Today we were at the first ever BlackFoodEnergy Mixer in Vancouver. Presented by DoorDash Canada, this is a series dedicated to spotlighting the amazing culinary contributions Black chefs and restaurateurs are making in their communities everyday. Already successful in Toronto, with a recent event celebrating the same in Montreal. This is the 6th edition and their debut in Vancouver.
They have done several formal sit down dinners and decided to make this a mingler to have everyone connecting on a more intimate level. And today’s locale of the Chickadee Room in Chinatown was the perfect venue for just that.
As per the press release: “The DoorDash Canada #BlackFoodEnergy platform launched in 2022 with a mission of supporting, amplifying and celebrating Black-owned/led restaurants and Black Chefs across Canada all year round.”
Hosting this at Juke today was especially meaningful as they were one of the first to receive funding. This was by way of the over $650k in grants that Door Dash has given out to date. This came at an especially crucial time for Juke Fried Chicken, as the world was coming out of years of just surviving, during covid. Since then they continue to highlight, spotlight, grow, and empower, celebrate and amplify.
There is a search function on the DoorDash app to help identify and source black owned and operated restaurants and businesses to order from. Whether you are part of the community or an ally, everyone can enjoy the food.
For those unfamiliar, Juke Fried Chicken is known for their gluten-free menu featuring ingredients from local and small producers. Everything is 100% organic, green, and OceanWise (when they feature any sort of seafood). And we got a taste of their offerings through a buffet line they prepared for all the guests today.
A help yourself collection of their Juke Salad, Juke’s Famous Mac and Cheese, Fried Chicken, Sweet & Spicy, Chicken Wings, vegan “Chicken” Sando, Cornbread, and Corn on the Cob.
The salad offers a side of freshness through iceberg lettuce, their veggie fixings, cheddar cheese, sunflower seeds, and your choice of sesame dressing or ranch.
Everyone raved about the creamy and incredibly cheesy Mac and cheese. This went just as fast as the cornbread hush puppies. These were crispy balls sweetened from the corn meal with bits of corn and other vegetable for varied bites.
For chicken we had their classic fried, which is incredibly juicy with crispy skin. So flavourful that I didn’t even reach for any of their signature sauces. Although, for those who do like it saucy, there was also their saucy and spicy chilli chicken and their sweet and spicy wings. Both had me licking my fingers clean.
For dessert we had their Miso Corny Cookie, which is honestly one of the best cookies I have had. Gluten-free and just as tasty in room temperature. It had crispy edges and a caramelized centre, a nice chew and a balanced sweetness with toffee, corn crackle, and white chocolate. I want another just writing about it now.
As we ate and mingled, the bar stayed open with spirit-forward and non-alcoholic cocktail options. We tried all of the former.
The Thyme Warp was my favourite of the three. Belvedere Organic Vodka, White Port, Giffard Passionfruit, Grapefruit, Lime, Guava, and Honey. I liked the tropical fruit paired with savoury thyme. It just would have been nice to have the herb torched for extra essence through scent.
The Jupiter Jazz was like a berry punch with Martin Miller’s Gin, Bareksten Aquavit, Miso, Blackberry, Raspberry, and Prosecco. I would have liked more of the miso for a great umami flavour to balance out the sweetness.
The Energy was like a spritz with Hennessy, Giffard Banane du Brésil, Pineapple juice, Lemon juice, and Prosecco. Light and citrusy this went the best with our food.
And seeing as we were already here and a day before the Chinatown’s annual block party we had to try the Spicy Fried Chicken Hoagie. During Light Up Chinatown Juke, in collaboration with Say Hey Cafe, is offering a limited edition, two day only sandwich in celebration.
This we got to try it for ourselves, one day earlier. This is the Spicy Fried Chicken Hoagie and the name does not do it justice. We ventured back into the Juke kitchen to watch it being crafted by the creators of this delicious tag team.
This is Juke’s signature fried chicken thigh dressed in Lao Gan Ma brand chilli crisp on a toasted Say Hey signature 360 sesame seed hoagie bun with a cherry tomato, basil, red onion salad and crispy parm shallots.
There will only be 100 of these sold daily, on August 16th and 17th. Available starting at 11am and once they are out, that is it.
This is definitely something you have to eat immediately to ensure the bread and the chicken’s breading it optimally crispy.
It is as indulgent as it looks. We were worried that the chilli crisp would be overpowering, so evenly coated over the chicken, but there was just enough for a tickle of heat. The fresh tomatoes were necessary, helping to cut into all the punchy zest with refreshing sweetness. This complimentary pairing was furthered by the raw onions and the fragrant basil.
So if you want to try this for yourself, be sure to head down early and get yours first before they sell out.
Juke Fried Chicken
182 Keefer St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1X4
(604) 336-5853
jukefriedchicken.com
