KFC - Korean Fried Chicken! From Bonchon

Er... what happened to Team Edward or Team Jacob

Be forewarned. The England in the photos are not my doing  :)

One of the best things that floated their way to Makati is Bonchon. Actually... i think it is an American Korean chain ( never hear my korean based ex colleagues mention this place ) but it is a type of Korean fast food. And it kicks Kentucky Fried Chicken to the curb! I used to be a fan of Kentucky Fried Chicken when i was a child. The crispiness was the most enticing bit. But when KFC started to "outsource" and really franchise out i found the quality went down hill. Sogginess and oily feeling was really a put off.

When Bonchon opened in Makati a few months back, the queue was stupendous. The shop is in the Ayala park shops, a tiny small shop that only had about 5-6 tables but hell, the crowds were long. My observation is that anything new in Makati is something worth queuing for. Out of curiosity, naturally we all try it.

I googled a bit on Korean Friend Chicken and realized - that this although a traditional korean dish, is more like a beer snack - kinda like yakitori to the japanese.  Explains a lot why i don't find it in Korean restaurants. The real name is Dak Kang Jung.  Bonchon serves 2 types - the Soy Glazed or the Spicy.  Note the spicy is SPICY. The use of Gochujang was quite liberal and i prefer the Soy Glazed which is lightly spicy. 

Actually @ one stage i got quite sick of this dish because for 1 whole week, my users decided lunch meeting was fun and each day they had Bonchon! Much as i like it, i normally try not to overkill my self with this.But eating it every was quite a torture.  Anyway, this post is done after a 3 month self imposed drought on Bonchon! And it tasted so good after the drought.

Aha.. the secret .... i am on a roll with this strange language thing

One thing about this chicken is that, you only get the wing and drummet part. There is no chicken breast ah, chicken thigh ah... only wing and drummet. And the price is a bit pricey.  A pack of 6 is 100+PHP but i got the 12 pack one so it was 200+PHP.  Greedy mah... so get more lor. And i had this grand plan of eating one half for today's dinner and save it for the rest.  And ta-da, my box of 12 wings and drummet.



You may wonder what is the difference between Korean Fried Chicken and Kentucky Fried Chicken? Well Korean fried chicken is double fried.  Apparently by double frying, it is less oily and makes it crunchier! IMHO, it's the sauce coating on the skin that makes it yummy. Single fry or double fry, any frying is still oily lah. Eat in moderation people. I must admit this was so tasty, i ate about 3/4 of it and only left 4 measly pieces for dinner the next day. I skipped the rice that was given because rice = carbs = fat. ( Remember i was in the country of Unlimited rice, so had to keep fit ) The piece de resistance is the sauce. Pick the Soy Glazed one. The spicy one is just too hot. My tolerance level for GoChujang is not very good apparently.

All your meats need to be balance with some greens. but i picked up a box of Kimchi coleslaw which was quite interesting much to say. Not very spicy yet gives you the zing. Ah.. no left overs, had to stir fry veggie next day as well. 

Typically, I won't eat it every day as it is not cheap food though it is fast food. However if you want fried chicken that is different - try the Korean Fried Chicken. I was telling housemate if we ever franchised this to Malaysia, tasty as it is, the Malaysians might find this really pricey. And because it doesn't have all the parts of a chook, might be a tough sell!

Anyway, folks who are dropping by Makati - head over to the Ayala Gardens or Greenbelt 1 to look for this place. Tar Pau lah.. not a lot of place to sit. p/s: i got craving. please bring some back for me :P No unlimited rice please. ktxbai!

Restaurant Chicken Bon Chon,
Ayala Gardens
Makati, Manila.