Pelicana, the Korean fried chicken chain, to open in West Philly
The chain, now franchising in the United States, traces its roots to 1982 South Korea.
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-pmn.s3.amazonaws.com/public/562RRSMYHZH3FHF7OND3LKZGBY.jpg)
West Philadelphia is in line to get another outlet for Korean fried chicken, the crunchy, highly sauced birds.
Pelicana, which traces its roots to 1982 South Korea, has applied for a liquor license for the basement space at 4002-4004 Spruce St., next door to Copabanana, a barber shop, and a Subway in Spruce Hill. The spot had been Traditional Szechuan Restaurant.
A Pelicana rep told me that no timeline had been established for the opening, but surmised it would be in early 2019.
As does many of its competitors, Pelicana offers eight sauce flavors for wings, whole chicken, or boneless chicken.
Pelicana has been on a franchising streak after first setting up in Queens. The chicken at its location in K-town, near Penn Station in Manhattan, sent a Korea-born writer into paroxysms of nostalgic joy earlier this year.
The rep told me that the menu would be similar to that in New York, where alcohol options are soju and especially beer — for the chicken-and-beer combo known as chimac.