Anyone who talks to me or follows my work knows I’m more than a little obsessed with the Korean food in the South Sound. In our neck of that woods, that heartbeat lies in Lakewood, where signs abound in Korean script and longstanding restaurants and many newcomers dot South Tacoma Way as it turns into Pacific Highway.
I’ve been thinking about fried chicken (chicken and jo’s and katsu, to be precise). Satisfying a craving for the Korean style has sent me in a few directions, but only one holds a soft spot among restaurant industry pros or anyone looking for a real late-night bite.
House Special Chicken at KKO KKO Place
On a dangerously foggy night, our attempt to dine on chicken and jo’s at Hans’s Place was foiled by a long wait for the Henny Penny. We needed chicken. Already on South Tacoma Way, I slowly steered the car south, letting Google Maps remind me where to turn left. At this destination, the fluorescent ceiling lights were bizarrely bright, and the chicken was very saucy.
Tacomans in the know (especially after-hours) advise coming here for the Korean fried chicken. I’ve tried the extra-crunchy wings at several Korean restaurants in the area, but I usually beeline to bb.q chicken, a Korean franchise with more than 3,500 locations in 57 countries that stands for “best of the best quality.” Tonight was the night for KKO KKO…