- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
Zabu Chicken
Categories: Restaurants Korean Restaurants Chicken Wings Korean, Chicken Wings
1635 Robson StreetVancouver, BC V6G
Neighbourhood: West End
(604) 602-0021
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 12 pm - 2 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
19 reviews for Zabu Chicken
19 reviews in English
-
Review from Judy H.
Richmond, BC
3/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
When it comes to Asian fried chicken, I either make my own karaage, or go to Aberdeen for the huge wings. Then my partner in crime introduces me to Zabu. First thing that caught my eye was the makgeoli. It's pricey at $15 but it comes in the traditional aluminum pots and cups. It also beats home-brewing your own, no need to sterilize bottles and monitor for fermentation. ( yes, that is my summer project )
The food is also pricey, but quite large, so split amongst your companions, it doesn't cost too much in the end. Oh and if you order a full chicken with a pitcher of beer, a plate of pork hock and edamame is available for $1.
Their regular fried chicken is crispy on the outside, and juicy inside, but lacks in flavour. It was much better after using the dipping sauce that came with the pork hock. We usually order the spicy chicken, and realized, we shouldn't deviate from what we know is guaranteed good.
Why the -1 star? The manager looking man always fidgets with the music and turns it way too loud for an early evening. And the K-pop can get a little annoying after awhile. I actually start humming the music by the time we leave.
If you live in the westend, they will also deliver through a third party delivery service. -
Review from Arnold P.
4/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
I ordered the zabu chicken sal-sal, soy chicken and jab chae. The chicken sal-sal is basically a salad with chicken chopped up on top. This was just ok, nothing special. The jab chae is ok as well, I've had better ones. But the highlight of the evening was the soy chicken, it was crispy and flavourful. The prices are on the expensive side. Soy Chicken (medium) had 4 drumsticks and 6 wings for $12.95.
Chicken Sal-Sal - 3 Stars $24.95 (Large)
Jab Chae - 3 Stars $17.95
Soy Chicken - 5 Stars $12.95 (Medium)
Price - 1 Star
The atmosphere had very loud Korean Pop music blaring in the back and it's dark inside. -
Review from Rick C.
2/6/2012 4 photos
Randomly after stuffing ourselves with some ramen comfort food, we hopped across the street for some Korean style fried chicken wings at Zabu.
I enjoyed our chicken feast. We ordered two types of super friend Korean style chicken: the regular soy and hot and spicy.
The soy was mighty crispy and dripping in deep-fried goodness. It made for a very appealing snack. I really dug the spiciness and flavour of the hot wings. It had a nice glazed flavour to it as well.
I washed down my fried wings with some Sapporo. The chicken was pretty delicious, all in all. And FYI, Zabu's open late until 2am every night if you're ever hankering for some fried goodness late at night. -
Review from J C.
Vancouver, BC
4/7/2012
Dried up and hard chicken that taste as if it was re-fried several times. Service is slow. On weekends, if you order order pitcher of beer and chicken, you will get Korean pork feet dish for a dollar extra. That dish taste better than chicken itself and I would probably pay same amount as the chicken if it were to have similar portion. Suggest you avoid this place and head to Church's if you crave fried chicken.
-
Review from Namit M.
12/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
Came to Zabu with high expectations. However, the experience was less than satisfying.
First of all there is something very dark and dingy about this place. Needs a good spring cleaning and brightening up.
The menu is a little all over the place, but I wanted to taste the fried chicken. Ordered the small order of the mixed spicy - three drumsticks and 6 wings. Have to say that the chicken itself is pretty good, its got a base of soy and sweet sauce/marinate and is sufficiently spicy to make it all kind of work. Wasn't too thrilled with the sides - cole slaw. All in all the lunch ran me $18 which is a little to steep for what it was.
Maybe if watching Korean pop/hip hop videos is your thing you can overlook the ambiance and the food. -
Review from Ann W.
8/3/2011
How do they stay in business?
I ordered the zabu chicken sal sal, described on the menu as a healthier option because the chicken is fried in rice flour and it is "served with a salad." Um, "served with a salad" my ass--it IS a salad! The photo of the menu item is large chunks of boneless fried chicken sprinkled with sesame seeds and NO salad. What I *actually* got was a big bowl of shredded green onions and tiny little unrecognizable pieces of fried chicken scattered on top. I really wish I was more assertive and insisted upon a refund, because this was the biggest waste of $16 we have ever spent. Yes, you read that right--$16!!
When I wanted to get the check, I called for our server (he was a man with wavy hair and glasses) 3x by saying "excuse me" when he was only about 10ft away. I raised my voice each subsequent time and it seemed he just hurriedly walked off and ignored/avoided me. Note - this was NOT during a busy time and the environment was not so loud that he couldn't hear me.
When I went in to ask for the check, he was at the register. He said "ok" to my request, and I stayed standing there. He pretended as if I wasn't there and then I clarified that I wanted it here rather than wait for him to bring it outside, and then he finally printed it out for me.
Other things that we saw were: several groups who got up from their tables and left because they were being completely ignored or they had to wait an excessively long time for their food, and people desperately trying to get one of the TWO employee's attention but ended up being avoided and ignored.
Zabu, please take a class on Customer Service 101 and for goodness' sake, hire at least 1 or 2 more employees if you find yourself forgetting to bring out food and avoiding your own customers. -
Review from Clare L.
7/25/2011
I came here on the suggestion of a friend, who claimed that the chicken was so delicious it was like "a lollipop on a stick." What threw me for a loop here was that the chicken didn't arrive on a stick and was nothing like a lollipop but it was damn good.
We ordered the whole soy chicken, the spicy chicken, a salad, tofu and beef, and the bibimbap. It was delicious, crispy, slightly sweet, and way too much dressing on the salad, and the bibimbap wasn't as crispy as I normally like it. (I enjoy pressing the rice to the sides of the stone bowl, to ensure that there were parts that were extra crisped.)
Seriously though, I would definitely recommend this version of "KFC" (Korean Fried Chicken) and for the spicy version, it was pretty spicy. Also the sides of Kimchi were a definite bonus.
As for atmosphere, it sorta reminded me of a fast food joint. It wasn't well decorated, and the seating was rather random, and the plastic dome around the restaurant's exterior made me feel a little like I should don a hazmat suit before entering. The TV ran constant K-POP music video while different K-POP music was on pretty loudly.
To sum up: just go there for the KFC! -
Review from Vincci L.
Craving for some Korean food, we went to Zabu chicken to try out some Korean style fried chicken. Would it possibly be the best fried chicken that I would ever have?
We picked an original soy wings order. It took a while to arrive, given it was a weekday and the place wasn't that full. There were however, mosuitos flying all around, which worried me a bit.
Finally, the 12 wings arrived. Medium sized wings, and it also came with a side cabbage salad. The wings were crispy on the outside, with a sweet tangy flavour, which reminds me of a mix between honey garlic and Thai chili. I liked the wings, but I've had better ones.
I believe we paid around $1 per wing, which was quite expensive. Other items on the menu were also higher than normal: Seafood pancake for $18, bimbibap for $16? I don't think so. -
Review from Johnson C.
Vancouver, BC
This place was a bit off-putting initially. Heard it was new and good, so we stroll in on a weekday night and the place is dead. Only a few tables were occupied and we ordered the 12 pieces of the original hot chicken... hmm... seems kinda pricey at ~$20. Sapporo on draft for ~$17 a pitcher.
I notice a faint stench... I look around... the hell? There are like 3 or 4 uncleared tables. I know there's only one server, but the place look like it's been dead for hours... why can't she clean it up? I'm a bachelor... I'm used to random, uncleaned plates lying around... but when it starts stinking up, even I know I need to clean up... or leave the room like a biohazard zone. Have I found my soulmate?
Standard banchan fare. Kinda of pricey. Quite a wait for the chicken. And I have already serious doubts about the cleanliness of this place. We're off to the wrong foot and this is not looking up.
But the chicken won me over. Chicken was well cooked, crispy batter and a good deal of heat from the sauce. This is some solid chicken. And the pieces are huge. Good chicken at a decent value.
The uncleaned tables were quickly bussed away and I was happily drinking my beer, eating delicious chicken and trying to understand what was happening in the KPop videos on TVs. For fuck's sake - with pitchers of beer, fried chicken and outdoor patio on Robson... I think I found my summer 'kick-it' spot. It's even open until 2AM (if I recall correctly).
Random observation: There are tons of soju ads in the washroom room. It's kinda off-putting to do your business and sense the eyes of dozens of provocatively posed soju models on you... clutching your junk and looking at the posters made me feel like pervert and a piece of meat at the same time.
I guess I'm a bit weird... most people don't associate Robocop with Korean fried chicken either... but you will too after you see this: http://www.youtube.com... -
Review from Marc D.
Vancouver, BC
3/10/2011 3 photos
* Good Korean Fried Chicken *
I've been eyeing this new restaurant pretty regularly and waiting until I happened to find it open. They seem to have rather sporadic hours. But I passed by yesterday and the open sign was lit - so in I went.
This is a typical Korean fried chicken joint. Basically the menu consists of various preparations of chicken, a few random other dishes, and beer choices.
I ordered the yangnyeom dak, but somehow there was a mixup in the kitchen and instead I received the soy sauce chicken. They were not particularly busy, but I didn't want to cause a hassle and said it would be fine.
They announce on their menu that they use fresh, never frozen, chicken and that they prepare your serving after you order it.
I have to say it was actually worth the wait. The light crispy rice flour based batter encased the juicy well marinated tender chicken. There was a nice garlic flavour to the marinade which really rounded out the flavours as it was combined with a slight saltiness from the soy and a hint of sweetness (I'm guessing honey?). It all blended together beautifully. 4 stars. Photo: http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
The side dish of pickled daikon was nice and crunchy and provided a good foil to the fried chicken to refresh the palate. 4 stars. Photo: http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
The side cabbage salad was extremely overdressed with a dressing that was mostly mayo and just way too creamy for my taste. 2 stars. Photo: http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
Service was very friendly, even though there was an order miscommunication. 4 stars.
So this is basically a 3.75 review, pending a re-visit to try out what I originally ordered!Listed in: Vancouver multicultural fried…, Vancouver Korean Food
-
Review from Wendy C.
West Vancouver, BC
12/30/2011
I went here for a 4 person birthday party and we pretty much almost took over the restaurant. The chicken is amazing. But I found everything expensive. So while I'll go back for the chicken, I won't be ordering anything else. the ramen noodles are just instant noodles with scrambled egg and green onions and TONS of soup. So go somewhere else for noodles.
-
Review from Genre S.
Calgary, AB
11/28/2011
The basic late-night (2 a.m. even on Sunday) hours make Zabu a serious consideration. The draught sake helps as well. But the chicken? yeah the chicken is good. Only tried the hot combo ($20, wings 'n' sticks), but based on how the mama cooked that up, I want to go back for the soy chuck, and also the bibimbab. Think this place is going to become a regular haunt for me. Dang Korean food can be serious. Trust me -- if the west end/Coal harbour zone is a stomping ground, 'round yr. day or night off here. Yum!
-
Review from Edward L.
Came here after hearing many reviews.
Parking here completely sucks, as with most places on Robson. Took half an hour to find a space.
We tried their regular fried chicken. It came with a side of coleslaw, and some cold pickled turnip. The chicken was a bit dry, but the tradeoff was that it wasn't covered in grease. The salad was a bit too gooey thanks to this extra mayo they dumped on top. The turnip was different in that it was served in a puddle of vinegar, but the pieces were crisp.
The place was quite empty, and unfortunately there's a reason. Yes the food was decent, but the dish of chicken wasn't $20 good. I could've gone to some wings place and gotten 3 times the amount of food at a similar quality for that price.
Even though the food is decent, the lack of decent parking and poor value mean that I won't be back for a while. -
Review from Steven S.
1/3/2011
Opened in the location of two previously Korean & Japanese eateries at the same location Zabu has only been opened a few weeks as this review is written. The West End is known for it's great abundance of very good Korean food and I was in the mood for bird so I checked it out.
At first glance you can tell they just bought up the old (3 months old) establishment lock stock and ugly tree cutting tables surrounded by $15 red Ikea plastic chairs. I am sure you know the ones, and other ikea standards.
Zabu does fried chicken plain and simple, wings or legs, Hot or Soy. I ordered the soy mix of what they said were wings and strips. But they were wings and legs. No problems for me as I love dark meat, but some may not. They say the are fresh and take some time to cook around 20 minutes they took 30 minutes. Ok so they are not frozen so they should cook faster right?
The chicken is actually really, really good. Savory mixed with a little sweet is the main flavor and I must admit a nice change over typical buffalo hot wings. The order sizes are huge and should be a large is $18 bucks. regular $11 bucks.
I will get some tasty bird from Zabu again, though I doubt I would eat in Zabu as there are not apps to dine on while waiting but they do sell beer. They do deliver so that is a good option or order ahead as not to suffer through the bad Korean pop music videos played very loud. Maybe Zabu will hand around, hard to say as the other places that occupied the space had short half lives. -
Review from Tiffani L.
Richmond, BC
10/14/2011 2 Check-ins Here
We ate one kind of the fried chicken wings, that was ok. A special taste , and we also order the seafood pancake! The food is ok, but the price is a little bit high. Because the menu is normal like the other korean food, the price is much higher! On the other hand, i think i will go to try other flavour of chicken wings. But i wont order any other food on the menu.
-
Review from Kira T.
5/30/2011
This place is money! Genius!
Cute space - lipstick red chairs, tables hewn of great slabs of gnarled wood, pale in color and and highly laquered. TVs blare addictive pop - Japanese girl groups, Beyonce, etc. Loud, but not too loud.
We did take-out two nights hand-running. A pint of Sapporo goes down nicely as you wait. Since orders are prepared when you order them, it can take a moment or two - in our case, 10 minutes the first night, and 20 minutes the second.
Both times we just got the wings. Why wings two nights in a row? Because we could not NOT get them the second night! Not only are they worth the very slight wait, they are ADDICTIVE. The menu explains that the meat is steamed first, then breaded and crisped. Whatever they do, it is wonderful. The meat is perfectly cooked, not greasy, and a perfect foil for the slightly sweet, CRISPY, light and perfectly crunchy coating.
Next time we plan to eat in, and get the entire chicken. Mmmmmm.... can't wait!
(Uhhhh.... just noticed that I used "perfect" no less than THREE times in that last sentence. Help me! I am morphing into Giada de Laurentiis! Gah!!!!!!!!!!) -
Review from Lani H.
6/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
I got the hot wings, a bit on the salty side, but still good.
For those from the Philly area, soho cafe's tastes better. -
Review from Young K.
Vancouver, BC
1/26/2011 5 Check-ins Here
Heard from a Korean friend that it was popular style of fried chicken in Korea. We went to try it and it lived up to expectations! We ordered the hot wing and it was...cough...SPICY! But nothing that a ice cold pitcher of draft Sapporo can't fix. The soy mix fried chicken was terrific! Think : "Chinese sytle honey-garlic spare ribs infused fried chicken". The portions were respectable.
Return, I would. -
Review from Nick C.
4/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
Damn that is some good fried chicken. Tried a mix of both the hot and soy (the only two choices on the menu). They are extra crispy and packed with flavour. After delivery charges and tip, the value wasn't very good. I don't think I would order delivery again, but I will try the restaurant with a pitcher of beer.
