It’s probably not a big surprise that the most consumed type of meat in the United States is chicken.
And if you’ve taken a gander at area restaurant menus lately, most seem to offer a fried chicken sandwich.
The National Restaurant Association’s What’s Hot for 2023 forecast predicts that fried chicken sandwiches and chicken sandwiches with spicy and sweet-heat fusion flavors will continue to be a hot food trend this year.
Korean fried chicken, a lighter, crisper version than the American style, first gained popularity in New York City after it was introduced in 2006. The dish has been slowly migrating to Delaware.
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Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken in Newark’s The Grove shopping center opened this past July and, despite some rocky moments after an August kitchen fire, it’s still going strong.
Newark is now welcoming its second Korean fried chicken restaurant, bb.q Chicken, Korea’s Finest Fried Chicken, with a grand opening at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 5.
The restaurant, near the University of Delaware campus at 165 S. Main St., will be open for lunch, dinner and late night eats, and will serve beer.
Some of the signature items at bb.q Chicken (which stands for Best of the Best Quality) includes Korean fried chicken (boneless and bone-in) as well as classic Korean dishes such as ddeok bokki, a street food snack of soft chewy rice cakes, fish cakes, and sweet and spicy red chili sauce, along with kimchi fried rice.
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According to Jin Yum, franchise owner and local University of Delaware alum, bb.q Chicken’s marinades are not “Americanized” and come directly from South Korea.
“We’re excited to diversify Newark’s food scene and show the community all the amazing food Korea has to offer, especially our chicken wings,” Yum said in a prepared statement.
bb.q Chicken currently has 3,500 locations across 57 countries, with plans to expand to 250 U.S. locations by the end of 2023. Visit bbqchicken.com.
Contact Patricia Talorico at ptalorico@delawareonline.com and follow her on Twitter @pattytalorico
