Sunny Chibas Fried Chicken Mexican Cantina
Whenever I am in the area, or past through Squamish I try to make a pit stop at Sunny Chibas, one of my favourite restaurants, period. I was a fan when they first opened as Mag’s 99; and fast forward to this day, where they are just as popular and busy.
The newer minted Sunny Chibas offers the same food, but with a lot more anime and pop culture references in the decor. The kitsch is cultivated by their regulars, a collection of rugged folk calling Canada’s outdoor capital home or playground.
The colour of teal and white in the horizon marks the spot, with a pretty impressive mural of two giant chickens dressed for a Lucha libre bout. A costume that included pointed knee pads and ornate masks. Pass the heavily stickered door, the restaurant opens up in an explosion of colour. From the galaxy patterned floor, to the Mayan inspired counter art with lengthy wiener dog mascot. And my favourite: Goten & Trunks engaging in fusion, heading into the kitchen. (I am not going to explain that. For those who know, they will appreciate it).
Each booth was themed like a classic arcade game: Space Invaders, Tetris, PacMan, and Donkey Kong. There was plenty to look at and reminisce over as you waited for your meal. They are often busy, and the food is made to order, so patience is required and worth it.
For this visit, I would order my usual and add on a few extras that I wanted to try. It is a 90 minutes drive out here, and I don’t visit often, so when I do, I indulge.
They are known as a fried chicken stop, so you have to try their chicken in either spicy or original recipe, as dark or white meat. Sadly, the chicken was not as good as I had remembered. In their defence, it was late on a Sunday and our order came from the bottom of the bag. Small scrawny pieces that are dry and hard at the ends. At least the seasonings and the crispiness of the chicken skin lands. The chicken is Cajun spiced with plenty of black pepper.
We were also gifted with a fresh order of 3 pieces of chicken. This was to make up for our paid for order of 5, that all together offered less meat than our 3 new pieces. Immediately and visibility, you can see the difference. It isn’t the best chicken, but it is nice to have as a side, and a break in between all the super flavourful and comforting Tex Mex items below.
My other must have usual is their Chimichangas. I discovered this hybrid burrito meats rice platter combo through Deadpool, the movie; and to date have found none even close to Sunny Chiba’s calibre.
The Chimichanga is a little much to pick up and eat with hands. I prefer cutting my way through the jack cheese, yellow rice, smoked jalapeno cream sauce, and it’s toppings of pico de gallo salsa and crema. You get to choose your protein. I always go for the pulled pork, as its smokey sweet hickory notes offer a nice contrast to the cheesy, creamy, tangy mix. I also find that the salad and salsa are great for freshness. I cannot praise this menu item enough. It is huge, super extra, and has everything. I don’t finish it in one sitting, so can intentionally save leftovers for a future meal.
What reads like Mac and cheese isn’t, but it was new, so I had to order it. The menu cleverly spells this out as “pasta shells with cheese and twice cooked pork belly”. It certainly didn’t look like Mac and cheese, or anything that you would satisfy, given how disjointed each element was. Although at the same time, this dish is one I am adding to my must order, every time I visit list. A mass of yellow pasta topped with blackened pork, drizzled over with sauces and served with a salsa. I could see the resemblance to a contemporary, non-authentic take on a Mexican platter. Gruyere and aged cheddar sauce, queso fresco, crema, carrot habanero sauce, pico, pickled onions, and crema.
The salsa seemed out of place and ended up on the chimichanga. Similarly, the pickles did not add anything to the pork and noodles that paired well. The pickles could have been used as a palate refresher, but the dish did not need it. The pork belly was cooked one time too many, and fairly hard as a result. But all the above did not matter, because the Mac and cheese was fantastic. Perfectly tender and chewy noodles, sauced up to fully appreciate the refined blend of cheeses. I would crave and order this again just for the shells. Maybe next time I ask for just the shells, as a side to my chicken above.
It was my guest’s first time dining in, so I ordered a few tacos to best introduce him to the fresh and fun Tex mex that is Sunny Chibas, after all the restaurant does refer to them as being “legendary”.
I liked the idea of a surf and turf taco, since I have never seen one before. Chilli birra beef, chilli dusted prawns, queso fresco, carrot & habanero sauce, pico & crema. Wet beef meets zesty prawns. Sadly, for this one I did not read the fine print and assumed it was steak and lobster. Therefore was disappointed to find out it was prawns that topped this taco. And even more sad, they were prepared the exact same way as same prawns in the taco below.
Chilli dusted prawns with feta, tomatillo salsa, pickled onions, pumpkin seeds, and crema. The flavour of the prawns was pretty prominent and memorable from the taco before. But at least the toppings with it offered a change, here. Freshness from the salsa, with the seeds offering a crunch and a nice twist.
The crispy corn fish had no corn. Jack cheese, guacamole, pico, citrus dressed cabbage & chiba sauce. This was a messy one, as the fish broke apart after the first bite. I did appreciate how the white fish was the highlight, and that the toppings were chosen to best elevate it; adding interest in texture and freshness.
In conclusion, I will be back. Any excuse to visit Squamish and leave full and content from Sunny Chibas. Nothing left to say but a strongly worded, “GO!”
Sunny Chibas Fried Chicken Mexican Cantina
1584 BC-99, Squamish, BC V8B 0H2
(604) 898-1306
sunnychibas.ca
