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Step aside Kentucky, the only thing that KFC is going to stand for nowadays is Korean Fried Chicken. Korean fried chicken is best known for its double deep frying technique, served with a generous amount of sauce and flavoured toppings. Chi-mek, short for chicken and beer (맥주mek-ju) has quickly become a top favourite on everyone’s list, and we’re proud that Melbourne houses some of the best fried chicken spots around!
Every crunch will make those hours spent working out in the gym all worth it. Or even if you’re not a gym goer, we’re pretty sure the fried chicken is still worth the clogged arteries. I mean, if we’re going to die, death by fried chicken seems like a beautiful way to go down.
Be sure to have tissues around you to wipe that drool off the table after we share our top 10 places to hit up in Melbourne for some yummy KFC!
With not one, not two but FOUR outlets constantly packed to the brim with fellow chicken manics, you can be assured that their chicken is of top notch quality (think: crispy on the outside, tender on the inside).
We even have the option of boneless or bone-in – a quintessential option for some of us lazy eaters that hate picking out bones. The chicken is drenched in the sauce of your choice – soy and garlic, spicy, sweet chilli (tagged ‘BEST’ on their menu) or if you’re a I-like-my-things-plain kind of person, their original fried chicken fares excellently as well. It even comes with a side serving of honey mustard sauce, just in case you change your mind and decide to #yolo with their sauces.
Be sure to ring them up and make a booking, especially if you’re planning to drop by during the weekends or if you have a large group of fried chicken lovers. You love fried chicken, but so does everyone.
Address:100 Little Lonsdale St Melbourne VIC 3000
Website: here
This eatery might be small but their portions are huge. The amazing thing is that it opens till 4am every. Single. Day and even so, the employees there don’t ever seem rude despite the long hours. Impeccable service and late closing times are rare, but they are such beautiful news for all of us suffering from deadly hunger pangs past midnight. The hunger is real, but just know that Jang-gun is always here for you.
On cold winter nights, drop by Jang-gun and order a plate of fried chicken – we recommend the soy garlic, alongside a hotpot of army stew (buddae jiggae), and we promise you your insides will be well warmed and you will jiggae your buddae home all satisfied. Try it for yourself and thank us later.
Address:Shop C1, 550 Lonsdale Street (Healeys Lane), Melbourne VIC 3000
Website: here
Conveniently located in the heart of the CBD area, Da Rin serves up a beastly portion of fried chicken with the choice of your marinade (how much do we love choice, am I right?) – perfect for after a long day at work or school.
With the spicy and sweet chicken slathered with gochujang hot sauce being the recommended item on the fried chicken menu, be sure to have a glass of ice cold beer within reach to soothe the palate. If one glass isn’t enough to soothe the burns, go ahead and order a beer tower! Yes, a beer tower.
Also remember, crispy fried chicken with spicy gochujang sauce and white tops do not, I repeat, do not go well together. You have been warned.
Address: 169 Bourke St Melbourne VIC 3000
Website: here
If you haven’t chicked out chick-in, you are missing out. Just when you thought that Korean fried chicken couldn’t get anymore sinful, Chick-In’s fried chicken comes with korean rice cakes (떡볶이tteokbbuki), which only means…load up on the calories with these babies! Death by fried chicken and rice cakes.
Since we are already sinning with fried chicken and carbs, might as well take our gluttony all the way, right? Go hard or go home, they say. Therefore, we recommend an order of their house special kimchi fries as a side to share as well! The combination of these dishes are flawless. Hold back the guilt for just that one special night and savour the moment, you guys.
Address: G23/620 Collins St Melbourne VIC 3000
Website: here
Being one of the rare delivery services available in Melbourne, ABC Chicken is well known amongst the couch potatoes and closet muggers in uni that rarely bother to take a step out of their houses for food.
Despite being famous for its delivery service, we suggest that you visit their restaurant at least once, because nothing beats having fried and crispy chicken fresh out of the kitchen for you to devour. Delivery is good by all means, but the standard of delivered chicken can only satisfy you for that long. We accept the fried chicken we think we deserve, people.
Address: 361 Queen St Melbourne VIC 3000
Website: here
Tucked away in a small lane just behind bustling Elizabeth Street, it may seem a little hard to locate at first, but lead yourself to the place not be sight, but by smell. Contrary to popular belief (thanks to its name), CJ Lunchbar does dinners as well.
Even though the fried chicken comes in smaller servings (but still decent) compared to other restaurants, this just means more room for other delicious Korean fare. Another top hit that ranks close to their fried chicken would be their cheesy chicken bulgogi. There is a mountain of cheese you will have to dig through to find the chicken buried underneath it, no exaggeration here.
CJ Lunchbar is wallet friendly, though the restaruant may be a bit small, but nothing we wouldn’t do for fried chicken, right? CJ Lunchbar makes our fried chicken and korean food fantasies come to life at an affordable price, and for that we are grateful.
Address: 2/391 Little Londsdale Street Melbourne VIC 3000
Website: here
Newly opened, Oppa Korean Kitchen has quickly gained social media attention with its cute graphics and unique plating of authentic Korean food. Since their food is something Instagram worthy, what more is there to consider? Social media broadcasting and food satisfaction is all it takes to make life complete in the 21st century #gottagetthemlikes.
On top of being pleasing to the eyes, the heavenly taste of their soy garlic chicken will have you craving for more once you’re done with it. Convieniently located on Swanston Street, this place is easy to spot and is one that is also enjoyable to dine in.
Address: 271 Swanston Street Melbourne VIC 3000
Website: here
Korean-Mexican fusion food. We’ll have to say Chimac got it on point and they fused it in all the right ways. The heavily battered chicken coated with honey soy sauce is said to be their signature dish. It is so good, we’re pretty sure that the finger licking part can be a whole second course on its own!
Be sure to order their other unique fusion dishes such as the Spicy Pork Quesadillas and Spicy Pork Ta-Kor. Grab your friends and head over to Chimac for some exciting times with Korean-Mexican fusion food!
Note: Fried chicken may not be tinder-date friendly.
Address: 39-47 Peel St West Melbourne VIC 3003
Website: here
Being a Korean-Western fusion restaurant on Swanston Street, Kitchen520 sure has an excellent selection of choices, ranging from burgers and brunches to mains such as bulgogi risotto. Their fried chicken is served on a metal cooling tray atop a wooden board – typical Instagram style.
The fried chicken lives up to our chicken mania standards of crispy, saucy and juicy. The cherry on top of the cake has got to be its friendly staff and the overall atmosphere of Kitchen520 being as satisfying as the food that we were fed there. Oh, and they do deliveries too.
Address: 520 Swanston Street Melbourne VIC 3003
Website: here
With locations spread out all over Victoria, it is finally time for the city people to rejoice! NeNe chicken has finally opened up its CBD branch in the icnoic Melbourne Central this year. At this point we’ve run out of words to accurately describe the tastiness of fried chicken, but just know that this Korean franchise’s chicken hits it at all the right spots with their top secret method of cooking their chicken to perfection.
With eight different types of fried chicken to choose from, it only makes sense that you come by with a larger group of friends, so you get to order and share all the different flavours. Chicken is good all the time. And all the time, chicken is good.
Address: Level 1, Shop 147 Melbourne Central, Swanston St & LaTrobe St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Website: here
I don’t know about you but this list has made me hungry for some Korean fried chicken! Have you tried any of the fried chicken places mentioned above? Share your experience with us in the comments section below!
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