Kozhi may have Ottawa’s best fried chicken

It might be 'cozy’ for some of us, but Kozhi is pronounced (while rolling the r’s) ko-rree and simply means “chicken”. It also makes a splash as what may be Ottawa’s best fried chicken.

I know. It’s a pretty bold proclamation, but I was thinking of this meal several days later. Also, if you can win me over with chicken breast, you’re ahead in the game.

In the past, Chef Sarath Mohan has wowed Ottawans with imaginative takes on Indian cuisine. Now he’s set his sights on an informal chicken restaurant that offers foodies something new: a dining experience focusing on classic comfort food with delicious, house-special cocktails and Champagne.

With that background in mind, when the invitation was extended to dine at Kozhi, I took up the offer. I needed to see what Chef Mohan had in store with this, for him, very different cuisine.

Early on, it was clear that chicken had touched many parts of this menu, including the cocktail.

The Kozhi Old Fashioned is a delightful creation featuring “chicken fat washed rye”, bay leaf simple syrup and a splash of saline. 

Chicken fat washing is a mixology technique where a small amount (3-4 ounces) of clearly rendered room-temperature fat is added to a 750 ml bottle of spirit and allowed to sit for a couple of hours. The mixture is then frozen, and the hardened fat is removed.

Here, the Canadian whisky added a savoury note to a classic cocktail with bay leaf simple syrup and saline solution providing depth to a very contemplative cocktail. I wanted another, but there was more to explore.

The concept here is a little different. At the moment, there is no a la carte ordering. Meals are priced at $55 per person and include fried chicken served three ways.

You start with a carefully made chicken broth, then move on to a first course of chicken along with delicious Korean vegetable sides called banchan. Two other, differently seasoned portions of chicken are then served, then a palate cleanser and dessert.

What you need to know about this fried chicken is what sets it apart from so many other versions around town. 

First, the batter is gluten-free, and the chicken is always organic. Mohan uses four different flours (rice, potato, tapioca and corn) for a supremely crispy coating that also does double duty, locking in the delicious juices.

The bird itself undergoes a multi-stage process that takes a few days. It’s first air-dried to make butchering easier and firm up the skin. It’s then marinated for 24 hours in a secret blend before it’s flour-dredged and dry-fried to remove moisture. Finally, the chicken is fried two more times before serving.

It lands piping hot, so be careful on your first bites. Let the initial curls of steam escape, and then enjoy the perfectly brined bird. That crispy coating is so good you’ll enjoy every bit of that brittle skin.

The chicken is served in two separate courses. First, as plain fried, which itself was a bit of heaven, but then as gochujang and ghee-roast glazed. 

You can have both flavours or select just one. Both are worth trying but next time, I'll have a full portion of the ghee roast. 

Ghee roast is a popular South Indian seasoning using clarified butter and an assortment of spices, including cloves, cinnamon, coriander, black pepper, dried red chillies, tamarind, garlic, ginger and palm sugar. It was a memorable surprise.

If you’re not having Champagne or some of their other sparkling wines to cut the richness of the chicken, you’ll enjoy the assorted banchan. These savoury veg bites, in the form of scallion salad, pickled daikon, ponzu soaked jalapeno and chilli-spiked cucumber, add the necessary counterpoint to brighten the palate.

Before dessert, you’re served a palate cleanser of cold soba noodles in a light lemongrass broth, all dressed with bits of fresh mango. The only issue I had, after all that food, was just too much noodles.

Dessert was a proper soft-serve vanilla ice cream slathered in freshly made peach coulis. Refreshing, light and an ideal end to this feast.

Some of the staff, like the server Amina, have followed Mohan after he left Ek Bar. That’s a testament to him as a man and a boss, but he also demonstrates the good sense to allow Amina to run the playlist. On this evening, there was an appealing and gentle selection of R&B and soul from the 70s through to the 90s. Perfect sounds for this chill space.

As he shared with me, “My idea was just to make a happy spot with good food and good vibes.” 

From food to gracious service to the cocktails courtesy of the bartender Kevin, Sarath Mohan has assembled a talented crew that delivers a memorable, delicious experience.

One final note: Kozhi is offering an extra $25 gift card with the purchase of a $50 or more gift card until August 12.