Kore chicken — Restaurant in Markham

I'm not sure if they misspelled Kore and forgot the 'a', or just wanted to make their restaurant name unique by shortening the extra vowel lols. Perhaps someone who speaks Korean can give me a quick explanation. This place is super small and the entrance faces a street, however, you can also access this 'restaurant' from the parking lot. I don't even know if I can call this a restaurant, but here is the rundown of Kore Chicken.

It's super small; like 4-5 tables max. We came on a day where a group of friends filled all the tables, so we were forced to do takeout. Take note of this! The menu is simple, you order chicken wings and it comes with sides lols. We ordered 3 combos and 2 orders of wings. The wings are larger than the ones you would find at All Star and St. Louis, I'm gonna say an average girl will be full after eating 3-4 of them lols. In general, one combo should be sufficient because it comes with salad and miso soup. You can probably spend less than $15 for your meal, but it is takeout.

The fried chicken is very crispy; I guess that's what makes it different from Popeyes and KFC. I don't think the meat was all that tender (I've read some reviewers talking about this), so I don't agree at all. Some wing flavours are pretty spicy, so make sure you ask before ordering. One thing we witnessed and it's important you know this...nothing was really made from scratch AT the restaurant. The chicken wings were actually precooked (possibly from home) and then placed in the oven for maybe 15 minutes. As for the miso soup, the owner uses powder packets and pours hot water on top. The salad dressing is served as individual packets, similar to the ones from Kraft. I admit that put me off a little, but it ain't a fancy establishment. I want to note that the owner was super nice and offered free drinks because we waited for over 30 minutes, so patience is key here lols. I think this place is fine, but I can't see myself coming back for mediocre chicken wings. I would rather eat Popeyes or splurge a bit at MyMy...

Another one of those stay-light-before-the-movie meals, and we decided to check out Kore Chicken nearby. We went for the lunch special and tried Original, Soy Garlic, and Spicy Butter Chicken, with fries tossed in Honey Butter seasoning for one of the sets. I had no idea what to expect walking in, and was honestly surprised to learn they use air fryers here. Now, taste-wise, let's be real. I’ve had better fried chicken elsewhere and yes, there are spots that push a bit more in quality. But here's the catch: at this price point, it’s rather impossible to complain. Sure, the sauce toss was lazy, and a few bites were a bit on the funky-smelling side, but it all somehow landed within the range of “worth it.” Fries were a lot crispier than expected, and so was the batter. Air fried or not, the texture really surprised me. It’s weirdly satisfying. Getting into the place was also a bit awkward for a first-timer, but I’ll chalk that up to the building’s layout, not the restaurant’s fault. Overall, it’s one of those spots that feels like a random find, and turns out a lot better than you gave it credit for at first. No complaints here, and honestly hope they stick around. I wouldn’t mind coming back when craving something easy and affordable that still...

First time eating Korean fried chicken so i don't have any basis of comparison. Store front is outside facing the car dealership but the entrance is in the underground parking and there is no street parking. Says in the (underground parking) entry door that the chicken is cooked in air fryers. Don't know if this will ultimately change the experience but i like the fact that it's less greasy than regular fried chicken. Take out joint is very clean and due to the air frying - does not smell heavy with oil. I ordered the half/half original and soy garlic. The original had a light crispy skin but the meat didn't have a lot of flavour. The soy garlic chicken was sticky soy, slightly sweet with a hint of heat. I can understand now why the meat would be less marinated as there is enough flavour in the sauce. I liked it that it wasn't drenched either just lightly coated. Order came with small diced cold radish salad which helped cleanse the palate. I will go back and try the other flavours. Doesn't replace Krispies or Popeyes but this certainly adds to the repertoire of fried chicken one can crave. There is no white meat served here so not for everyone - but I happen to prefer dark meat so would...