One of the newer places in the lower mainland that offers Korean chicken and beer is Cocoru in Richmond.
For the most part, Cocoru stays true and offers just the two – but they have now added a couple more items for variety including corn cheese, french fries, rice cake and salads.
My first visit was with a bunch of my guy friends who wanted to hang out later in the evening (11pm) – which brings me to my next point – Cocoru is open late – mostly 5pm to 1 or 2 in the morning. Perfect for night owls like myself!
Our table ordered the Fried Chicken, Soy Garlic Chicken, Soonsal Fried Chicken, Dak-Gang-Jeong chicken and Snowfall Chicken. A half order can run you $11-12, a full order goes from $22-24. If you’re indecisive like me, you have the option of getting half and half.
We also ordered a pitcher of beer which runs about $16/pitcher. You can also order Soju, Cocktail Sojus, Wine and soft drinks as well.
When the chicken arrived, it was fantastically crunchy on the outside, without too much batter and still very tender on the inside. I really enjoyed the Soy Garlic Chicken and Dak-Gang-Jeong flavours the most. The DGJ sauce is a little bit on the spicy side but not to a point where it isn’t enjoyable but addictive.
The fried chicken by itself was ok, it was a little overcooked in the middle but crunchy on the exterior. I’d really recommend trying it with the different flavours rather than ordering it plain.
Finally, the Snowfall Chicken (Mini $12, Full $25). This deep fried chicken is sprinkled with Grana Padano giving it that snowlike look and drizzled in Bechamel sauce. I’m guessing if you’re a big fan of cheese, this would be a fantastic dish, but I felt like there was too much sauce going on in this dish. I think this dish would have benefitted from a more sharper cheese to kick up the flavour.
Overall, I loved most of the dishes here and it’s a great space to hang out with friends in Richmond. There can be a lineup, especially on the weekends so be ready to wait. It is on the pricier side, but the chicken is quality and worth the money if you’re willing to spend it.
Food: 4
Service: 3.5
Value: 3.5
Ambiance: 3
OVERALL: 3.5
