What do Koreans think about when you say " K F C "?
Kentucky KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN!!
Since 2015, a flock of Korean Fried Chicken outlets have settled and bustled on Singaporean soil. Eating Korean Fried Chicken became fashionable. It took only a couple of weeks of living in Germany for me to realise that Korean Fried Chicken was not a normal phenomenon in Düsseldorf. :(
Here in Germany, even Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets are few and far between (till date, there are only 3 Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets in the Düsseldorf). Maybe Germans don’t fancy fried chicken (please explain, my German friends!). Korean Fried Chicken proved to be difficult to find.
Thank God for Chimac!!
In February this year, while searching for a lunch option, we came across a newly-opened restaurant in the city center. It was so new that it didn't have its Name Sign Board up yet! Instead, a yellow placard read on the side “Chimac”. That sounds Korean, I thought. Turns out, I was right.
Chimac is a franchise branch of a popular KFC brand in South Korea!!
The term “Chimac" was put together using parts of the Korean words for "Chicken" (Chicken) and "Beer" (Macju). They pride themselves in using only fresh chicken and pooling together 20 different herbs and spices as well as 10 types of fresh fruits and vegetables to concoct their famous marinades.
Inside, the seats were stretched out in a long narrow corridor fashion. The walls were black, and the interior rather gloomy. But, the food we ate that afternoon was mouthgasmic.
Since we’ve been back to dine as many as 5 times, and witnessed the menus change and a lunch menu get introduced, I’ll share all the eats we’ve sampled from Chimac.
1) Soy-Sauce Korean Fried Chicken with a Cabbage Salad and Steamed White Rice (€9,90, lunch menu item)
The magic of Korean Fried Chicken is when you find a batter that remains crispy for the duration of your lunch even though it’s coated in flavourful sweet-salty soy sauce marinade! Chimac nailed this. The chicken flesh was also moist yet not greasy. Either they consistently get the temperature of the oil right, or they double-fry their chicken!!
Although the chicken is finger-licking good, Chimac provides disposable plastic gloves to make your meal a less messy one :)
2) Beef-based Broth with Thin Radish Slices (complimentary with most main courses and lunch sets)
This one is very tasty, to the point that I suspect there is MSG (monosodiumglutamate) added inside. The most recent bowlful that I had included sliced fresh chilis and was rather spicy. The chef or the recipe must have changed.
3) Side Dishes (complimentary with most main courses and lunch sets)
It’s rather common to receive a slew of complimentary and sometimes refillable side dishes on the side when you lunch in an eatery in Korea. Chimac only provides three — a standard kimchi, pickled bean sprouts, and potato slivers. My favourite are the potato slivers! I always ask for a top up each time I eat ;)
4) Korean Fried Noodles with Beef (This item has been removed from the menu) boohoo
In Singapore we have a cooking concept called ’Wok Hei’ (breath of the wok). This refers to a beautiful complex flavour imparted by stir-frying fresh ingredients in a wok over a big fire (extreme heat).
These noodles brought the concept to live!! I love love loved them and ate them at every visit before they were removed from the menu. My support was not enough though. The dish is no longer available on the menu. :(
5) Kimchi Zigae (Pork and Kimchi Stew, €10.90 on lunch menu)
The pot of stew was tiny! Kimchi stew is not my favourite, but my sisters-in-law who are huge kimchi stew fans said that this one was not the best in town.
6) Jokbal (Korean Braised Pig’s Trotter, €12.90)
Drenched in a thick, spicy sauce, the Jokbal was quite a letdown.
7) Hite Korean Beer (€3.50)
On account of its name, Chimac simply has to include Korean beer in its menu! I didn't taste the Hite Korean beer, but my lil brother Rusty found it light though a little bitter. According to online reviews, Hite beer is light with a watery body and fizzy carbonation. It also has a malty, grainy aroma and a slightly bitter aftertaste.
8) Matcha Bingsu (Matcha snow ice, €7.90)
Matcha Bingsu is my personal crowning glory to end every Chimac Meal! It’s pricey (even after you get the €1 discount when ordering a Bingsu after a main meal), but it’s so delicious you could forget the price tag once the spoon reaches your mouth! While most Bingsu’s I’ve eaten in Singapore use water to make the flakes of ice, Chimac pours milk into its machine!
You drizzle the condensed milk over the top of the dessert before digging in.
Layers of frozen milk and earthy matcha powder play out a split-second dance before they dissolve into happiness on your tongue! Yummy Yum Yum!
Verdict: Chimac is really The Go-To Place for Korean Fried Chicken in Düsseldorf
If you wondered, why so many visits and so few main dishes tried??, it’s because we mostly order the chicken wing set lunch repeatedly each time we visit. No other Korean establishment we’ve gone to in Düsseldorf makes a better KFC than Chimac (and we’ve only found one other that had KFC on the menu either way).
Have you eaten Korean Fried Chicken before?
Address:
Chimac Plus
Oststraße 63
40210 Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Open:
Mon, Wed, Thu: 12:00 -15: 00, 18: 00 - 23: 00
Fri, Sat: 12:00 - 15:00, 18:00 - 03:00
Sun: 18:00 - 22:00
Tue: Closed
Contact: 0211 91196907
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