Food.is.love #9: The Best KFC you can find in Düsseldorf
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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So the Korean wave has hit Germany as well :O
I've tried Two Two Chicken, Kyochon and Chir Chir Chicken. They're quite nice. :P
More of a splash really..I wish for a bigger wave to come grace the land!! ;)
hehe I love the soy sauce version of most Korean Fried Chicken I've tried..the spicy flavour is a bit too spicy and the sweet flavour a bit too one-dimensional for me.. .)
The first time i learn about Korean Fried Chicken! I would love to try it! It seems so crispy!
I hope you are able to try it someday too @creativewoman! Thanks for dropping by and leaving a footprint! Have a wonderful Tuesday :)
It seems so tasty, Made me hungry instantly
when staring it, the pictures are very captivating
and I can not bear to taste it, Although eating too much is not good for health. However, loving food with all the heart no one forbid. Food lovers must know how cool to enjoy food
Thanks for dropping by @mahdie.
You've got a nice long text there, but it seems you reuse that comment quite a lot. Word of advice, do steer away from copy-pasting comments or posts here on Steemit..it entails little success and high reputation risk.
wow amazing post! I love Chimac also. Gotta have it at least once a week :)
But you get the real deal!! I'm green ;)
You know I love korean food! 😊 My family and I have been traveling around Korea the last 3 weeks and have been eating like crazy! And somehow I haven't had fried chicken yet! But plan to rectify that soon. Glad you're a of Korean food!
3 weeks of eating your way through S. Korea!! You guys must have sampled everything Korean and food-related there is out there!! :O =D
I find it hard to fathom that your family waited so long to try Korean Fried Chicken! That must be rectified ASAP! :))
I'm sure this does not have the Portuguese egg tarts. Yummy.
even Kentucky Fried Chicken in Germany doesn't have Portuguese egg tarts :(
You find the best places to eat. The Korean Fried Noodles with Beef looks delicious! Do you know why they removed it? This fried chicken sounds so much better than the other KFC. Is the Matcha Snow ice the same as ice cream that we have in the states? Why is it green? Does it have a minty flavor? I must talk about my SIL again. She makes the best fried chicken. No comparison to KFC and I can't even eat there anymore because it doesn't taste as good as my SIL's. I was thinking about you last night because I made an omelette for dinner with muenster cheese and it was soooo good! : )
I did ask why it was removed and was told that it was not popular enough..For the life of me, I can't imagine why!! I told them that I would support the Fried Noodles if it was brought back to the menu, but that has not happened still :((
The texture of snow ice is rather different from regular ice cream, in that the ice is very fine and flaky. This makes the snow ice lighter and more refreshing, in my opinion. Matcha is a premium grade green tea leaf powder that is very expensive when compared to other green teas..that green is the natural colour of matcha powder :))
hehe your SIL sounds like a very accomplished cook! You should get her to join steemit!! :)
I don't think I've ever tried muenster cheese! Is it a sharp kind of cheese? Glad that you enjoyed your dinner and I'm honoured to have been in your thoughts :))
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer all of my questions. Those fried noodles sound soooooo delicious. Hopefully they will bring them back.
My SIL is a wonderful cook! She would never join Steemit; just not her cup of tea. And she never ever uses a recipe.
You must try muenster cheese! It is white and is a sweet cheese. Let me know what you think when you try it. Get the block; not the shredded.
It seems like I am always thinking of you when I eat now. Thinking...I wonder if @foodie.warrior would like this...I wonder what @foodie.warrior is eating today; especially when I am eating something boring. : )
Anytime, dear @whatisnew! <3
Such a pity about your sis in law..I know! You should make videos of her cooking with your commentary hehe ;) I noticed that the best cooks don't ever need a recipe..it's all their experience and then they do little tastes to get it right..
A sweet cheese! How interesting! I'll have to keep an eye open for it at the grocery store!
hehe I'm honored to be on your mind so often..hehe but I hope you don't think about me so much if that means you are eating many boring things.. =PP
She would hate videos and me too. Yes, my SIL must go through dozens of forks and spoons while cooking because of tasting. You must try that sweet cheese; it is yummy. Let me know your honest opinion.
I am eating many boring things; it is no fun cooking for one. But even when I do eat great things, I am always thinking of you. : )
You're so very sweet, @whatisnew :)
You're right, it really isn't so fun to cook for one. :(
Well fortunately she's your SIL..so she can't hate you for too long ;)) hehe I can imagine her cooking up a storm and tasting away, and then giving you tastes as you hover around with bright, hungry eyes.. Are you sure she's the only culprit using up those dozens of forks and spoons? =PP
I'll let you know my honest opinion after I get my hands on some =D
And you are too kind @foodie.warrior. Caught! My SIL always gives me tastes only because she wants my opinion...yeah right! She loves to feed me and I love it too. We used to work together and you should have seen how much we ate during our lunch breaks. We still laugh about it! :)
hehehe!! You guys sound like a harmonious duo :))
I love Korean food! I have been there 2 years ago! Sadly in europe are few korean restaurants. Maybe I can try it when iam in Düsseldorf for the next time :-)
Yes, do! There are several Korean restaurants here too :) You might just find yourself having a very happy tummy here in DUS ;)
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