Fire Chicken — Restaurant in Overland

I've been going around trying some Korean food from different places in the area, trying to enjoy new foods little by little, but this was some of the best I've had... and, I almost didn't try this place because I was worried it might be too spicy. But the menu does a faithful job labeling the spicy dishes.

When I got to the store, the place almost looked closed (except for the lit up "open" sign) and it's clear this is a takeout kitchen with a pickup window, NOT a dining location. Luckily I wasn't planning to dine in. I took a book and a drink and my favorite set of chop sticks to a park a few minutes away and ate in the shade. A beautiful little picnic, indeed.

The sign on the window said to call, but the line was busy, so I almost gave up... but I decided to order online... I was a little put off by that, because it was unexpected and not my preference.... But the food was worth it.

I ordered the chicken bulgogi with that good takeout rice and an order of regular pork mandu. Everything was tasty, but the bulgogi was a game changer... the texture was delightfully tender, crisp and chewy all at once, the sauce was well-balanced with just the slightest hint of heat (but not at all spicy), and the garnishing scallions and crispy bits were just the cherry on top.

I ate as much as I could and then ate some more, and still wanted to eat more. Definitely enough food to split 2 or 3 ways.

I gotta...

Out of all the Korean style fried chicken places in St. Louis there are three that stand out far, far, far above the rest. O! Wing Plus, Kimchi Guys, and THIS place. The chicken gangjung, aka fried pieces of boneless, white meat chicken tossed in sauce, is the star of the show here. I’ve tried all of the flavors and their original “Fire Chicken” is easily the best with a tranquil balance of sweet heat. It’s a sticky jalapeño and soy medley that keeps you coming back for more. The runner up would be “Buldak”, a famous Korean chicken flavored hot sauce, which is a spicier version and a tad more on the savory side with mild sweetness. This one isn’t for the faint of heart. If you love’a the spicy then this is for you. The chicken itself is very high quality, perfectly cooked, and the batter is thin and crispy. The combo is $14, garnished with green onions and little fried pieces of batter which is a very welcome addition to the texture party. If you’ve driven past this place a million times thinking “I should try that one of these days” then don’t hesitate. Just go. You won’t regret it....

We stopped here on a whim, and I am so glad we did. The owner was really helpful making choices, explaining the flavors in each dish and making suggestions. One of my pet peeves with Asian food is it is never spicy enough even when I tell them to make it extra spicy - NOT HERE!! The dish was bursting with flavor, and had that kick I crave. We also got a teriyaki dish for the less adventurous people in our household, and that got rave reviews, too.

One big plus was their knowledge of allergens. We have peanut and treenut allergies, and the owner had personal experience with them and knew how important they are. I felt completely comfortable serving them to my allergic child. This is very rare for an Asian restaurant so this was a huge plus.

The only thing I wasn't thrilled with was the rice. I wasn't a fan and even our carb-loving children left it on the plate. I'd love to see a different choice for the side.

It was pricier than the typical take out place, but you get what you pay for, and this was worth it....