Today we were at Korean fried chicken chain bb.q Chicken to try their newest seasonal menu item: Vampire Chicken. This is a saucy and spicy fried chicken marketed as a “vampire” for Halloween, and probably due to its fluorescent red colouring.
It is available as a dish on its own, but we decided to get it as part of the Vampire Party Combo to make it into a full meal. Worth mentioning is that you can also get this vampire seasoning/sauce over their shrimp toast and fries, as a part of this limited edition menu, only available until the end of October.
We went the different route and had our sides, more cream and cheese based in the hopes that they will help diminish any unbearable, spicy notes. The Vampire Party Combo comes with Vampire Chicken, Creamy Onion Chicken, Any Fries, and Any Dukk-bokki. But what you really need is a drink that cools.
We decided to visit their Main Street location and took advantage of their patio seating on this warmer day.
As mentioned above, the Vampire Patty Combo, also comes with their classic fried chicken topped with their creamy sauce and raw onions. But sadly, they forgot that part of the order and it was another 10 minute wait to have it made fresh, as is how all their chicken is prepared. So we decided to start with what we had.
The Vampire Chicken is bb.q’s special Vampire Sauce and Red Chak-Chak powder topped on Golden Fried Chicken. The result is as spicy as advertised and they know it. So much so that the restaurant chain is hosting a challenge. They want to see people react to the heat of this dish, so are inviting guests to purchase and try it, recording their reactions, then uploading videos of it either onto TikTok or Instagram, tagging @bbqchicken_ca and using the hashtag #VampireChicken to let them know. Everyone who participates gets a coupon for a discount on a future meal, and the winner can earn $200 for their reaction.
Needless to say, I participated in this, and I’m not shy to admit that a single bite had me crying. My guests on the other hand was able to eat two smaller pieces, which is equivalent to four bites. He claimed they were not that spicy, yet refused to take on more. Not sure what the flavour profile is, but if you wanted to call it “bloody” to match the theme I would believe you. It is high acid, high tang, and makes you pucker alongside all the pain.
I found the initial bite is nonthreatening, however, the flavour does not leave your mouth, and it only seems to grow; compounding it with more vampire bites only increases the discomfort. It isn’t the spiciest thing I have tried, but I did leave me panting and looking for a reprieve uncomfortably.
Thankfully, we had our pre-determined sides that we could use to numb our mouths. The fries had a thick layer of dust that helped to coat our tongues and mouth. It had the texture of Parmesan dust, but with the flavour of a cheddar Cheetos. It was fairly helpful in driving away the heat.
The cream Dukk-bokki is rice cake with shredded melted cheese and sausage slices. This also served as a nice flavour distraction. Although I found there to be too much sauce and not enough rice cake to soak it all up with. Not to mention the sauce was a burning hot, which only fuelled the burning in my mouth. I would’ve liked some toast or bread to have with all this excess cream. I did like to chew off the rice cake and the salty distraction of the sliced up wieners.
The regular fried chicken was my favourite thing. These were not spicy but fried golden brown with incredibly juicy dark meat. Having the cream and onion as a dip offered flavour and a freshness, although you do walk away with a pungent mouthful of garlic and raw onions. However, there is no better way to scare off the “vampire” chicken.
I definitely thought this was a fun idea. I would recommend trying it for yourself if you like a challenge or spicy foods.
bbq Chicken & Pub Main ST
4470 Main St, Vancouver, BC V5V 3R3 • 6.9 km
(236) 521-8256
bbachickenca.com
