When you walk past J’s Coffee and Fries, there’s not a lot to take in. It’s a simple shop frontage with laminated photos of the menu, a neon “open” sign and not much else. But, as with plenty of worthy dining spots, there’s more to this unassuming fish’n’chipper than meets the eye.

The Carey Park space is helmed by Eunji Kim and Jae Hwang Lee, who emigrated to Australia in 2015 and made their home in Bunbury. And, while good Korean food isn’t too hard to find in central Perth, Kim and Lee quickly realised it wasn’t well represented in regional areas.

“There are a few Korean restaurants in Perth, but it was difficult to get access to Korean food in Bunbury, so I always wanted to sell Korean food here. My husband likes Korean fried chicken the most,” Kim tells Broadsheet.

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After considering several locations the set up shop in a former fish’n’chipper. “This space felt right for us,” Kim said. “The shop has been selling fish’n’chips for decades and we have loyal customers who come in and ask for fish and chips without even looking at the menu. We didn't want to disappoint those customers, so we decided to continue selling fish and chips with our own take on the batter.”

Alongside fish’n’chip shop classics like battered snapper, crabsticks, dim sims and Pluto pups Kim and Lee began serving Korean fried chicken of a quality you might expect from a much trendier CBD outfit.

“The most important part of our chicken is that it’s made in a Korean style,” says Kim. “Jae ran a restaurant with a friend in Korea, and our current recipe is a version of the most common Korean style but developed to suit the tastes of Australians. [But] we stick to a Korean recipe as much as possible to bring out the taste of Korean-style chicken, from the marinade to our special sauce.”

The pair’s chunky, tender chicken thighs and wings come in a thin, crispy batter seasoned with a mildly spiced salt. You can have the wings doused in sweet, sticky soy or spicy sauce or sandwiched in a bread roll with American cheese and salad. It’s a simple offering but it easily surpasses expectations in this unassuming takeaway setting.

J’s Coffee and Fries
60 Frankel Street, Carey Park
0403 871 134

Hours:
Mon & Tues 4pm–8pm
Wed to Sat 11.30am–8pm
Sun closed

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