Since I’ve become a decent cook, I always want to make sure that when I go out, I know I’m getting better food than what I can make at home. And I have been getting into Korean cooking at home, and I’ve made a few good dishes, but Korean Fried Chicken? That’s definitely something that I’m certain a restaurant can do better. There’s just something satisfying about the crunch when you bite in followed by the juice dripping down your chin that requires a lot more experience than I think I have.
I had heard of SSAL doing chicken during the pandemic because they had to shift from a more upscale Korean meal to something that would work well for takeout. And that meant I really wanted to try it. I ordered it for myself one night, and I enjoyed it so much that I made sure to order it again when the other half was home so he could try it to.
On my first go, I went for the sweet and spicy Yangnyeom chicken ($15 half/$29 full chicken), an order of kimchi ($3) and the roasted cauliflower ($5). I may have over-ordered, but it all sounded good, and the prices really didn’t seem over the top. It took much longer than the quoted delivery time to arrive, but when it arrived, it smelled amazing!
And one thing I was really shocked by was the how crispy the chicken was, even after all the extra time. It was incredibly surprising really, and it’s one reason I wanted to order again. Of course, the second time I ordered, the chicken was definitely not as crispy, but both times the sauce was out of this world. The chicken is all cut up in pieces though, so be wary of bones, but otherwise it’s cooked really well and is still very juicy.
The sides were also fantastic. The cauliflower had a ton of flavor and was cooked perfectly. The kimchi had oodles of flavor. It was a really fantastic meal, and I immediately knew I was going to have to order it again (which I did, and it was still really tasty even if it wasn’t as crispy).
There are a few other things on the menu, like some fries (which I didn’t order because fries are tempermental for delivery), radish kimchi and pickled radish (both of which I ordered the second time and they are also incredibly tasty). It’s definitely a great deal for some tasty chicken, and it’s something different than what I can do at home. So if you’re looking for some great KFC delivery in San Francisco, SSAL is a good choice! And I’m definitely looking forward to trying it out the full restaurant sometime in the future.
Recommendation: KFC baby! And some kimchi!
Score: 4/5
SSAL
2226 Polk Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
