A chicken-beer alliance

WHILE Korean fried chicken is fast becoming a staple for Filipinos, we haven’t completely embraced the culture of chimaek (a portmanteau of the Korean words for “fried chicken” and “beer”), a combination that began to gain popularity in South Korea in the 1970s.

Enter Daily Beer, one of South Korea’s leading fried chicken brands which elevates the concept with craft beers, flown in from South Korea. It opened its first branch in the Philippines in Pasig’s Arcovia City on Nov. 30, with a media preview the day before on Nov. 29.

“Everywhere in the world, there’s a lot of fried chicken, and there’s a lot of beer. But most fried chicken places use commercial, mass-produced, generic beer, which is not considering the food pairing at all,” said Sang Jin Lim, the chief executive officer of Daily Beer Co., Ltd. (which first opened in 2014), speaking through Jay Lim, Business Development Division/Global Business Manager Daily Beer Co., Ltd.

“We specifically make beers for the fried chicken we have,” said Mr. Lim. “It’s perfectly tailored for our dishes.”

There are four varieties of chicken at the restaurant: Original, Red (spicy sauce), Black (sweet garlic soy sauce), and Crunch (garlic and sweet and spicy seasoning). They also have other Korean dishes: gimbap, tteokbok-ki, and the sweet-and-sour chicken gangjeong; among others. Matching the dishes are the five craft beers they have on tap: K-Red Lager, K-Seoul Weizen, K-Daily Pale Ale, K-Super Fresh Hazy IPA, and K-Ginseng Lager, which was specifically developed for the Philippines. “We have the capacity to create new beers for the local market,” said Mr. Lim.

We tried out the K-Ginseng beer (woody and with a wet, herby taste; excellent), and all the chicken flavors. We will say that the experience becomes sublime with the beer (and our beer choice was perfect with the Black flavor).

According to Daily Beer’s website, they had 402 stores as of 2024, with a bulk of them in South Korea; but they also have a presence in Bangkok, and Singapore.

“We’re the only company that’s growing two-digit numbers, every year for 12 years straight. Never any kind of decline,” said Mr. Lim. Their website said that they have enjoyed 39.4% growth from 2022 to 2024.

It was in Singapore where Kirkland Whang, chairman of Opulence Prime Ventures, Inc., which brought the concept to the Philippines, first tried Daily Beer. Opulence Prime Ventures is in real estate, online retail, and even mattresses.

“The first time we tried Daily Beer in Singapore, we immediately knew that the taste of the chicken is unique, together with the beer selection they have,” he said. “I know that our culture here will love that taste,” said Mr. Whang.

The senior Mr. Lim said that he liked the original flavor with the Red Lager, while Mr. Whang likes the original, and varies his beer choices depending on his mood. The junior Mr. Lim said, “I like the IPA personally. I don’t mind what I eat with the IPA. The fragrance, the aroma, is really strong.”

According to Mr. Whang, they’re on track to open a second branch in SM Fairview this month, and another in Makati next year. — Joseph L. Garcia