Coco Deep Fried Chicken

Hey everyone! I'm excited to say that this is the last food adventure I went on before Taste of Edmonton. That means my blog posts will finally be in order after this (at least I will try to keep it that way). Just two days after mine and CJ's monthsary date at Nineteen, my friends and I ended up planning an afternoon playing golf. We went to Bogey Busters Driving Range which is located in South Edmonton on Ellerslie Road. This actually wasn't our first option... we were considering several other golf courses. But after some research, I soon found out that these other golf courses followed a particular dress code... and I did not own any proper golf attire! I'm not the most athletic person... I only own the most basic sweats and running shoes. With that being said, Bogey Busters was the best option (for me, at least. All my friends had actual golf clothes). No one would care what you wear, and the pricing for the baskets would most likely be not as expensive as other golf courses. 

Alright, here's a summary of my day at the driving range. I paid $12 for a large basket of golf balls, and my friend Jeline let me borrow her golf clubs. Of course, being the noob that I am at sports, I could barely hit the ball. I didn't even know how to properly stand and hit the ball in the first place actually. Good thing I had my friends and CJ to teach me how. I was very happy whenever I did hit the ball and watched it fly off (even though it didn't go that far). I guess all it takes is lots and lots of practice. If you're hanging out with your friends and don't know what to do, I would suggest going to the driving range! This was definitely something out of the box for my group of friends, considering we usually like to go to the movies or shopping for our hangouts. The only thing to note is that you'd have to bring your own golf clubs to use. 

After the eventful afternoon at the driving range, the first thing on my mind was obviously food!!! Standing outside in the heat of the afternoon sun, of course I would get hungry. CJ, June, and myself headed over to a place that I've been wanting to go to for awhile now: Coco Deep Fried Chicken (www.facebook.com/pages/Coco-Deep-Fried-Chicken)! This is a Korean restaurant located in a strip mall on the intersection of 34 Ave and Parsons Road. Considering I live in the south side, this restaurant was very easy to get to for me as I've passed by it many times before! There is also plenty of parking available as well. 

The interior.

Walking in, I was actually expecting to see a more formal restaurant set up... a hostess to seat you at a table, servers, individual menus. I'm not sure why I was thinking that in the first place, because I soon found out I was wrong. Coco Deep Fried Chicken is a casual restaurant where you order at the front counter then choose to dine in or take out. Good thing there were just a few empty tables left for my friends and I to sit at! 

Special Set 1.

We decided to share an order of Special Set 1 ($29.99). This comes with 10 pieces of half and half chicken - specifically, crispy chicken and sweet & hot sauce chicken. It is also served with a side of pickled daikon. Lastly, you can choose any 2 drinks or beer bottles. I loved how large each piece of chicken was... perfect for sharing with two other people! 

Crispy Chicken.

I went for the crispy chicken first. Wow! The exterior was nice and crispy, and the chicken itself was beautifully moist and tender. So delicious, and very addicting. 

Sweet & Hot Sauce Chicken.

Next I tried the sweet & hot sauce chicken. This is a traditional Korean sauce - my first time trying it! I loved the sweeter notes in the sauce, and the heat definitely came through with each successive bite. The heat even had CJ in sniffles. Like the crispy chicken, the meat for the sweet & hot sauce chicken was just as juicy. Considering the addition of the sauce, I would say this chicken would be the more flavourful option between the two. Just a warning: eating this chicken gets pretty messy! CJ and I had to use several paper napkins to clean up the mess on our fingers and faces. Hahaha. 

As for the side dish: I don't think I've ever tried daikon before, so I was a bit hesitant to eat it at first. June convinced me to give it a taste... and I'm glad I did. For those who are unfamiliar with it like myself, daikon is a winter radish native to east and south-east Asia. I really enjoyed the mild flavour and the crunchiness of it. I thought it made for the perfect palate cleanser. 

I highly recommend checking out Coco Deep Fried Chicken if you're ever looking for some delicious and flavourful fried chicken lunch or dinner! They claim to serve the "Best Deep Fried Chicken in Town", but until I've tried all of Edmonton's fried chicken eateries, I can't make that call yet! While they specialize in chicken, they do offer some sides which include fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings, caesar salad, rice, kimchi, coleslaw, potato salad, and finally the daikon I mentioned earlier. I'm looking forward to coming back here for some more KFC - Korean Fried Chicken!