ottawa foodies

Where does one get great fried chicken in Ottawa.

Key points, must have serious flavor. There used to be a Jamacian restaurant on Merivale just before kirkwood that did amazing fried chicken. It had a fiery kick to it, they moved to Montreal rd and then closed up shop.

I was at the Matar meat market for their kafta and kabobs when I saw their pressure fryer. I also saw the chicken come out and was very tempted until they told me there was no spices on it.

So folks, does Ottawa have such a thing?

Places I've been for fried chicken without any real flavor

-KFC
-Jean Albert's

i thought Jean Albert's was pretty damn great actually.

I tried Popeyes in NYC..man I thought that was so good..so much better than KFC.
But we don't have it here..apparently they have some in Toronto though.

Jean Albert's was alright but it didn't blow me away.

Popeyes in the US is great. In Toronto it's nowhere near as good. World of a difference, I gave it many chances and went to different locations. No dice.

Jean Albert's has less flavor then KFC. I mean I understand everyone has different taste. What I'm looking for is someone who actually has put spices and seasonings into the batter.. perhaps even marinated the chicken.

The carribean fried chicken I've had has been amazing. A friend of mine used to try and replicate it at home frequently, but he only had a consumer deep fryer. The difference in the final product is pretty big.

I like Jean Albert's but don't like the "baked in sauce" option because it makes the chicken lose its crispness. I do love the chicken on a stick that they do; It is fried, then dipped in waffle batter, fried again and served with hot maple syrup. Also like popeye's, dixie lee and church's for chain fried chicken.

Nando's is a small eat-in or take-out chicken chain (www.nandoscanada.com) --- I've only been there once and can't remember if they serve fried chicken per se ay but I seem to remember that they offer many options in terms of seasonings/spices.

Nando's is a roasted chicken in Peri-Peri sauce and not fried chicken at all. There isn't much hope for Fried chicken other than Jean Alberts which i enjoy when doused in Frank's red hot

Best bet is to do it yourself. No real great fried chicken in Ottawa yet especially the spicy variety. Spicy Luke come out of retirement. He had some tasty fried chicken.

Sadly, it's probably KFC or the takeout counter at Loblaws.

Jean Albert's has been way too inconsistent, dry, unseasoned on it's worst nights.

Mello's had a honey fried chicken, but it's not always available... too bad!

Spicy Luke needs to come back!

Well, looks like I'm going to be making it at home. I got the recipe from my friend for the deep fried chicken I like.. Turns out it's fairly simple. The key is to brush on pepper sauce soon as they come out of the fryer... I always thought it was baked in, or part of the breading. But it's actually just applied right after coming out of the oil so it kind of cooks on. My friend makes it in a normal deep fryer like this. And it is almost as good as the Chicken Crib's version. Which used a real pressure fryer.

I'd done some research back in 2009 on home pressure fryers. Looking at the price of the Magefesa and Rapid Chef units recommended I'd decided against it. Some 300$ for a fried chicken craving wasn't justifiable.

But, in recent readings on the KFC forum. It appears many people have had success using the Fagor Duo pressure cooker. Fagor does make a unit for pressure frying also. As does Bra/Isogona. I was inclined to buy a pressure cooker from WMF/Fissler/or Kuhn Rikon but I can't justify the costs for the standard pressure cooker yet. I'll buy the cheaper Fagor and see how I like that style of cooking. I got a Vindo Pressure cooker as a housewarming gift but given it's the original generation style that is prone to blowing up. I've never used it. I've got a glass vent hood.. and that weight potentially popping off gives me nightmares.

The ideal pressure fryer I understand works at 15psi. The Rapid Chef/Magefesa units run at a lower 12/11 or something of the like. Which is the standard in Europe (where they're made). Turns out 15psi is what all pressure cooker recipes are written for here in North America... bigger is better no? The Rapid Chef/Magefesa specifically labeled as pressure fryers are in the $300range. Whereas the Fagor Duo can be had for some $90 on Amazon US.

I'm somewhat torn, I see people successfully using the Fagor Duo. But it's not specifically engineered for pressure frying. It does have safety lock mechanisms etc, and I'd never fill it past the chicken just being covered in oil.. nowhere near the fill line. I also will be buying a larger 8qt/8lt pot, so oversized.. BUT.. people say the gaskets aren't engineered for hot oil spatter... So do I spend 300.00.. which is 3x the Fagor Duo price to make fried chicken every couple months? lol.. I'll likely use the unit as a pressure cooker regularly. Now that I found how much quicker these things cook foods..

Thoughts.. anyone have any experience with doing pressure frying in normal pressure cookers?

If you're frying it at home, the southern way is not to deep fry. Brine it in some buttermilk and dredge in flour and salt and pepper. I use a plain black cast iron skillet about 4" deep and use about 1/8" of bacon fat and about an inch of oil. I start it off at a high temp and quickly brown both sides, then turn the temp down and fry it for about 20 to 30 minutes depending on the size of the pieces. Easy, dependable, authentic and you don't need a deep fryer.

Not sure if this is the recepe Paula Dean uses in her restaurant The Lady and Sons but she makes the best fried chicken I have ever had.
www.food.com

Awesome thread.

I think I'm gonna try this recipe, one of these weekends for the football game.

www.esquire.com

I've experienced a couple Esquire recipes so far and they were both knockouts. My girlfriend just last night made some meatballs, recipe courtesy of a Philly resto owner/chef in the latest (October) issue. Delicious!

@flexie, Nando's chicken is also supposed to be halal.

@ravi, Apparently the gaskets of pressure cookers are not meant to take the high temperatures of pressure fryers. Oil gets hotter than water. So NO, don't do it.

See here: missvickie.com

Francis, you of all people I was counting on to tell me you jerry rigged a pressure cooker and did deep fried clams or something..

Yes I've been reading Miss vickie's site.. and she sure pushes the Fagor brand.. she pushes two units Fagor and Magefesa. both units not sold directly by the mfg or in the channel like you'd normally see.. only sold by a single american distributor as Pressure Fryers. People who've looked at them or own them, have stated they're the same unit as a normal pressure cooker with a smaller weight reducing the pressure. Basically these two distributors modify them and take the liability of selling them as such. 300$ a pot for a lower product with a lower PSI.

If it wasn't for the fear of a gasket being 1mm off and spraying hot oil.. i'd just buy one of the replacement ones from these ''pressure fryers'' and be on my merry way.

I notice people on this forum cook with them.. though it certainly doesn't seem to be without risk.. not sure if a gasket would deteriorate immediately or over time..

kfc.forumup.co.uk
kfc.forumup.co.uk

Pressure fryer models.
www.accuproinc.com
www.pro-selections.com

Gasket..
www.pro-selections.com
seems odd.. its not even a single piece.

re BaconIV - "I've experienced a couple Esquire recipes so far and they were both knockouts. "

...rediculous as it seems, Esquire publishes stupidly good, easy to make recipes on a regular basis.

Great thread, just wish I had a better vent hood and I'd be whipping out the cast iron right now.

I too was very disappointed with Jean Albert's as were a bunch of my buddies when we went there a couple of months ago. Really too bad as we heard such great things before he came to Ottawa.

OSoloMeal, yeah, they're usually chefs from acclaimed restaurants. They have a book 'How To Eat Like A Man' or something like that, but their regular magazine recipes, often available online, are good enough for me.

Fly in some A and K Lick-A-Chick.
.
.
I grew up on this stuff.
Crispier and spicer than Colonel Ernie.
Great on the beach with a pepsi.

so for future reference, Captain Caper, where is this A&K? I love that they have a kool aid sign in the window. Kool Aid is great with fried chicken.

blubarry ... near Little Bras D'Or, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.

I guess the one outside Antigonish is long gone, is it?

Just to add my two cents: I shied away from writing a review on Jean Albert's because I've only been once, and I was more-than-midly disappointed. I feel terrible. I really, really wanted to like their food. What's with that weird, no-bone chicken breast that they include? That thing had zero flavour. (The others were boring too.)
I have been craving proper fried chicken ever since. Haven't been to KFC in years, but, I think I have a gift card around here somewhere.

@Ken, Bacon.. those recipes are amazing. Thank you. I'll replicate and adapt them likely. The coke one has such a nice color too.. I can almost taste it.. lol.

I'm caving and getting a proper pressure fryer. Haven't decided on Fagor/Rapid Chef/Magefesa yet. Those are the only choices. All 260-300 for a 8quart. Will figure it out shortly. I bought a Fagor Rapid Express pressure cooker, it leaks water and steam from the handle... I took a moment to think, what if that was hot oil.. that pause was enough to justify spending the extra 200bucks.

Yes - I would have to agree that Popeye's in the USA is amazing Chicken for a Fast Food place. When I am in Toronto or Kingston, I really enjoy Mary Brown's Chicken. They seem to do ok in Toronto/Alberta and the East Coast with lots of locations. I wonder why Ottawa is not on the map.

www.marybrowns.com/story.php

www.marybrowns.com/menu.php

I was in Savana GA this past summer and by far one of the best Fried Chicken was Paula Dean's Son's place. I never ate so much fired chicken from the all you can eat.

A close first is in Atlanta: Amazing !!

www.pittypatsrestaurant.com

JDK

Buffet Fried Chicken yummmmm

I miss Mary Brown's... and they have the most amazing potato wedges... first place I remember having them.

Super Duper Pizza the fried chicken is pretty good- very similar to KFC but much better.
They use fresh chicken and it is pressure fried.
The fries are fine,they are quite crispy.
The pieces of chicken they use are also quite big and have a lot of white meat.
I tried the breaded wings once and they were ok- still quite big wings,just in general I do not like wings. So I already knew I would not like them as much as the fried chicken pieces.
A 4pc w fries is around $12 or else 6pc of just chicken is $13 I think.
I have a pic somewhere on my computer as I meant to do a blog post last year and kind of never got around to it.
Their coleslaw seems to be homemade and it is the oil and vinegar kind- actually there is not much oil in it,but is seems to have a bit of sugar or something?
I usually end up ordering a large container (around 1cup I'd say), it is not on the menu,but you have to ask for it-it is around $3,I think (haven't ordered in months..trying to not eat "fried stuff").

www.superduperpizza.com/

Fresh tender golden fried chicken, deliciously seasoned and
pressure fried in 100% pure vegetable oil
.Fried Chicken Dinner

Dinner Pack 3 Pieces
$10.95

Dinner Pack 4 Pieces


$11.95

Deep Fried Chicken Wings ( 12 wings)


$10.00

Deep Fried Chicken Wings Platter (12 wings)


$12.25


*Served with french fries and coleslaw*

Fried Chicken Only

Small Pack (6 Pcs )
$13.99

Medium Pack (9 Pcs )
$18.99

Large Pack (12 Pcs)
$22.99

If anyone wants a more close up pic,I have one as well where you do not see as much of the fries.

Al Baba or now "popeye the chef" they are supposed to have fried chicken,
but since their Middle Eastern food is just ok. I have not ventured to try it.
I might have to try it sometime though, since it is up the street from me.

*Wasn't there a Mary Brown's in Ottawa a few years ago?
like where the Harvey's on Walkley was, then Al Baba..and now "popeye the chef".
Or was the place that did the chicken and southern food at that location some other name??
My memory is so bad...I forget :(

Here is a pic of the second best fried chicken I've ever had from Stroud's in Kansas City. And it's pan fried, not deep fried. We lined up for over an hour to taste it.
www.stroudsrestaurant.com/

Best fried chicken I ever had was at Middleton Place in Charleston South Carolina,
but that was back when Edna Lewis was the chef.
www.middletonplace.org

Back in 2002, when Ottawa had a Mary Brown's (Greenbank near Strandherd) I got together with some fellow fried chicken lovers and did a side-by-side taste test.

We found that KFC had tastier batter while Mary Brown's had tastier meat. Since fried chicken is really about the batter, we gave KFC the edge!

If you're the sort of heathen who tears off and discards the skin of your fried chicken then Mary Brown's would appeal. The flesh was moist and seasoned -- probably brined. :-)

Sadly KFC batter has gone way done in quality. I find their skin soft, limp, listless and devoid of any crunch or crispiness, and the skin really, is the only reason I'm eating fried chicken.

Also, I'm one of the ones that tears of the skin on fried chicken. However, I do not discard it. I wrap up potato wedges in the skin and eat a potato wedge chicken skin wrap. If you've never tried this delicious and deadly combination, I encourage you to.

Perhaps I'm merely waxing nostalgia about Mary Brown's, but back when I was growing up in Kingston, it was def. the best fried chicken around.

For KFC the popcorn chicken is the only thing I like!
I bought a 1pc combo last year that had a drumstick,popcorn chicken and a drink?
The popcorn chicken was the only good thing- the drumstick, the batter was good, but the meat was just too mushy and greassy.

I kind of want some decent chicken if I order the fried kind (or any kind that is). I don't eat all the chicken skin as I do not like to eat tons of it,but I do eat the crispy parts.

I agree that the quality of KFC has gone down, and the chicken doesn't seem as crispy in the last few years. Could that be a result of the fact they changed oils away from Trans fats.

blubarry, absolutely! The switch away from hydrogenated oil had a severe impact on the product. The magical crunch went away, and the flavour was also somehow less satisfying. Like lard, shortening provides a better taste experience than oils. The other thing you've probably noticed is that leftover KFC is just plain nasty now -- in the shortening days, it was delicious, even when cold!

I'd be much happier eating tasty and unhealthy fast food less frequently. The problem is, the fast food industry wants everyone to eat it *more* frequently. So they'll happily make it taste like crap to get people to feel less guilty about eating it. :-(

thanks Fresh Foodie. Very enlightening. And now I know why my last few several-times-a-year KFC treats have been really disappointing. Guess I'll stick to my cast iron skillet do it yourself method.

Does anyone remember watching My Cousin Vinny? How about that scene where they go to that southern diner for breakfast? They order (complete with a short conversation on what a grit is) and when the cook turns to the stove, the first thing he does is to put a big scoop of LARD on the grill.

Yeah. Lard. Okay, I'm willing to admit that it might have been shortening. That's what you really need to use to get the best taste out of fried chicken. Deep frying it like that would be difficult, but shallow pan frying in a couple of cups of lard really brings out the crispiness and flavour: solid fat.

Mmmmmmm. Lardy.

Hey guys! Signed on because I stumbled onto this topic in a web search, and I'm bumping it to let everyone know about the restaurant Fat Boys. Their fried chicken is the best I've had since my last visit to Texas, I highly recommend it. Their corn bread's nothing to scoff at either!

fatboys.ca

You are joking right Ryan?

ROTFL

I always prefer a small local place that serves good food made with care. In the case of fried chicken I'm getting fed up and would settle for a chain.

I'd really love it if someone would open a Popeyes here. They're decent and are consistently so. popeyeschicken.ca

I had some really good fried chicken at Sandy Hill Lounge and Grill. It was huge, crunchy on the outside and moist inside. It was on the lunch menu--not sure if its available at dinner.

Also love Popeye's, and the fried chicken at Union613 is very good recent addition.

I tend to stop by Popeye's when I fly through Houston or when I am in New Orleans. Stopped by twice 1st day and takeout for airport when I was in New Orleans for jazz Fest.

Has Castlegarth on White Lake been mentioned yet?
Have not tried it but have heard good things about it

Best Fried Chicken was in Savanna GA last year - Paula Dean's place - The Lady and Son's www.theladyandsons.com/ ...and an all you can eat Buffet. I almost did not make it out the door

Too bad Canadian Chef has retired because he definitely made the best fried chicken in Ottawa. If anyone has a good recommendation for a place that is in Otawa, I'd Luke to hear about it.

I tried the country style fried chicken from the store at Castlegarth on Friday - it was good, very good, but not the *BEST*. The quality of the chicken was remarkable, but the coating needed more seasoning. I doused mine with Suka Pinakurat - tangy and spicy!!!

There's a place in Arnprior that does pressure fried chicken that is pretty good. Name involves initials, but can't remember what they are. . . . . PJs something like that, but it's on the main drag.

www.pjsrestaurant.ca/

?

Hello Community,

Save yourself some gas money, it's easy to buy reviews, it's very easy for owners to go on boards like this and say marvelous things about their menu and restaurant. There are so many issues with this place! I will never go back.

1. The portions are tiny for what you pay. Soulfood is comfort food. One tiny piece of chicken isn't filling at all. Seriously, save your money and don't go. We were all still hungry after eating at Jean's.
2. Food doesn't seem home cooked. My waffles looked like packaged ones from the supermarket and other dishes also seemed like they were from a can. The restaurant is out in the country! How hard would it be for the owners to buy fresh produce? Even the maple syrup was fake. Come on, this is Canada!
3. The atmosphere was bland. The restaurant itself is cute, but the waitress never really interacted with us. We also never saw the owners.

Best regards
Steven Dilley

www.vemcall.com/

Thanks for the review. The unnecessary SPAMMY SPAMMY SPAM link was unwarranted in my opinion.

HA! if you think owners or others can buy good reviews here. We run shills out of town pretty quick round these parts.

In fact we run them right out of town all the way to Manotick.

La Piazza Courtyard and Lounge doesn't even serve fried chicken and it's STILL the best fried chicken in Ottawa!

There is a world of difference between KFC in the U.S. and in Canada. The chicken in the US is plump and juicy. In Canada I find the pieces small and always dry.