The Best Korean Fried Chicken in Salt Lake City: How Guljoo Kim Brought Seoul's Crispiest Secret to Chinatown

Walk through the red gates of Salt Lake Chinatown on State Street, and you'll find something that didn't exist in Utah just a few years ago—the kind of Korean fried chicken that makes you stop mid-conversation to figure out how something can be this crispy. ChickQueen sits just inside the entrance to the Chinatown Supermarket complex, and the sound of shattering batter has become the soundtrack to one of South Salt Lake's most compelling food stories.

"The flavor - on point! But the crispiness and excellent texture with the well cooked meat inside? Wow! These are the best cooked I've had in a long time," writes one Tripadvisor reviewer about their honey garlic wings. "Most places that do wings? They over fry and undercook the meat - NOT HERE!"

This isn't Buffalo wing territory. This is Korean fried chicken Salt Lake City needed—light, impossibly crispy, and glazed with flavors that walk the line between sweet, savory, and just-spicy-enough.

From Seoul's Streets to Salt Lake's Chinatown: Guljoo Kim's Mission

Guljoo Kim didn't just open a chicken restaurant. She traveled to Seattle and California, ate at every Korean fried chicken spot she could find, and came back to South Salt Lake determined to do one thing: bring authentic Korean-style fried chicken to Utah.

"My mom was already a good — well, great — cook," says Ryan Moon, her son and the restaurant's current manager. But Guljoo Kim knew that running a restaurant required more than home cooking skills. She threw herself into research mode, studying techniques, testing recipes, and understanding what made Korean fried chicken different from the American style most Utahns grew up with.

When ChickQueen opened three years ago inside the Salt Lake Chinatown complex, they were the only place in Utah serving this style of Korean chicken. Ryan Moon, a Salt Lake City native himself, explains that fried chicken is one of Korea's most popular street foods—but finding it made right? That was nearly impossible in Utah.

The technique matters. Korean fried chicken uses a lighter batter than traditional American wings, creating what customers consistently describe as "shatteringly crispy" texture. As one reviewer notes, it's "not like Buffalo wings as the batter is shatteringly crispy." The double-fry method—cooking at a lower temperature first to render the fat, then cranking up the heat for that final crunch—creates a chicken wing that stays crispy even after it's been glazed.

The ChickQueen Experience: What Makes Salt Lake Chinatown's Korean Chicken Special

Step up to the counter at ChickQueen and you're faced with a decision: boneless or bone-in, and which sauce will change your life today?

The honey garlic reigns as the most popular flavor, and for good reason. "I got the 10 pieces honey garlic for takeout," one reviewer writes. "This is so far one of the best Korean fried chicken I have tried. Their batter is well seasoned and very crispy. And the sauce is just right, did not make the chicken soggy."

But the spicy hot glaze has its devotees too. A DoorDash customer raves: "Sweet mother of Korea! The reviews are right! The chicken was to die for. Crispy and the meat was still so juicy. Small (9-10 pieces) was perfect for 1 person! The sauce was to die for. Spicy sauce was so yummy."

Here's what else ChickQueen serves up:

The Chicken Options:

• Bone-in wings and drumsticks (the purist's choice)
• Boneless bites (easier to share, same crispy texture)
• Plain, if you want to taste the batter's glory unadorned

The Glazes:

• Honey Garlic (sweet, garlicky, consistently praised)
• Spicy Hot (sweet-spicy kick with sliced jalapeños on top)
• Sweet Soy Sauce (mild, soy-forward flavor)
• Green Onion (actually means topped with fresh sliced scallions)
• Plain (purist's choice for tasting the batter technique)

Beyond the Chicken: The vegetarian options deserve their own moment. As one review notes, ChickQueen is "known for its delicious fried chicken and phenomenal vegetarian options." The fried cauliflower gets the same crispy treatment as the chicken, tossed in any sauce you choose. The fried tofu follows the same path. It's not an afterthought—it's the same Korean frying technique applied to plant-based ingredients.

And then there's the tteokbokki. Salt Lake City Weekly's reviewer specifically recommends it: a "traditional Korean stew made with pleasantly chewy rice cakes, thinly sliced fish cakes, cabbage, carrots and a hard-boiled egg prepared in a spicy crimson broth." The staff brings a portable stove to your table to keep it bubbling while you eat.

The tempura-style fries—lightly battered and fried until crispy—come with Korean spicy sauce and ranch dipping options. One customer describes the Combo #3 spicy fries as "just divine. Crisp flavoral. Something I haven't had before."

Everything comes with complimentary pickled daikon radish, the traditional Korean accompaniment that cuts through the richness of fried food.

Inside the Chinatown Complex: Where Asian Culture Meets South Salt Lake

ChickQueen's location isn't just convenient—it's part of a larger story about Utah's growing Asian food scene. The Chinatown Supermarket complex on 3390 South State Street has become a destination, not just a shopping center. Tiger Sugar bubble tea is next door, along with authentic Chinese bakeries, hot pot restaurants, and vendors you won't find anywhere else in Utah.

The owners of Salt Lake Chinatown oversee every restaurant in the complex, reviewing menus to minimize overlap and maximize variety. ChickQueen fills a specific niche: Korean fried chicken done right, in a casual counter-service format that works whether you're grabbing lunch or feeding a group.

The atmosphere is straightforward—order at the counter, wait 15-20 minutes for your food to be fried fresh (yes, everything is made to order), and find a seat in the casual dining area. K-pop plays at a pleasant volume. The space is clean and bright, more food court than white-tablecloth.

Some customers use the wait time to browse the Chinatown Supermarket next door. The parking lot is shared and spacious, rare for this part of State Street.

Planning Your Visit to ChickQueen

Address: ChickQueen 3390 S State St, Ste 14 South Salt Lake, UT 84115 Inside the Chinatown Supermarket complex (just inside the front entrance)

Hours: Monday-Saturday: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM Sunday: 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Phone: (385) 229-4290

Instagram: @chickqueen.ut

What to Order (According to Customers):

• First-timers: Get the #2 combo with honey garlic boneless chicken and fries—it's generous and showcases what they do best
• Heat-seekers: Spicy hot bone-in wings with extra Korean spicy dipping sauce
• Vegetarians: Fried cauliflower or tofu in honey garlic sauce
• Groups: Mix and match sauces—get plain, honey garlic, and spicy to taste the range

Insider Tips:

• Call ahead if you're picking up—they fry everything fresh, so expect a 15-20 minute wait if you order in person
• The bone-in chicken tends to be juicier, but boneless is easier to share
• According to one regular: "The food is incredible! We tried the Honey Garlic chicken and the Sweet Soy chicken, boneless. DELICIOUS! My husband was in Inchon, South Korea last week and ChickQueen's food was better and more flavorful."
• Peak times are lunch and weekend evenings—plan accordingly
• Parking is in the general lot outside Chinatown Marketplace

Price Range: Small portions (perfect for one): $7.99-$12.99 Medium portions (great for sharing): $13.99 Large portions (feeds 2-3): $19.99 Combos with fries start around $14.99

Why ChickQueen Matters to Utah's Food Scene

When Guljoo Kim opened ChickQueen three years ago, she filled a genuine gap in Utah's culinary landscape. Korean fried chicken—the real deal, double-fried and shatteringly crispy—simply didn't exist here. Now it does, and it's not trying to be Nashville hot chicken or Buffalo wings or anything other than what it is: Korean-style fried chicken done with the kind of technique that requires research, practice, and genuine care.

As one passionate reviewer puts it: "this might be the best fried chicken I have had in my life. the boneless honey garlic is out of this world. the battered French fries are next level delicious."

The fact that it's located in Salt Lake Chinatown—Utah's only Chinatown complex—adds another layer. This isn't Korean fried chicken Salt Lake City got by accident. It's part of a intentional effort to create an Asian cultural hub where authenticity matters, where family recipes get respect, and where food becomes a bridge between cultures.

Ryan Moon manages the day-to-day operations now, but his mother's vision remains clear: serve Korean fried chicken the way it's meant to be served. Light batter. Crispy texture. Bold glazes. Fresh preparation. No shortcuts.

If you're in South Salt Lake and you've been wondering what Korean fried chicken is all about—or if you already know and you've been searching for it in Utah—ChickQueen is the answer. Walk through those red Chinatown gates, follow the sound of sizzling oil and the smell of garlic and honey, and prepare for chicken that crunches loud enough to drown out conversation.

Just like it should.