BonChon Chicken is a global chain that spread through Korea and the USA and is now moving into Asia on the merits of its crispy, non-greasy fried chicken. Before we get to the food, though, we should advise you that BonChon is not a fast food place, and the wait for a table and for the food is about the same at any other sit-down place, so adjust your expectations accordingly, especially since the place is packed to the gills on most nights, with weekends seeing 20-minute waits. We’re happy to report, then, that the chicken (B150 for six wings) lives up to the hype: a crunchy batter on the outside that holds up marvelously against the restrained slathering of spicy, not too sweet sauce, and moist, tender and flavorful meat on the inside. Miraculously, it’s far from greasy and you can get several pieces in before you slow down (or wash out the grease with shots of cheap soju (B280 for a bottle of Chamisul Original). The supporting dishes are less earth-shattering but on par with expectations. The spicy seaweed salad, for instance (B160) is refreshing and plentiful, but the accompanying lettuce leaves are soggy by the time they get to the table. We are fans of the newer items on the menu, such as the pork bulgogi wrap (B140), a DIY dish involving slices of pork cooked in soy sauce, sesame and spring onions, a little dish of pickled onions and gorgeous, fresh leaves of butterhead lettuce. It has to be said, though, that the pork tastes, understandably, bulk-produced. The pot stickers (B160) are satisfying, if a bit small, and the soy-garlic sauce is delicious. It’s not a very exciting menu, overall, but the place never claimed to be much more than a single-dish restaurant. Our major gripe is actually with the service, which is at times inefficient and, more unforgivably, unsmiling. On our last visit, it was a full five minutes before our presence was acknowledged at all, let alone with a quick smile. Considering that BonChon has been packed from the day it first opened, they should have reception and waitlists down to a science.Corkage B300.
