So many new fried chicken restaurants are opening up in Burnaby that it’s hard to keep up with them.
The latest is called bb.q, but it doesn’t do barbecue chicken - it does fried chicken in sweet, savoury and spicy varieties that include a number of different dipping sauces. The company has more than 3,500 locations in 57 countries, including several already opened in the Tri-Cities area.
The first restaurant is coming to the old Chez Meme bistro spot in Burnaby Heights on Hastings Street, just west of Gilmore. The second will be coming to the Metrotown area on Beresford, which is located a block to the south of Metropolis at Metrotown.
bb.q has a menu that takes fried chicken to a different level. There’s the golden original signature crispy version, but there are also several hot and spicy versions, including gang-jeong, Jamaican, mala hot and gangnum style. One item that caught my eye was a cheesling chicken smothered in mascarpone and cheddar cheese powders. There’s also a black pepper chicken, soy garlic and honey and garlic. And you can get wings or other parts of the chicken.
This joins a long list of chicken restaurants in Burnaby.
Pelicana Chicken, another newcomer to the Burnaby quick service restaurant business scene next to Red Robin and Lougheed Town Centre, is on a big expansion in the hopes of tempting local taste buds with its "unique chicken flavours” and sweet and spicy sauces.
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 refreshing beer.
The video says while the idea for fried chicken comes from the west, Koreans found it too bland. Pelicana adds spices, marinates its chicken for several hours, fries it twice, and adds more spices and special sauces to beef up the flavour.
Popeyes has officially opened its Louisiana-style chicken restaurant in Burnaby at 7855 Kingway right near 10th Avenue on the border with New Westminster.
For southwestern Burnaby residents, there’s an intersection that should probably be renamed “Chicken Way” because of all the chicken joints that are now open there.
It’s at Kingsway and Wilson in the Metrotown/Patterson area that already has a Nando’s restaurant, a 24-hour Hi-Five fried chicken outlet and the Hi Chicken Pot.
Chirpyhut Fried Chicken is known for its crispy fried chicken, available in pieces or as a whole fried chicken.
But Chirpyhut's most Insta-famous menu item by far is the black chicken wings, aka Meteorite Wings.
How do they do it? They use a well-loved culinary tool: squid ink.
Hi-Five chicken on Hastings, Kingsway and at Crest Plaza is also fantastic. Deep, rich flavour and crunch without all the grease of other fried chicken places.
And then, of course, there’s Nando’s – home of flame-grilled chicken and peri-peri goodness.
North Burnaby has Church's chicken on Lougheed in Brentwood and on North Road in Burquitlam.
Chicko Chicken now has new locations in the Edmonds area and in Metrotown. It’s Korean-style friend chicken that has a wonderful kick to it.
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
