Though the idea of popcorn chicken was made famous by the global fast-food brand KFC, you should toss whatever overly-processed-and-preconceived notions you have about this deep-fried snack out the door before diving into this sinfully delicious dish at Calgary's JINBAR.
Chef Jinhee Lee is known well for her perfectly crispy (and boneless) fried chicken at her popular contemporary Korean restaurant in Bridgeland. With this appetizer, she mixes bite-sized chunks of her signature lightly-battered chicken with fried rice cakes and tosses them in an addicting, stick-to-your-fingers red pepper chili glaze. The mixture is drizzled with a rich soy aioli and is accompanied by a sweet and sour dipping sauce made of vinegar, gochujang, sugar, soy and garlic chili oil.
Truly a perfect dish to share while sipping on a cocktail or two while you're waiting for the rest of your dinner to arrive.
On that note, don't forget to try the honey butter corn and chips pizza. You won't be disappointed.
JINBAR is located at 24 4 St N.E. and is open Wednesdays to Sundays for dinner (from 4:30 p.m. onward). Reservations–as well as takeout and delivery orders–can be made online.
