Olivia’s Authentic Chicken
For a few years now friends have been telling me that Olivia’s Authentic Chicken makes the best fried chicken in Montreal. After recently experiencing this delicacy, I can respond unequivocally that they were correct.
Olivia’s first opened on Somerled Avenue in NDG, later adding locations downtown and on the South Shore. Coming soon will be venues at Fairview Pointe Claire, Côte-des-Neiges, Boisbriand, Delson, and Chateauguay.
Formerly known as “Le K’bob,” founder-owner Eunjung (Olivia) Ko made fried chicken a signature item, be it boneless, bone-in, in a sandwich, or a wrap. Orders come in neatly designed boxes for one or for six, and with nine different dip sauces.
In South Korea, I am told, you can find fried chicken as the staple dish served practically at every street corner. People enjoy it as a meal or snack. When Olivia and her family moved to Canada, she put her twist on traditional fried chicken recipes. The result is a light, non-oily, Korean-inspired fried chicken that pairs exceptionally well with a variety of house dipping sauces. There is no milk, eggs, butter, lard, or buttermilk added and it’s also peanut free.
I visited the Somerled Ave. location and made a take-out order for myself and a work colleague. What a treat this turned out to be. I selected two individual combo packs: for me, the boneless fried chicken with fries, honey mustard sauce, and a Dr. Pepper; and my colleague, Brigida, opted for the bone-in box, also with fries, ranch sauce, and a cherry cola. I also had the macaroni salad.
The chicken was still nice and hot when I got back to the office 10 minutes later and I savoured every morsel of the four pieces of chicken, so incredibly crispy and tasty. Unlike other brands of fried chicken I have tried, this one digested easily. The sauce I chose was just perfect and merely added to the fabulous taste. I even dipped my fries in it. The macaroni salad was fresh and moist. I also liked the fact they told me to wait 20 minutes for my chicken as they prepared it fresh.
Brigida said she found her chicken well coated, tender, and very crispy while not oily — a good endorsement from my work colleague who often oversees selecting caterers for our events. The fries, she said, had a crunchy coating on the outside and soft on the inside.
There are a wide variety of menu items, including large, shareable combos. In addition to the macaroni salad, you can also choose from potato salad and coleslaw. If you order a chicken sandwich trio, you can personalize it with pickles, banana peppers, and beer-battered onion rings. And yes, they have poutines as well with their own in-house spicy gravy.
