Crunch goes the Bonchon

In a world where fried chicken meant a piece of chicken smothered by breading, choked in batter or drenched in oil, Bonchon shows us another way to enjoy our chicken by frying it twice!

Frying twice, a Korean style of fried cooking, separates and "burns" the chicken fat away from the skin.  For the chicken lovers who tend to remove the skin first before eating since most of the fat is locked in there, this frying technique should dispel their worries away.  This goes the same for those afraid that they'll still see fresh blood on their chicken as this method ensures that the chicken is thoroughly cooked.

In Korea, this frying style gave birth to hundreds of "Bonchon" like chicken houses.  Could Bonchon be the start of the next food craze in the Philippines?

Outside the Bonchon restaurant

When we arrived, the two lines to the cashier stretched out to the outside of their Ayala Triangle restaurant.  The place was jampacked with people trying out the newest craze in fried chicken.  Seeing the long lines, we thought of moving to Banapple instead.  However, the lines moved quite fast in Bonchon so we opted to stick around.

Since we were only a small group of four, we opted to get just get the value meals instead of the chicken-only boxes and ordering extra rice and drinks.  When we got to the counter, we were disappointed that they only offered one variant, soy garlic, with their set meal.  Apparently, their hot & spicy variant was only available when you buy the chicken-only boxes.  I didn't understand the reason behind it, and interestingly, the cashier didn't know it as well.  

It was unfortunate as we wanted to taste both flavors, but we settled for the 2-piece drumstick value meal instead.  My friends chose the three-wing set meal and ordered fries on the side.

Their fancy cup used to hold French fries.

It took around twenty to thirty minutes for the orders to fully arrive, quite understandable due to the amount of customers they were serving at that time. The fries came in a paper cup decorated with some sort of Korean artwork on the outside.  The pieces were thick and long similar to the ones in New York Fries and Dip, each one bursting with a salty and lightly spicy flavor.

The box of two drumsticks

When we opened the meal box, we were surprised at how small the pieces were especially since it was more expensive than the two-piece chicken meal at McDonalds or Jollibee. The small size was magnified further in the chicken wings that my friends got.  You could easily stuff three more wings in the cardboard box and still have room to spare. To imagine how small the wings were, hold the pinkie fingers up in both your hands and join them together at the tips.

As I brought the soy garlic drumstick near my mouth, the skin of the chicken lightly gleamed as the sunlight struck it showcasing its glazed exterior. Hearing a gratituous crunch followed by a rush of soy garlic flavor blanketing a cushion of meat, I knew that this was indeed a chicken unlike any other ones I've tasted before.  Comparable to the country's lechon (roasted pig) due to its crispy skin and tender insides, the twice-fried Bonchon Fried Chicken is perhaps a perfect example on how to use seasoning without overpowering the meat.  The skin and meat were indeed meant to be eaten together in a harmonious chicken, soy and garlic ensemble.

After finishing everything down to the bones, all of us felt like we still wanted more as it was indeed addictive, but not filling enough.  However, we backed down from buying another round due to its price and that long line to the cashier.

Due to its unique take in fried chicken and its mouthwatering flavor, I recommend trying the Bonchon experience at least once.  I just hope that they decide to make the pieces a little bit bigger to make it truly worthy of its price.

Bonchon Chicken
Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati Avenue, Makati City

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* Captured with a Nokia N82