Joy Korean Fried Chicken, closed in May, is set to reopen in Enmore at 212 Enmore Road in winter 2026.
On an Abercrombie Street corner, Sydneysiders queued for Kay Hwang’s fried chook.. Sometimes the wait was 20 minutes, other times it pushed an hour for the ultra crispy, craggy pieces of chicken.. The 12-seat Joy Korean Fried Chicken was considered by many to be Sydney’s best fried chicken.. But then, in May last year, it closed.. The move came at the end of the lease, after three years in Chippendale.. Hwang hadn’t been able to
nail the flow – not a lot of foot traffic, hour-long queues at peak periods – and was ready to find a better space.. “It was crazy small and I was the only one cooking – that just killed me.. I used to do lunch and dinner, but then when we started to get really busy I couldn’t do lunch anymore.” Now, after more than 60 real estate inspections, he’s found his nest in Enmore..
“Finally I found this place.. When [I walked] into the space, you feel like, ‘Wow, this is mine’ kind of feeling.” Just like before, whole birds will arrive to the store to be broken down and marinated for three days before being triple fried.. The menu will have everything that was loved in Chippendale – with a vegetarian option and rice bowl added, too.. “A lot of people asked for rice and I just told
the customer you could do takeaway from next door.” (Conveniently, a Korean restaurant.) Once Hwang finalises the fit-out, there will be at least four times as many seats for diners – and he’s building a strong team around him.. The queues were flattering, but not what he wants to be the norm.. The magic of the Joy chicken is a one-two punch.. First, the flavours.. “We make the Korean-style sauce in-house, different to what other
Korean fried chicken [venues] in Sydney are doing.. They call it yangnyeom, but we call it ‘sweet and spicy’.” That particular sauce is the most popular – spicier than what you might be used to, the kick cutting through the fried food.. There are six sauces to choose from, with a base of water not oil.. The second hit is the crispiness.. “My recipe was developed over a very long time,” says Hwang.. “Different flours,
different ratios, this and that.. I settled with one recipe, and the crunch lasts quite long.” Plus, the batter is thinner, letting the flavour of the chicken star.. There will be a drinks menu too, offering shoju and Korean beer, which makes it a great launchpad for the bars on the same slice of Enmore Road, like Deadwax, Silver’s Motel, The Magpie and Jacoby’s.. “I actually wanted to come to Enmore or Newtown for a
very long time, to be honest for you.. I love this area.. I dine around this area quite a lot, and the vibe is exactly right.” Joy Korean Fried Chicken is expected to open at 212 Enmore Road, Enmore, in winter 2026.. @joy.koreanfriedchicken
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