JFC is 100 Mile’s newest restaurant in the old, original Cariboo Fish ‘n Chips space – bringing in family-sized fried chicken as “fast food” to 100 Mile House.
It’s British Columbia’s first franchise opening of JFC (or Japanese Fried Chicken), and it’s actually a unique set-up soon to have locations in Kamloops, Maple Ridge and Quesnel – with sightings on future openings across the province, says Dave Chu, franchise set-up manager.
The key to making the fried chicken taste great is a special Japanese recipe called Gara Aga, Chu says, adding he was trained in cooking this directly by the chefs in Japan, where it is extremely popular.
Gara Aga has a thinner coating that is “more crispy and less greasy” than the bucket-of-chicken style more traditional in North America, he explains.
For JFC, Chu worked with the owner, Ian Kim, and modified it for Canadian tastes and fast-food delivery, using their Japanese recipe mixed in with a little bit of “North American” style for a unique flavour that has kept them busy and brought “no complaints” on the taste, he explains.
“We use lots of ginger, garlic, onion, black pepper – it’s our own mix. The best fried chicken must be juicy inside, crispy outside, but thin crust, not thick like a cookie.”
Chu says he is proud to have developed this fast-fry method, in working with Kim, to set up these franchises – and they are hoping for many more across the province.
While many of these have included Gara Aga on the menus, Chu says the difference here is the speed with which they can cook it, thanks to a very special fryer they installed. It can cook a batch (50 pieces) fried chicken in 10-15 minutes – up to 200 pieces an hour– allowing them to keep up with an incredible demand for fresh chicken.
This means JFC doesn’t keep it warm, they cook it fresh, he explains.
“Other franchise fried chicken, they precook, then keep it for one hour, two hours, whenever the customer comes, then they serve. But we try to manage to keep as fresh as possible – that’s why we usually take five to 10 minutes – after you order, then we start cooking.”
Chu says he and Kim have worked together in various other restaurants in the Vancouver area for several years.
“We have been doing this since 2007 in Japanese restaurants with this fried chicken on the menu.
“I was always very interested in [making] fried chicken [successful] in North America, and we have already been waiting for this for ten years.”
Folks can find JFC “Japanese Fried Chicken” beside Smitty’s, just off Highway 97 near Fourth Street, open from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily.
Since they just recently opened, they appreciate your patience while they work out the daily details in meeting local customer demands in their new community, Chu adds.
So, why did they choose 100 Mile House for their first JFC franchise opening?
With a smile, Chu replies, “because you had no fried chicken here.”
