What You Should Be Pairing With Korean Fried Chicken For A Balanced Bite

What should you serve as a side for Korean fried chicken? Well, depending on your tastes, you might not want or need a side at all. Korean fried chicken is so crunchy, so juicy and flavorful, that it can be tempting to leave room for more chicken in your stomach instead of eating a side. But eating, like cooking, is often about finding a balance of flavors, and it's worth looking for something that can play off the rich, meaty flavor of the chicken in a compelling way. We talked to SK Kim, the executive chef of COQODAQ who is currently gearing up to prepare food for this year's US Open tennis tournament, and he gave us the skinny. Two words: pickled radish.

"One of the most traditional sides for Korean fried chicken is pickled radish, which we serve to our guests at COQODAQ," Kim explains. It's so traditional, in fact, that the Korean name for the dish is "chicken-mu," or "chicken radish". As Kim notes, "Koreans have always traditionally paired pickled radish with fried chicken as a palate cleanser because the sweet and tangy notes of the radish complement the rich texture of the crispy chicken so well." It's the kind of beautifully simpatico pairing that you'll find in many of the fast-casual Korean chains on the rise in America.

Pickled radish is one of many popular Korean side dishes

There's far more where that came from, too. Although pickled radish is easily the most popular banchan, or side dish, for Korean fried chicken, there are plenty of other options for you, too. SK Kim professes that pickled radish is his favorite, but COQODAQ offers a number of other sides and "savory accompaniments" for you to enjoy with your chicken, including spicy tteokbokki, cold perrilla seed noodles, and good old-fashioned coleslaw. If you're interested in mixing and matching, Kim says that pickled radish would also be an excellent side dish for non-Korean fried chicken, too: "The light and tangy elements of Korean pickled radish make for a universal palate cleanser."

If you're willing to make Korean fried chicken at home, you can make just about whatever you like to go with your meat. (Just don't be stingy with the potato starch, or your chicken won't be as crunchy as you'd like.) Some popular banchan ideas include steamed rice, the cold noodle dish japchae , cold cucumber soup, and that old reliable, kimchi (but don't get it from Trader Joe's — you can do much better). Pickled radish is still the most popular choice, and if you go to a Korean restaurant, it will likely be included with your chicken free of charge, but you also have no shortage of options.

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