Food

Dirt Cheap Eats 2007: Cheogajip Chicken – Centreville

Chicken

There are 1,200 of these fried-chicken franchises in Korea—and four in the United States: one in Queens, New York, and three in Northern Virginia strip malls. Lucky us.

Open the Happy Meal–like container and you’ll find a whole chicken’s worth of addictively moist meat ($13.99 to $15.99). Served “plain,” the nuggets have a crisp batter with a light, mildly aromatic seasoning—on the side you get a mix of salt, pepper, and sesame seeds. Order the “sweet and mild” version and the chicken comes smothered in a sticky, MSG-heavy glaze reminiscent of Chinese-American carryouts. The “hot” preparation is the tastiest, but it’s not for timid tongues. All birds take 20 minutes to fry, so it’s best to phone in your order ahead of time.

Ann Limpert
Executive Food Editor/Critic

Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.