Happy Day Metro House, Burnaby (Metrotown)

Beyond kimchi, there is KFC. I don’t mean the stuff that Col. Sanders in Kentucky makes. I am talking about Korean Fried Chicken. Sure it’s similar to Church’s but KFC (  yangnyeom chikin) has a whole new meaning. You will most likely be consuming this with a group of friends, drinking soju and downing a few beers. You will most likely not be sitting at home alone with a 20 piece bucket, drinking grape juice and downing your sorrows in front of the tube. You will be served Korean side dishes aka banchan while listening to KPOP music playing in the background. You will not be eating fries drenched with powder mixed gravy.

KFC is amazing. I mean the fried chicken is seasoned and prepared in a way that the fat is removed from the skin. The result of that is a thin crust that is almost transparent. Crispy. Crunchy. Crackling.

Happy Day in Metrotown or as my friends and I like to call it Happy Chicken. This Korean restaurant is located between Nelson Ave and Royal Oak Ave on Kingways. We come here for happy hour. We come here for dinner. And we come here for late nights (open until 2am on some nights).

 

 

Chicken Tenderloins

Crispy and juicy chicken strips. Comes with a side of chips and dipping sauce!

Half Spicy / Half Non-Spicy KFC

A mixture of dark meat and drumsticks. The spicy sauce gently coats the fried chicken. While it is initially sweet and mild to taste, it slowly generates heat in your mouth. The sauce reminds me a bit of buffalo wings, but the ginger, soy sauce and Korean chilli paste keeps the flavour unique. Of course, you can always ask them to add more heat to your sauce.

 

 

 

Padak

Padak is a unique KFC with small pieces of fresh spring green onions and mustard honey sauce. When you look at the gorgeous protein it definitely stimulates your appetite. Golden brown flaky breading. The taste is sweet yet slightly sour. Refreshing and something rare to encounter when you eat fried chicken. The spicy taste of spring onion and tangy mustard sauce reduces the greasiness of everyday KFC. If you’ve never had this amazing chicken, I strongly encourage you to lick your fingers to it and wash it down with a cold pint of beer.

Of course, Happy Day also serves your typical Korean staples such as JapChae (it’s alright), SoonDooBoo Tofu Soup (the mushroom one is pretty good), and Seafood Pancake (typical, nothing special).

Come hungry. Come lots. Good food is best shared among friends!