Gami Chicken is well known across Melbourne for its delicious fried chicken, and we recently had the opportunity to check out our local (Bentleigh) store to see what else they had to offer.
For those who don’t know, Gami has 37 stores across Australia. Since establishing themselves in 2006 they haven’t deviated too far from their classic, iconic fried chicken and beer battered chips. Marinated in their own 17 spice blend overnight and then freshly coated, they’ve captured the perfect way to maintain that wonderful crispiness you want when you bite into a piece of Korean fried chicken. However, as they further establish themselves across Melbourne, they are beginning to introduce a wider range of Korean dishes to the menu, reflecting the brand’s growing confidence in their status.
Shake it yourself!
Bentleigh is one of Gami’s newer stores. It’s all about bright neons and patterned murals, and creating a fun and comfortable casual dining experience for all the family.
We kicked off our visit with a couple of drinks. There’s a good range of options as well as a few new cocktails appearing just in time for summer. (Keep at eye out for the shake it yourself ones, they’re a lot of fun). We tried the grape crush which is a sweet, subtle drink perfect for a sunny day. We also sampled their lager on tap, Thunder Road’s Gun:Bae lager, specially designed to perfectly complement their chicken. It’s a super light flavour, greeting you with a hopsy hit before quickly falling away to a clear, crisp taste.
Fried Chicken and cheese pulls
Sticking with the new dishes we tried the pane rose chicken – a unique tomato and mushroom based sauce topped the chicken which is served around a toasted pane bread bowl filled with melted corn cheese. The rose sauce was yummy and the cheese was the perfect addition to this (cheese pulls are amazing!). This would be our go to dish next time (mainly for the cheese). It’s super filling too and more than enough for two people.
Potato Heaven
We added a couple of extra dishes to round out the meal: the potato heaven and the japchae. The potato heaven is so unique to Gami, with layers of mashed potato, wedges and cheese topped with sour cream, sweet chilli and tomato sauce. We really enjoyed this tasty dish and it’s easy to see why it’s one of their recommended options. The japchae is a great alternative to fried chicken, especially if you fancy something a little lighter. It’s a generous serve too, with a nice balance of chicken and veggies and lots of flavour.
All this was topped off by the passion and enthusiasm of Tom and his team at Bentleigh who were keen to share the Gami story, help us choose dishes and ensure everyone’s needs were met while dining in with Gami! We can’t wait to head back to try more dishes.
Website: https://www.gamichicken.com.au/
We visited: 472 Centre Road, Bentleigh, 3204 (but check out the website for a location near you!)
(Invited)