Whether you like your chicken wings slow-smoked, sprinkled with garlic, or smothered in a sweet and sticky glaze, Vancouver’s dining scene has got you covered. With a plethora of eateries preparing their own delicious takes on this casual and comforting dish, we’ve complied a list on where to find the best chicken wings in the city.
Phnom Penh
The chicken wings at Phnom Penh in Vancouver’s Chinatown are legendary. They’re an absolute must-order staple at this always-bustling Cambodian restaurant. Golden fried to order, succulent, and best dredged through the puckery side sauce of lemon juice and white and black pepper, these wings are dotted with fresh garlic and green onion, and will easily hold a permanent place on many Vancouverites’ list of essential food items in the city.
Address: 244 East Georgia Street
Phone: 604-682-5777
YEW seafood + bar
Salt and Pepper wings at YEW (Lindsay William-Ross/Vancity Buzz)
Available only from YEW’s bar menu, the Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings are a perfect snack. A terrific meld of salty and sweet, the wings are crispy fried and coated in a sticky sugary sauce that basically turns the bottom of the dish into chicken wing candy. For a spicy, vibrant alternative, check out their Indian Wings, which are made with curried honey and cashews.
Address: Four Seasons Vancouver, 791 West Georgia Street
Phone: 604-692-4YEW (939)
Website: www.yewseafood.com
Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar
Crispy Chicken Wings at Boulevard (Lindsay William-Ross/Vancity Buzz)
Sure, Boulevard is all about fresh seafood, but their thoughtful menu takes tantalizing side journeys into the realm of Asian flavours, and one of the best and most delicious examples is their Crispy Chicken Wings dish. Made with fish sauce caramel and sambal chilli, these sticky, spicy, sweet, salty little gems are utterly crave-worthy. They come with pickled vegetables on the side to beat the heat and sweet with a welcome vinegary punch.
Address: 845 Burrard Street, at the Sutton Hotel
Phone: 604-642-2900
Website: www.boulevardvancouver.ca
Torafuku
Rye So Messy chicken wings at Torafuku (Ed Lau/Vancity Buzz)
Torafuku is the the Le Tigre truck team’s new-ish brick and mortar, but that doesn’t mean they still don’t rock the finger foods. Their chicken wings, playfully called “Rye so Messy” are marinated in rye and gochujang and served with a mango glaze, ramen crumble and what Torafuku calls kfc sauce. Tame the spicy kick with one of their fun cocktails, too.
Address: 985 Main Street
Phone: 778-903-2006
Website: www.torafuku.ca
Urban Thai Bistro
Chili Basil and Sweet and Sour wings at Urban Thai Bistro (Lindsay William-Ross/Vancity Buzz)
You’ll find these reasonable priced chicken wings on the Appy Hour at Urban Thai, and they come in three flavour options: Red Curry, Chili Basil, or Sweet & Sour. Each one offers their own take on the sweet and salty balance that makes Asian-style chicken wings so delectable, but the Chili Basil are a standout, thanks to the fried pieces of basil and the zing of the chili.
Address: 1119 Hamilton Street
Phone: 604-408-7788
Website: www.thaihouse.com/urban-thai-bistro
Pidgin Restaurant
Photo courtesy of Pidgin
Gastown’s Pidgin takes fried chicken wings to a whole other level. Not only are they wonderfully crisp and juicy, but they are also drizzled in a delicious Bibimbap-inspired sauce. Topped with some fresh green onion slivers, Pidgin’s fried chicken wings are a great snack to begin your meal with or to order along with a bunch of other equally tempting plates.
Address: 350 Carrall Street
Phone: 604-620-9400
Website: www.pidginvancouver.com
Olé Wings and Tapas
If you’re craving Korean fried chicken you should definitely make a beeline for Olé Wings and Tapas. Located on the second floor of a nondescript building on Robson Street, in between Bute and Jervis, Olé is easy to miss. Yet, despite its hidden entrance the casual restaurant is consistently busy and is the perfect place to come with friends, enjoy a beer and some finger-licking good (and meaty) chicken wings. Choose from salt and pepper, honey garlic, and sweet and spicy sauces.
Address: 1256 Robson Street
Phone: 604-428-3909
Mr. Red Cafe
This North Vietnamese eatery prepares an array of enticing eats, however, one dish stands out from the rest: the kitchen’s fried chicken wings. Glazed with a honey butter sauce, this dish is delightfully sweet with a slight kick and will have you reaching for “just one more.”
Address: 2234 East Hastings
Phone: 604-710-9515
Peckinpah Restaurant
This North Carolina BBQ joint on Water Street dishes up smoked chicken wings, that are slow smoked, flash-fried, and sprinkled with a salt and pepper seasoning. With a crisp skin these salty wings of goodness are great on their own or as a side dish to one of Peckinpah’s larger plates.
Address: 2 Water Street
Phone: 604-681-5411
Website: www.peckinpahbbq.com
Yagger’s Kitsilano
This Kitsilano sports bar offers a varied selection of pub-style foods, including their signature free-run chicken wings. $12 will buy you a plate of these tasty morsels, in a choice of maple BBQ, hot Korean, Caribbean jerk, honey ginger, salt and pepper, Jagermeister glazed, chipotle bourbon, or Shanghai-hoisin.
Address: 2884 West Broadway
Phone: 604-733-3002
Website: www.yaggers.com/yaggers-kitsilano