Koreans discovered that fried chicken + beer = heavenly match. So did I in my years as a food geek in London.
Now, what makes them the perfect pair, you ask? It has less fat and batter, with more juiciness, crunchiness, and flavour! You can always trust Koreans to make their fried chicken well coated with seasoning without turning soggy.
After exploring different Korean fried chicken spots in London, I compiled this epic list of hard-to-resist KFCs in the capital.
And you know what’s even more exciting? These delicious destinations not only serve mouth-watering chicken but also offer a fantastic selection of drinks to complement your meal—not just beer, so there’s something for everyone!
1. Seoul Bird
Media credit: seoulbirduk
Website: https://seoul-bird.co.uk/
Address: 45 Bank Street, Unit 24 Jubilee Place, Canary Wharf
Opening hours:
- Monday to Sunday – 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Pricing: £
Fried chicken is the star at Seoul Bird.
Judy Joo, the quick-service restaurant’s Korean-American co-founder, was inspired by the flavours of her culinary heritage and brought them to London.
The inspiration is quite evident on the sweet garlic soy. The zest of the garlicky sauce quite complemented the juiciness of the meat and the crispiness of the light batter.
When I visited the restaurant, I learnt that chicken is brined for 24 hours to get the right flavour. And the ingredients used are made by hand, not pre-made ones.
It must be why its gochujang mayo sauce is so creamy!
Other than the crispy bird, we also loved the restaurant’s modern and stylish interiors, complete with neon lights.
Pro tip:
If you’re looking for hot, try the atomic Seoul sauce for the most explosive spice!
2. CheeMc Soho
Media credit: cheemclondon
Website: https://www.cheemcuk.com/
Address: 32 Great Windmill St
Contact details: 020 3752 2823
Opening hours:
- Monday to Thursday – 12:00 PM to 10:30 PM
- Friday to Saturday – 12:00 PM to 12:30 AM
- Sunday – 12:00 PM to 9:30 PM
Pricing: ££
Up for some chicken and beer? Maybe throw in a little karaoke? The place to go is CheeMc in Soho.
Their karaoke rooms accommodate up to 20 people, making it perfect for group outings! And don’t miss out on their unlimited chicken on Mondays and Tuesdays.
As for the food, we found their selection of 11 flavours rather dizzying. There’s honey butter, spicy chilli glaze, and sweet soy, among others. But what is fried chicken if not Korean buffalo? Cayennetense!
Even better, it’s authentically Korean, with a light and crispy batter enveloping juicy meat.
The food geeks that live in us also enjoyed their traditional Korean dishes, like the toppoki and jjampong.
Pro tip:
Cheemc’s karaoke rooms are priced the same for £30 regardless of the number of guests, so that means you can save more if you come in a large group.
3. Daebak
Media credit: daebak_london
Website: https://www.instagram.com/daebak_london
Address: 316-318 Kennington Lane
Opening hours:
- Monday to Friday – 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM, 5:00 to 10:00 PM
- Saturday to Sunday – 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Pricing: ££
Daebak is like a Korean caff in Vauxhall with generous serving and affordable pricing. However, it can be crowded during busy hours.
Their small serving consists of 5 pieces of fried chicken priced just below £10!
I found their combination of Korean and Japanese menu excellent, especially KFC with the staple flavours like soy garlic and sweet cheese.
The original fried chicken goes well with their in-house rice wine makgeolli—trust me on this!
What really got me hyped was the pa dak chicken. It comes in honey mustard sauce generously topped with thinly sliced scallions.
The taste was just right, and the sweetness was not overwhelming, with just a bit of tanginess. Daebak (Korean for “awesome”) indeed!
Pro tip:
Bring some cash as the restaurant does not accept cards for orders below £10.
4. Co&Ko (Jeon’s Kitchen)
Media credit: cookandkorea
Website: https://www.cookandkorea.com/
Address: 72 Berwick St, Soho
Contact details: 020 7434 0917
Opening hours:
- Monday to Thursday – 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM
- Friday to Saturday – 11:00 AM to 12:00 AM
- Sunday – 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Pricing: £££
Co&Ko is an Asian fusion restaurant tucked in a stylish corner of Soho. Its chefs have over 20 years of fine dining experience, and this is reflected in the fine details on the dishes and drinks.
What we liked here are their chimaek (KFC+beer) specials. For £15—that’s half the regular price—you get 5 pieces of chicken and 2 glasses of beer!
On the downside, there are not many options for their KFC flavours. They offer only Korean staples like honey soy, sweet chilli, and spicy.
Their Kpop Chicken Sweet Chilli is the most unforgettable one, that’s for sure!
Pro tip:
Co&Ko has an online takeaway service with more affordable prices. Order and pay, then collect your food at the restaurant on the designated time.
5. Kimchimama
Media credit: kimchimama.official
Website: https://www.kimchimama.co.uk/
Address: 28 Upper Tachbrook Street
Contact details: +442078349615
Opening hours:
- Monday to Saturday – 11:30 AM to 9:00 PM
- Sunday – closed
Pricing: £
Another queue-worthy place, Kimchimama is a small eatery offering authentic Korean dishes with a contemporary twist.
Their servings are quite generous, but it’s their chicken that’s most noteworthy and popular. That’s primarily because of the perfect combination of crunch and flavourful sauce without getting all soggy!
Even though only three flavour options exist, we still couldn’t get enough of all of them. The options are sweet & chilli, jalapeno mayo, and soy garlic.
That said, we think the restaurant more than makes up for the scant choices with their array of healthy side dishes. Must-tries include the mandu chicken, pumpkin katsu, and fried tofu!
Pro tip:
Kimchimama has a very popular takeaway service. Just order online and pick up at this location or at their Fleet Street branch!
6. Hankki London
Media credit: hankki.london
Website: https://www.hankki.co.uk/
Address: 7 Wardour St.
Contact details: 02074399800
Opening hours:
- Monday to Thursday – 12:00 PM to 10:30 PM
- Friday to Saturday – 12:00 PM to 11:00 PM
- Sunday – 12:00 PM to 10:30 PM
Pricing: £££
Hankki is a modern Korean bolt-hole in Chinatown that looks more like a nightclub than a restaurant.
With its laid-back atmosphere and their signature Korean chicken, we’re just enamoured with the place. Not to mention the cyberpunk interior motif!
The Korean chicken we’re talking about here is the dakgalbi (chuncheon spicy cheesy chicken).
If you like a food explosion, this is to die for. The twin fieriness of Korean chillies—the gochujang (paste) and gochugari (flakes)—does the trick.
To balance the heat, the creamy mild cheese soothes the fire to more livable levels. As if that weren’t enough, the tteokboki adds a delightful chewy texture.
This dish is the perfect match for the different variations of homemade soju that Hankki’s bartenders skilfully concoct.
Pro tip:
Try another signature fried chicken dish called Black Pink for a flavour like no other from the dragon-fruit-sauce coating.
7. Olle Korean Barbecue
Media credit: ollebbq
Website: http://ollelondon.com/
Address: 88 Shaftesbury Ave.
Contact details: 020 7287 1979
Opening hours:
- Monday to Saturday: 12:00 PM to 11:00 PM
- Sunday: 12:00 PM to 10:30 PM
Pricing: £££
Located in Chinatown, Olle is a fast-casual restaurant dishing up international food and Korean-style barbecue. Its name was derived from the Jeju dialect, which means “small path.”
Many K-pop stars dined here, including BTS and Blackpink. The restaurant’s Instagram even has a Wall of Fame page chock full of autographs.
The KFC can only be ordered as a whole fowl or half, with options for sweet and spicy or soy garlic sauce.
What we liked best was the chef’s special, kan pung gi. It’s deep-fried chicken with spicy garlic flavour and stirred-in vegetables.
Plus, it’s really hot with all those coarse chilli flakes on top!
Pro tip:
Prepare to cough up 12.5% for the service charge.
