Seoa’s Chicken
The Real KFC
BY LINDSAY WICKSTROM
PHOTOS MICHELLE DOUCETTE
Seoa Wang's journey from South Korea to opening her own fried chicken restaurant on the Bedford Highway seems improbable, but life has a way unfolding in ways you least expect. Wang has a buoyancy and authenticity that has kept her on keel and a warm hospitality that keeps her customers coming back.
Wang immigrated to Canada in 2015 with her three children because she didn't want them to have to suffer the academic pressure Korean children face: studying for 18 hours a day, having no social life, and only getting 4 or 5 hours of sleep each night. There is immense competition in Korean society to get good grades and secure high-paying jobs.
"Korean education is too much," says Wang. She says that in grades 11 and 12, students have to stay in school until midnight. "They are very pale," she gestures. "I used to live like that, and my husband as well. But I don't want my kids to live like that. If I still lived in Korea, maybe I would push my children to live like that: study, study! Study more! If they are not getting good marks at the school, maybe I would get angry, and I don't want to live like that. I want my kids to live free."
Wang says societal and parental expectations pushed her to go to university. She took social welfare and early childhood education but didn't enjoy these fields.
Seoa Wang
After she arrived in Halifax, she enrolled in the Culinary Arts program at NSCC.
"I didn't know that I was interested in cooking," she says. "I didn't realize when I lived in Korea because we were very busy. I didn't even have time to cook. My parents and parents-in-law, cooked for us. Because I had three kids, and I worked and my husband worked and we were very busy. But I moved to Canada and I studied culinary arts for 2 years and finally I realized: I'm really good at cooking! I was happy... I found my passion.".
She did her co-op at the Halifax Convention Centre and transitioned to a permanent position afterward. Here, she learned all about catering to food allergies and making substitutions. (For this reason, she has a peanut-free kitchen.)
When the Covid Pandemic shut down the Convention Centre, Wang barely missed a beat because she had already started working part-time at Hospice Halifax, and a full-time position became available just as she needed it.
There, she realized her love of cooking for people more intimately.
"The people [are] at the very end of their life, so I cook for them and every time when I cook for them I feel like this food may be the last food for their life in this world. So every time I tried my best. When they eat my food and they grab my hand and [say] thank you, your food is so good, I [would] almost cry."
She got to know the patients because she took their orders and served them food. She would talk to them and get to know their families.
"It's not just a job. It's more than a job. And I realized I really like to make the food for the people.".
She loved the meaningful interactions, but the reality of making connections with dying people was emotionally taxing. Wang admits she's an emotional and empathetic person and that her work environment was making her depressed.
She recognized that what she loved most about cooking was seeing people enjoying her food, so she decided to open a restaurant. She told her husband (who was still living in Korea, tied to his work) that she was opening a restaurant and that he needed to move to Canada. So he did, helping her build and design the restaurant.
It is a cozy space, with string lights on the ceiling and decorations from Korea, including cast iron roof tiles and a wallpaper print by famous Korean artist Hyewon (Sin Yun-bok).
Her original vision was to serve fried chicken exclusively, but she has expanded the menu over time as customers requested certain dishes. Still, the menu is respectfully specialized.
"We have not many [items on] the menu now because ... I just want to focus on keep[ing] the good quality and good taste the same."
Korean fried chicken has been getting quite popular in Halifax over the last few years, so I asked Wang why she chose fried chicken and if she was worried about the competition.
"This is the most common food in Korea. When I live in Korea I eat the fried chicken once a week—no, twice a week. Not for [a meal, but] for a snack after supper."
She is unconcerned about other Korean fried chicken restaurants (even the one down the road from her restaurant).
Soft Tofu Stew
"They have their own recipe and I have my own recipe. So maybe some people like their food or some people like my food. I don't think it's competition. If people like my food and then come more customers, and then they will try the other restaurant's chicken—it's okay. And then maybe my business is getting better and their business is getting better."
"This is mine. I just want to follow my rules... my recipes, my thoughts."
However, she does run her recipes through her oldest son before implementing them. She says he has always had a sensitive palate. "He's 20 years old now, and I need his [confirmation]. Mommy, I think it needs a bit more of this, a little more of that...."
Wang makes her own kimchi (cabbage and radish), and her chicken batter recipe has over 20 ingredients. Her original recipe chicken is crispy, juicy and full of savoury flavour. The most popular order among her Korean customers is the Ban-Ban Chicken (half original and half sweet and spicy). But the most popular order at her restaurant (which also happens to be her favourite) is the Cheese Snow Chicken.
Korean cheese snow is a whimsical, sweet, and cheesy condiment. Wang's is a mixture of Kraft Dinner powder, milk powder, sugar powder, vanilla powder, salt and citric acid. It is a sweet, creamy, and tangy powder generously applied. Served with a side of cream cheese dipping sauce (that vaguely reminded me of donair sauce), I can see how this would be a hit with locals!
I also got to try the honey garlic wings (which I would put against any pub wings in the city) and the Creamy Onion Chicken. The latter is a huge plate of boneless chicken piled high with thinly shaved onions and a creamy onion sauce drizzled on top. They recently added a jalapeno mayo version to the menu, too.
Wang enjoys serving nicely plated and generous portions of food. Enjoyed with some soju or Sapporo (which Seoa's has on tap), you could have an excellent evening here, and you definitely won't leave hungry.
In addition to fried chicken, she serves dolsat bibimbap, a sizzling stone rice bowl topped with meat, vegetables, egg, and gochujang sauce (sweet and spicy fermented chile sauce). A vegan bibimbap is available, and Wang is soon introducing albap (a type of bibimbap featuring fish roe).
She also makes kimchi cheese jeon (pancake) and a handful of Korean stews. I tried the gamjatang (pork bone stew), which features pork backbone, savoy cabbage, and perilla seeds (which she has to order from Toronto), served with steamed rice and kimchi. It is perfect for a cold day (or a hangover, as Korean friends tell me).
Dessert was bungeoppang (the Korean word for taiyaki), a fish-shaped pastry stuffed with fillings (red bean or custard). Though this is only the second time I've had this confection, I was blown away.
Halifax has seen an explosion of Korean food, from Korean BBQ and fried chicken to Korean rice dogs. But I am confident in saying this is some of the best Korean food I've had, and it's worth the trip down the Bedford Highway to seek it out.
