SEATTLE — Kkokio, which is the sound a rooster makes in Korean, serves six different flavors of fried chicken.
"Our most popular is the Kkokio Yum Yum," explained Tracy Nguyen-Phan. "It's a sweet sauce with a hint of spiciness."
Her mother, Marian Xuan, owned the Vietnamese restaurant that operated out the building for 15 years.
"When my mom passed, we were devastated and sad," said Nguyen-Phan. "We didn't want to let this place go. It held so much memory. But holding on was too difficult."
While in the process of trying to sell, Tracy's uncle, (her mom's brother) teamed up with a friend to take over the space and create Kkokio Korean Fried Chicken and Asian Fusion.
"Kevin is the Korean side and my uncle the Vietnamese side," shared Nguyen-Phan. "He always wanted a Vietnamese banh mi shop."
In the addition to the various flavors of Korean fried chicken, Kkokio has a bánh mì sandwich bar. They even offer rice or lettuce wraps. But the bread is worthy to be tried.
"Bread is the staple of bánh mì. We make it fresh daily or every other day. It has this amazing crunch on the outside and it's soft and fluffy on the inside," gushed Nguyen-Phan.
The building may have a new look and a new menu, but some things stay the same.
"Our secret sauce is still a secret," Nguyen-Phan said while laughing. "Even when my mom owned the restaurant, I didn't know the secret to phở or anything like that."
Kkokio — inspired by the woman who built something here and was supported by family and community all the way.
"She's here," said Nguyen-Phan. "She sees everything. She would be very proud!"
Kkokio Korean Fried Chicken and Asian Fusion is located at 810 Rainier Ave. S. in Seatle.
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