and cage free, and promises tender meat with spicy, signature sauces.
How it works is you order the style of chicken — bone-in, boneless or wing — and size (half, whole or pieces). Then, you decide whether the sauce should be added to the chicken or on the side.
In a video, Pelicana's cooking method is explained, along with the history of the global giant that opened in 1981 and now has 3,000 stores around the world.
Viewers are told Koreans didn't eat a lot of meat in those days and fried chicken was served as a treat for special occasions, such as sports tournaments or on field trips, where parents would pack it for lunch.
Pelicana was Korea's first fast-food restaurant, according to the video featuring Lee Yunsoo, assistant director for the company, and interest in Pelicana chicken spread as celebrities were shown eating their fried chicken, which comes with a special pickle, and is often enjoyed with a beer.
The video says while the idea for fried chicken comes from the west, Koreans found it too bland.
Pelicano adds spices, marinates its chicken for several hours, fries it twice, and adds more spices and special sauces to beef up the flavour.
