Chimaek Nights at Kimchi: Korean Fried Chicken Meets Beer

Two words. One very good Korean tradition.

Some food combinations need a long explanation.

This isn’t one of them.

Crispy Korean fried chicken. Cold beer. Good company.

That’s chimaek.

The word brings together chicken and maekju, the Korean word for beer, and the idea behind it couldn’t be simpler. Put Korean fried chicken in the middle of the table, pour something cold alongside it, gather a few friends and settle in.

At Kimchi in Selly Oak, that sounds like a pretty good way to spend an evening.

Whether you’ve just finished a long week, you’re catching up with housemates or you’re looking for a relaxed place for dinner with friends, chicken and beer make a very convincing pair.

So, what exactly is chimaek?

Chimaek is the Korean combination of fried chicken and beer.

It isn’t really about complicated dining rules or formal courses. It’s about sharing.

A plate of hot Korean fried chicken arrives at the table. There’s a cold beer alongside it. Everyone reaches in, talks, eats and orders another plate if the first one disappears too quickly.

And there is every chance it will.

Part of the appeal of Korean fried chicken is that contrast.

You get a crisp coating outside and juicy chicken inside, with sauces and seasonings bringing sweetness, heat, savoury flavour or a combination of all three.

Then comes the beer.

Cold, refreshing and particularly welcome after a bite with a little chilli behind it.

Chicken. Sip. Chicken. Sip.

It’s not difficult to understand why the pairing caught on.

Korean fried chicken isn’t just ordinary fried chicken

If your experience of fried chicken begins and ends with a cardboard takeaway box, Korean fried chicken might surprise you.

Texture is a big part of the experience.

The coating is designed to stay crisp, giving you that satisfying crunch before you reach the tender chicken underneath.

Then there are the flavours.

Depending on what you order, Korean fried chicken can bring together sweet, savoury, sticky and spicy notes in the same bite.

That means it works just as well for someone who likes a bit of heat as it does for someone who simply wants good fried chicken and a cold drink at the end of the week.

And because it comes into its own when shared, it makes a natural centrepiece for the table.

Nobody needs to spend ten minutes deciding who ordered what.

Put the chicken down.

Let everyone get involved.

Why chicken and beer work so well together

There’s a very practical reason this combination is so satisfying.

Hot, crisp, richly flavoured chicken wants something cool next to it.

The beer gives you that contrast.

Take a spicy bite, then a cold sip. Go back for another piece. Repeat as required.

It also keeps the meal relaxed.

This isn’t a knife-and-fork, three-course situation.

It’s the sort of meal where you lean back in your chair, pass another piece across the table and suddenly realise you’ve been sitting there talking for two hours.

That’s what makes chimaek more than simply chicken with a drink.

It’s a way of eating that encourages people to stay around the table.

And that fits Kimchi perfectly.

Our whole approach to Korean food is built around sharing, generous dishes and meals that bring people together.

Made for a Selly Oak night out

There are evenings when you want something formal.

Then there are evenings when you just want your mates, good food and somewhere you can switch off.

Chimaek belongs firmly in the second category.

Had a long day at university?

Chicken.

Finished the final lecture of the week?

Chicken.

Housemates finally managed to organise an evening when everyone is free?

Chicken.

Friday night and nobody wants to cook?

You probably know the answer by now.

Kimchi is right here in Selly Oak, so a chimaek night doesn’t need weeks of planning.

Send the message.

Round up the group.

Come hungry.

It’s the sharing that makes it

Korean food is at its best when there are several things happening on the table.

One person reaches for chicken. Someone else orders another side. A dish gets passed across. Somebody says they’re full and then immediately takes another piece.

That social way of eating is a big part of what Kimchi is about. Our existing food stories focus heavily on sharing food, sitting together and making the meal part of the occasion.

Chimaek fits straight into that.

There’s no need for everyone to order exactly the same thing either.

Put Korean fried chicken at the centre and add other Kimchi favourites around it.

Maybe you want some sides for the table.

Maybe somebody wants ramen.

Maybe another person is ordering bibimbap.

Maybe the group has decided it’s also a Korean BBQ night.

There are no complicated rules.

The aim is simply to eat well and enjoy the evening.

New to Korean fried chicken?

Good.

Your first order is part of the fun.

Korean fried chicken is one of those foods where the first bite usually tells you most of what you need to know.

Crunch.

Juicy chicken.

Sauce.

Then another piece.

If you usually play things safe when ordering, start with a flavour you recognise and add something different alongside it.

If you already love chilli and stronger flavours, go straight for something with more kick.

Better still, come with a group and order a couple of options for everyone to share.

That way you can work out your favourite without committing the whole table to one choice.

Chimaek isn’t only a Friday thing

Friday night feels made for fried chicken and beer, but there’s no rule saying you have to wait until the weekend.

A Tuesday catch-up can become a chimaek night.

So can a midweek birthday.

Or a Thursday when everyone has collectively decided they’ve done enough cooking for the week.

That’s part of the appeal.

It can be a full night out or simply an easy meal with friends.

No occasion required.

Students, bring your ID

Kimchi offers students 10% off with a valid student ID.

So if you’re studying around Selly Oak and Korean fried chicken has been sitting on your food list for a while, this might be the week to change that.

Bring your friends.

Bring your student ID.

Then let the food do the rest.

If the student discount also applies to alcoholic drinks, I’d confirm that in your published offer terms before mentioning the discount directly alongside beer.

Your next Kimchi night might already be sorted

Sometimes the best dinner plans are the simplest ones.

You don’t need a special occasion.

You don’t need matching calendars six weeks in advance.

You need Korean fried chicken, people you like spending time with and, for guests aged 18 and over, perhaps a cold beer alongside it.

That’s chimaek.

And you can make it part of your next night out right here at Kimchi in Selly Oak.

Chicken. Beer. Good company.

Selly Oak has your chimaek night sorted.

‍