Kimchi and roast chicken in Centennial -- and soon in my kitchen

My kitchen hasn't gotten a lot of use lately -- unless you count the refrigerator. That appliance has been running full-tilt, stuffed with leftovers from meals eaten in preparation for our annual Best of Denver issue, which comes out next week. But as soon as I start cooking again, I...

By Gretchen Kurtz

March 19, 2013

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My kitchen hasn't gotten a lot of use lately -- unless you count the refrigerator. That appliance has been running full-tilt, stuffed with leftovers from meals eaten in preparation for our annual Best of Denver issue, which comes out next week.

But as soon as I start cooking again, I know just what I'm going to make. See also: - First look: Bop & Gogi, Denver's first fast-casual Korean restaurant - Best Korean Restaurant 2012: Han Kang - The chicken at La Polleria is a real bird in the hand

And that would be the roast chicken and kimchi smashed potatoes from this month's issue of Bon Appetit. (Find the recipe here.)

I dog-eared the page a few weeks ago, intrigued by the combination. I know that kimchi tastes good on its own. Roast chicken, too. But together? I'll have to wait a few more days to see. What I don't have to wait for is some really tasty kimchi -- not the jarred stuff called for in the recipe, but scratch-made radish or cabbage kimchi from Bop & Gogi, a fast-casual Korean restaurant in Centennial.

Find out if the rest of the food at Bop & Gogi is as good as these fermented staples when my review is posted here tomorrow.

And in the meantime, for really good roast chicken, try La Polleria, the Peruvian chicken spot I reviewed last month. It's also located in Centennial, which is becoming something of an ethnic-food enclave these days.

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Gretchen Kurtz has worked as a writer for 25 years; during that time she's stomped grapes in Napa, eaten b'stilla in Fez, and baked with Buddy Valastro, aka the Cake Boss. Her work has appeared in publications including Boulevard (Paris), Diversion, the New York Times and Westword. Our restaurant critic since 2012, she loves helping you decide where to eat and drink tonight.

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