Pelicana Chicken

Wow—yum. If you’re craving legit Korean fried chicken, this is the spot. We ordered a whole chicken and some boneless, and both came out scalding hot—no exaggeration. That heat is a solid sign of just how fresh everything is. Crispy, not greasy, and the boneless chicken had the kick we asked for—it definitely delivered. We also tried the cheese sticks and cheese balls. Again, super hot and fresh. The cheese balls were new to me—slightly sweet in a subtle way that took them in a surprisingly good direction. A nice little twist I wasn’t expecting. The Cajun fries? On point. Perfectly seasoned and piping hot, just like the rest of the meal. And then—$5 beers. Yes, please. They had some solid choices too, including an Italian beer and a nice IPA. Service was just as good as the food—kind, attentive, and made the whole experience even better. Superb all around. --- Hugo’s Take: 🟢 Not a one-and-done. Fire chicken, chill prices, and solid service. 5.00 🍻!!

The spicy crispy and soy garlic fried chicken is pretty good. They do put a lot of sauce on the chicken with sauces but it’s not a big deal. The guy that was working on the 28th March around 7pm is also really nice. Bro was really accommodating. Appreciate the man.

Incredibly legitimate Korean fried chicken joint. The prices are actually incredibly reasonable for the amount of chicken you get. The crispness and juiciness of the chicken is definitely worth the minimal wait time, and the sauces there are very flavorful. The guys working there are insanely chill and kind. The restaurant itself is always clean and tidy for a fried chicken place. It’s clear that Pelicana has high standards for itself, and it shows through its quality food and service. Has to be one of the best Korean fried chicken places to have graced the isle of Manhattan!!!

Undeniably the best fried chicken I've ever had. You don't need to look for any better fried chicken place after this one. My tongue has never touched anything better than this. Trust. You need to try this at least once in your life. Be it sweet and spicy or the sussy cheese flavour sauce, every bite is a new experience. This is bucket list worthy. You won't regret it, trust me. Just don't get takeout and wait an hour to eat it.

it’s amazing that you can choose how your batter is done here! I chose original batter but it was crispy enough, wondering how extra crispy would be like! The soy garlic and sweet&spicy flavors are classic! Savory, garlicky, slightly sweet, with a bit of tanginess… the flavor combination is just additive! I can devour more fried chicken just for the sauce! Honey garlic sauce was also incredible. The pungency brought by vinegar was so delightful, sharpened my appetite immediately. Don’t skip their appetizers and sandwiches! The cheeseballs were airy and rich with cheesy goodness. The monster cheese chicken sandwich came with melting cheese! I can’t go back to the cold, insipid slice of deli cheese now.

A great Korean fried chicken restaurant in the NYU area. The white meat chicken is probably some of the best fried chicken I’ve had recently. Portions are also huge. And the menu is fully halal. Definitely will visit again.

Got 5 chicken drumsticks and onion rings. Food was fantastic. Note: they charge for water, and there is no bathroom to wash your hands after eating the very sticky chicken, so it’s a suboptimal experience trying to wipe the sauce off your hands.

Freshly made Korean Fried Chicken at a reasonable price. There's a small bathroom and AC, which is a godsend in the heat of July. Very good sauce too, and the crispy skin is extremely crunchy.

it's amazing that you can choose how your batter is done here! I chose original batter but it was crispy enough, wondering how extra crispy would be like! The soy garlic and sweet&spicy flavors are classic! Savory, garlicky, slightly sweet, with a bit of tanginess... the flavor combination is just additive! I can devour more fried chicken just for the sauce! Honey garlic sauce was also incredible. The pungency brought by vinegar was so delightful, sharpened my appetite immediately. Don't skip their appetizers and sandwiches! The cheeseballs were airy and rich with cheesy goodness. The monster cheese chicken sandwich came with melting cheese! I can't go back to the cold, insipid slice of deli cheese now.

This a spot I randomly tried and didn't know much about it but when I say is was beyond delicious ! Like damn it was too good I say some cheese balls on their menu as well that I would love to go back and try. It is crispy crispy chicken !! You know it's going to be good when you hear the crunch . Love the seasoning and the how juicy the chicken was. The workers are extremely polite. The place itself has lots of long tables and chairs it just felt like I was back in school eating in a big cafeteria. Good vibes

I love Korean fried chicken and I had to give it a try! It's upstairs and inside the Korean food court. It's all open seating and there are restrooms there. Got a half order of bone in wings. Got it crispy with soy garlic. It is $18 for like 10 wings. Sucks you can only get one flavor if you order a half size. The chicken is so crispy and so flavorful! It also comes with a little side of picked daikon. Beware it gets messy! The chicken would taste better wjth a side like fries or honestly rice lol. The half order is really enough to share with two people! Got the strawberry lemonade and it's refreshing Jt really just takes like a Italian soda. For the cheese balls for a side and they're NOT worth it. Not that much cheese and not that crispy more of a soft mochi texture. Not worth the price at all! Beware the food takes a while to come out because they make each order fresh! If it's not too busy you'll wait at least 25 mins!

We ordered a whole chicken- half in soy garlic and half regular, with a side of kimchi cheese fries and ttekbokki. For four- this was the perfect amount of food. + The kimchi cheese fries were REALLY good. It had just the right amount of cheese and whatever sauce they drizzled over the fries- holy crap I couldn't stop eating these. The tteokbokki was really good. Certain rice noodles were a bit undercooked and a little too chewy, but I love the sweet sauce. A smidge spicy so be aware of that! - Some of the meat were drier and harder than others. I'm used to KFC being uniformly juicy with a crispy exterior, so I was surprised by the lack of uniformity in our whole chicken. The original was very bland. Would avoid

Solid fried chicken sandwich but I think the only thing that made it spicy was the sauce and the chicken wasn't cooked to be spicy.

The sauces (which cost extra) were the only saving grace Woman taking orders at the register was extremely soft-spoken and hard to understand Owner was awkwardly standing behind the counter with his hands behind his back watching customers eat like a hawk There's a sign indicating restrooms aren't available but there's one readily available in the rear if you ask nicely Had the wing and drumstick combo It came out piping hot and juicy. Unfortunately, everything was bland and overpriced. So much so, I decided to purchase a side of sauce for $2.18 halfway into my meal $20+ later, I left unsatisfied Needless to say I won't be back

I came back to this place because im a chicken lover Came two times to two different locations and both were terrible. They served me raw chicken twice at both locations I dont know if they know how to cook chicken properly or they were rushing but that was more than enouhh for the 1 star I wouldnt recommend this place

The #1 Korean fried chicken franchise for me and my family. Trust me, growing up in the Bronx, we grew up worshipping the fried chicken gods (if there is one). 4 flavors equals 4 chances of pleasurable tasting fun. For me I'm more of a sweet-n-spicy and cheese powder type of gal. I can talk non-stop about Doritos nacho cheese powder all day, that's how committed I am to it. The red Sweet Chili wings were crispy, succulently sweet, and juicy. Win. But hats off to my number one, the Yellow Snow Cheese wings. I'm not a fan of dry wings because I always thought they were boring and plain easy to make. But never underestimate the power of powder sprinkling. It dresses the chicken quite nicely and makes tasting the wings fun and zesty. This must be the dreams of all Doritos and Cheetos factories experience when they sprinkle their secret cheese powder on their chips. It's an addiction and I feel it. Good job Pelicana.

Where do I even start? First, I ordered half of a "Whole Chicken" expecting a whole breast and a whole thigh and a whole wing and a whole leg, but what I got instead were a bunch of chopped up bone fragments. I intentionally ordered Whole Chicken because I wanted more meat than batter. I love the coating, but what I received is not what I wanted. Second, the batter, they told me that Original & Original Spicy was like regular Popeyes, and that Crispy & Spicy Crispy was what I was looking for (when I said I wanted Yangnyeom Chicken) and that Spicy Crispy was "real Korean fried chicken." But if it's a "real Korean fried chicken" restaurant, why is it an extra $1 to get "real Korean fried chicken," but to be honest the Spicy Crispy is just like spicy Popeyes -- only 3 times more expensive -- it is not the thick coating of rice starch with the amazing crunch I crave. And on top of that, they do not put the sauce on the chicken, you have to ask them to mix the sauce with the chicken, but it doesn't say that anywhere, oh, and they charge you $2 for sauce -- and the sauce is very watery & gloopy, it does not actually stick to the chicken! Why is it so much effort to actually get Yangnyeom Chicken in a place that's supposed to specialize in Yangnyeom Chicken? Third, it's a finger foods restaurant, but there is no bathroom and not even a sink where you can wash your hands, and they don't even provide moist towelettes... This place just is not for me at all!

Bland beyond belief, even with sauce, which they actually forgot in our most recent order, but we made our own, which was better than theirs. We ended up craving KFC after 2 bites. Salad tasted off. Fries were average. Never again.

Boneless chicken cooked just right, very tender and portions are good. Sauce wasn't overwhelming and covered all the chicken. Def

I feel bad for saying this, but I personally did not enjoy the fried chicken that much. The outside wasn't crispy and the chicken itself tasted like cardboard and it was hard to eat. No sauces were provided so it was to eat as it is. I would want to try again though because maybe my first time was just a fluke, because the Pelicana location in Ktown is really good.

The food is fantastic! The spicy sauce is my personal favorite. They have three levels to choose from. The chicken is super crispy, and the staff are super friendly here. They do have a bathroom in the back if needed. I enjoyed this meal and would recommend this spot to anyone

Food was blah and without joy. The Extra crispy chicken wasn't. The staff insisted that we take a beeper even though there were only 2 other customers in the tiny storefront. They badly advised us on the quantity of chicken that came in an order and so we over ordered. To quote another review: "The half order is really enough to share with two people!"

honestly okay! the chicken wasn't dry, but also didn't have much flavor. the thighs were HUGE though. also, they gave like no radish. we got the original and soy garlic glazed. i liked the soy garlic more, mostly because the original was a little bland. also, they gave like no radish! sad. also, getting it extra crispy i think just meant more breading, which to me wasn't really needed because the breading was kind of bland

Damn good fried chicken. I ordered some to go and reheated it in my air fryer when I got home and it was perfectly crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside with a good amount of flavor.

A Korean fried chicken join with a lot of mix and match options. The portions are large and delicious. Had their original sandwich. Great for a quick meal / bite

The food was good, nothing impressive. Quick service. One thing I didn't like was that they charge $2 for the sauce for the wings, which was expensive. I've never heard of any other places charging sauces for wings. So I got the crispy wings and it still tasted fine.

I got this for partner's mom. She specifically requested fried chicken for lunch, and I fucked up and got her chicken fingers like a dumbass. I learned shortly after that "fried chicken" must, by definition, contain bones. In a rush to reconcile my mistakes, I stopped by this place and picked up some last minute chicken and fries. And Holly shit, it has been two days and she is still talking about how delicious it was. Thanks to you, my esteemed guest is not only content but my fragile status as the "just barely getting by partner of eight years" survives yet another day. Hit this place up if you like fried chicken

Amazing service and delivery! Boneless chicken was really good and workers were super helpful.

My friend and I were wondering around the area and randomly stumbled into the establishment around 3 PM on a Sunday afternoon. There was not much seating in the restaurant but thankfully only one table was filled. The set up of the restaurant is very fast casual. You go in, order from the cashier and wait for them to bring the food out to you. Though the process was quick and painless, the cashier at the front did not make it the most enjoyable due to her sour attitude. She was sharp and even rude at times. When she was talking to the customer that ordered after us and answering her questions she was just not very friendly in her tone. My friend and I decided to order and share an original crispy chicken sandwich with honey garlic sauce and a side of sweet potato fries. The fried chicken was great, not super juicy but was still moist. It was fried perfectly well and the sauce and greens really worked well together. Additionally, the sweet potato fries were great! They came with a nice drizzle of honey which really worked well together! All in all, this was a nice stop for some fried chicken to snack on.

Rude staff, young lady at the register seemed upset because her modeling career lead her to serve chicken and probably needed bus fare to get home. Chef was rude as well, fries were bad. Chicken wasn`t too good neither. Bad experience.

I was craving a good chicken sandwich and this place pretty much satisfied it. I must say before continuing my review that I love sauces and seasoning. The chicken sandwich was good. The chicken was tender and soft to the point I wondered whether this was fully cooked (obviously it was). The outer skin is rather crispy, but the whole sandwich was drenched in sauce (you can't tell from the picture). Thought it was messy to eat, I personally did not mind it at all. I would rather have more sauce than less. I chose honey garlic, but I wish they would offer it on the side instead (I don't think they do). I highly recommend the fries. My walk back home was about 10 minutes, plus about 5 minutes setting up my plate. Yet, they were still very crispy. I got the white snowing (powdered) cheese fries. I loved it. The fries were the highlight of my meal, no offense to the chicken sandwich. I would go back even just for the fries. To be honest, I was hesitant going here because of the recent negative reviews. Every experience is different and mine, fortunately, turned out to be a better one.

Here I am drooling again just thinking about my meal. I have to admit, I'm a little new to the Korean fried chicken game but I'm pretty confident these are legit, bomb ass wings. Last Friday, my boyfriend and I came in and ordered the 18 pc original wings ($22.99). We did half Soy Garlic and half Spicy Pelicana Signature sauce mixed-in (+$4) - both sooooooo heavenly. I want some NOW. Perfectly fried and sauced. The (medium) spicy sauce was the perfect amount of spice for us and I'm pretty sure I could've downed another order of them. Next time, I'd like to try the signature sauce on the side so that I can try the fried chicken in its purest form. I'm sure it's spectacular any way it's prepared though. We also got sides of Cabbage Corn Salad ($2.99) and a small order of Cubed Pickled Radish ($1) as palette cleansers. The cabbage corn salad was literally just coleslaw with some pieces of corn in it... LOL. It was good and fresh, but thank goodness they ran out of the regular Coleslaw (we were going to order that + the cabbage corn salad) because it would've been pretty much the same 2 sides. Glad we were forced to go with the pickled radish instead. I need to come back and try the drumsticks, pelicana signature sandwich, other sauces... EVERYTHING. Great casual place with such amazing food.

The place nice and clean. Ordered half size boneless chicken and it was enough for two people. The original yangnyum sauce is fire It seemed like they freshly made the fried chicken and it was so crispy and tasty!

Satisfactory Korean food with standard fried dishes that can fill the occasional crave of pigging out. $12 a dish. 3.75/5 stars as a dinner spot.

I've eaten at Pelicana several times and it never disappoints. I am a fried chicken freak and so I can confidently say I'll pick Pelicana over most places when it comes to New York. The wings are always fried perfectly and clean to the bone. The chicken sandwich is dark meat (thighs), and so it not your typical chicken sandwich, but it's juicy meat and taste phenomenal. I personally like the Honey garlic sauce tossed over the chicken but it is also good without sauce which is great. Prices are on the higher end for party wing cuts but it's New York, and the serving sizes are filling and large. #BlackStampofApproval;)

Another new Pelicana just opened in Manhattan, this time on W 8th St, a perfect spot for all the NYU campus traffic. They have the same excellent juicy chicken at all the other spots, but it seemed even better and fresher today. A combo tray with half and half is the way to go (half plain, half sweet & spicy). The original Fried Chicken Sandwich is also excellent. There are also tons of sides, but you can't go wrong with the plain, very crispy fries.

The food was actually GREAT. The crispiness of the boneless wing is perfect. The whole establishment gives me an Asian "Sticky Joint" type of vibe. My issue was that it denotes in the front that it takes about 10 minutes for boneless order but it took half an hour for mine. I was disappointed at the wait time.

Presentation was good, food was not cooked. I bought a chicken sandwich and when I went to bite into sandwich inside of the chicken on the sandwich was bright pink. Do not recommend.

This place is very much racist. My sister and I came in to eat. They looked at us weird upon arrival and when saying we wanted to sit and eat they told us we wouldn't because they already have a big party coming. Not sure what that has to do with also there was only three people in the restaurant currently. There was definitely room for us as well as the additional 20 people they claim was reserved. I believe if we were Asian they would have served us and not turned us away.

Love it. It's crunchy on the outside and surprisingly juicy on the inside. The spicy sauce is not spicy, it's pretty average Korean sweet chili sauce. I didn't like the salad dressing, wish it was something more oriented or lighter. However, overall, I'll go back if I ever need a late night/afternoon snack or beer snack!

The quality is very good. Fried to perfection but the value isn't there. The taste is good but I can't justify the high price tag associated with it. My family and I enjoyed it but I don't see myself coming back repeatedly due to the lack of value. $76 meal for a family of 5 when compared to Popeyes valued at $35.

Pelicana is a great chain Korean fried chicken place. We regularly go to the one in Anaheim, CA. We ordered for delivery from this 8th st location via UberEats and our chicken was inedible - I don't know what went wrong but it was awful enough that we called them and their reply at this location was basically "too bad, call UberEats" so for their lack of good food and customer service. Give Pelicana a chance but definitely at another location.

Great Korean-style fried chicken. I especially like their boneless chicken, which unlike most other boneless, actually still tastes like chicken and has the integrity of whole meat. Not to downgrade their bone-in chicken, which is also great. The sauce can get heavy, so the portions feel larger than they actually are. The oil used for the chicken is also a bit heavy and fills you up pretty quickly. The chicken can get soggy really quick in sauce so if you are doing takeout, try to run home to get the best bite!

Good but too expensive. Level 2 sauce is hot af and destroyed my stomach but worth it

Very good chicken and very good good. I cannot say anything bad able these cheese dusted chicken as it is probably on of the best peices of fried chicken I have ever had. They have a very dark and chill ambiance and encourages conversation through modern kpop playing in the background. I hold come back again.

Got the crispy combo with soy garlic and white snowy fries. This place pretty much turned into my new favorite fries and korean fried chicken spot so far. Can't wait to go back.

Very good juicy ungreasy fried chicken. Got the drums and wings. 15 minute wait since they cook to order. Prepare fir it; worth the time. Cole slaw with corn was a bit too wet, extra radishes become the vegetable part of meal. Got their Pelicana hot which was hot but not quite hot enough. Next time getting the hottest! And another sauce to compare. Wish there were other veggies to balance meal.

The chicken is really disappointing : it smells good, it's beautiful and then you bite it and it's almost tasteless. It's a few dollars cheaper than the competition nearby (in Saint Marks) but the difference in quality and taste is huge. The quantities are fine, prices and outlook are fine, but it really doesn't have any flavor (and we tried it a few times, both original and original spicy)... in my opinion, it's better to spend a few dollars more and have a delicious Korean chicken in saint marks (5 minutes walk from pelicana)

Decent food, but overpriced. Got the white cheddar popcorn chicken but wasn't impressed by the flavor of the chicken or the seasoning.

The chicken was tasty, but not mind blowing and anything special. I ordered it with the PS2 spicy sauce and it was not spicy at all. The fries were crispy and delicious. Each order was $13.01, which makes it kind of pricey.

Although the chicken sandwich was good, not sure I would pay almost 11 dollars for it again. Just the chicken with a piece of lettuce and the sauce....that's it. Plus, i kinda felt like the person at the counter seemed bothered. Not going there again.

I've had my fair share of Korean chicken from various places and Pelicana definitely is one of the top. I've heard of the chain, but never had it until now. I like that they strive on quality of the meal by always using a new batch of oil every day and fresh ingredients. Even on the wall they offer to show you tour of the kitchen to show that their facility is clean. I was super impressed that the staff even washed the tables in between serving customers and they came and left. I didn't want to get too messy, so I opted to do the boneless chicken option. The cashier suggested I get my sauce on the side, so you can add as much or little sauce you want. I got the original version of crispness with the Signature Pelicana sauce mild. I loved that there was a crispy skin and super moist meat. The sauce was a perfect pairing providing just a little sweetness and tang. I only ordered the half portion which was plenty for me to have a second meal the next day. It was nice that they also give a small cup of pickled radish to clean your palate from the fried chicken. I would definitely go back to try some of their other options as well.

CATFISH LEVEL: 0/5: Looks amazing, tastes amazing CRISPY. MOIST. CHICKEN. Oh my .. This is by far the best Korean Fried Chicken (KFC) I've had. I usually would go to Boka for KFC but Pelicana is by far the best I've ever had in NYC. I had the double crispy chicken combo of drumsticks and wings with the side of spicy pelicana sauce. The sauce itself is amazing, not too spicy with a bit of sweetness. I would highly recommend getting a side of truffle fries because who doesn't love a good side of truffle fries? Their truffle fries are super flavorful. We also got the onion rings which I would also recommend. I would say that the space is pretty small so, if you plan to bring a big group of friends (4+) you may have a hard time finding seats.  Overall, it was a great experience. When I crave for KFC, I will definitely visit Pelicana.

I'm so thankful that this restaurant is open for delivery at this time! we ordered 2 combos and spicey dduboki and everything was bombb. Exceeds my usual take out expectation! and everything was still crispy when it got delivered!

When we approached the register, I asked if there was a restroom. Glancing at the bathroom signage in the kitchen (which apparently customers can tour upon request per signage out front), he cashier said no there wasn't. Boom - instant deduction of points as he was caught in a lie. We ordered something anyways as we're waiting for two other friends: boneless wings with Pelicana sauce, and the "snow" fries. The wings, great - 5 stars. Pelicana sauce ok - reminds me of honey mustard. Snow fries - 3 stars cooked well, but the seasoning tasted too much like fake Parmesan cheese for Vegans or something. Unnatural. Also an offering of free water would help boost customer's comfort level in paying so much for chicken. It's the law anyways.

I've had Pelicana before but at other locations. This location unfortunately served me one of the worst Korean fried chicken I've ever had. The wings (soy garlic and mild signature sauce) were extremely bland even though there was a lot of sauce on them. The wings themselves were HUGE (like twice the size of a regular wing) so the inside was super bland as well. Personally I'd rather have smaller wings but I guess this can be seen as a good thing to some. Also not crispy. Don't get me wrong though. The food arrived very fast so it was still hot. The truffle fries were perfectly crispy and seasoned.

Been a long time customer of Pelicana. Had one bad order in February but has been excellent for all my orders before and after. Best korean fried chicken delivery in downtown Manhattan.

The food was pretty tasty, my craving for tteokbokki was immediately taken away. Although, it was pretty spicy even though I said not to make it too spicy but it's alright. Wish I had added more cheese to this dish! Fries were pretty yummy with their signature sauce.