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Is Kozhi’s chicken worth it? Yes, I say, after my dinner there last week.

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Mohan says his commitment to quality starts with his chicken supplier, Giannone Poultry, about 90 kilometres north of Montreal. Its birds are organic, antibiotic-free and certified as both halal and humanely raised, according to its website. Mohan says that the birds he buys are smaller and younger, and that he dry-ages and marinates them before coating them in his batter, which is gluten-free. Not only does this tweak, which drives up the price of Kozhi’s chicken, make it edible for more people. The batter’s mix of gluten-free flours yields crispier fried chicken, Mohan says.

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Classic fried chicken from Chef Teegavarapu Sarath Mohan at his new restaurant Kozhi on Somerset Street West

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You can order fried chicken à la carte at Kozhi ($24 for four pieces, $30 for six). But we chose to take the restaurant for a proper spin, ordering the $55-a-person “Super Kozhi,” which gets you and your companions roughly half a chicken each, a chicken-broth amuse bouche, a palate cleanser, a bottomless assortment of side dishes that nod to the popularity of Korean fried chicken and dessert.

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The Super Kozhi consists of two waves of fried chicken. The first wave showcased classic fried chicken with an emphasis on its super-crisp, ungreasy exterior and well-seasoned flesh that was juicy, whether it was white or dark meat. On the side came three squeeze bottles of sauces — honey mustard, salsa verde, garlic parmesan — that were fine add-ons. That said, the delicious chicken lacked for nothing on its own, and Mohan has nailed the raison d’être of his restaurant.

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With the chicken came bowls of banchan, Korean-style side dishes that included a scallion salad, cubes of lightly pickled daikon, slices of lightly spicy cucumber and batons of tamed jalapeño. They did their duty, which was to break up the richness of the chicken.

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After we’d polished off the classic fried chicken, the next wave showed off Kozhi’s glazed fried chicken. One is gochujang-based, and will strike fans of Korean fried chicken as familiar, or maybe even too familiar. The more novel glaze, which we preferred, was applied to “ghee roast” fried chicken, slathering the bird with a mix of cloves, cumin, coriander, chilie, ginger, garlic and tamarind. It’s delicious, but not terribly spicy.

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Gochujang-glazed fried chicken, front, and ghee roast chicken from Chef Teegavarapu Sarath Mohan at his new restaurant Kozhi on Somerset Street West Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia

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In fact, I’d say that nothing is too punchy at Kozhi, even if Korean fried chicken and Indian food can be very assertive. I, for one, would dial up the sharpness of the salsa verde. But Mohan told me he’s erring on the side of caution to appeal to the widest range of palates — a familiar refrain at Ottawa restaurants.

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A few items needed improvement. A post-palate cleaner of mung bean noodles had few charms, and none of us finished it. The soft-serve ice cream, which came with a choice of strawberry-pepper or peach-ginger toppings, was a let-down because of textural faults.

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Soft-serve ice cream (peach/ginger and strawberry/black pepper) at Kozhi on Somerset Street West. Photo by Peter Hum /POSTMEDIA

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On the other hand, if I somehow went to Kozhi with no cravings whatsoever for fried chicken, I would be happy to eat the herring-roe-topped tuna tartare ($23), which hit all the right salty, acidic, briny notes.

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Tuna tartare at Kozhi on Somerset Street West. Photo by Peter Hum /POSTMEDIA

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I also admired the Kozhi old-fashioned ($20), one of five signature cocktails. Its rye had been “washed” with chicken fat — don’t knock it till you’ve tried it — while its simple syrup had been tinged with bay leaf. Kudos to bartender Kevin Keppy, who was also our enthusiastic server.

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In addition to chicken and cocktails, Kozhi’s tagline also touts offerings meant to make one’s night there deluxe — a baby bottle of champagne, plus flights of different caviars (herring roe, salmon roe, trout roe, Italian caviar) if you want to go all out ($125 for two people).