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| A platter of Korean Fried Chicken. Hiding to the far left.... Sojoo! |
If you think of the world's best fried chicken, you probably would not think of Asians. However, the Koreans definitely give southern blacks a run for their money with their unique and delicious version of a classic.
Bon Chon is a chain restaurant that specializes in Fried Chicken and they have locations around the world. Unlike those other famous fried chicken establishments, Bon Chon is NOT fast food. Bon Chon uses a secret process to cook and season their meat that leaves the chicken crispy beyond belief and tender/flavorful on the inside. The process that yields these miraculous results takes a long time. So either be patient or order ahead.
I walked in to the restaurant in Fairfax and despite having been warned that the chicken sometimes takes up to an hour to cook, I saw two big platters of fried chicken sitting in front of us ready to go! My friends used incredible foresight and thoughtfulness and arrived early to place the order. Or they were really, really hungry. So I sat down and immediately dug in. There are two flavors they provide at Bon Chon. They essentially equate to spicy and mild. The spicy was just at the edge of what I can tolerate without breaking into a pouring sweat, which was a perfect amount of heat. They also provide some Korean cole slaw and pickled radish which appear to be there simply to cleanse your taste buds in between wings and to keep the heat under control. An ice cold beer and an occasional shot of sojoo and you really couldn't be any happier enjoying food with friends.
Side note, I have some female friends that can really, really throw down when it comes to eating. Last night was an impressive showing as one of the ladies in the group was the undisputed pound-for-pound champ considering she out ate everyone by far and probably weighs in under a C-note. Luckily the chicken is supposedly cooked in healthy oils which is a big difference between Korean fried chicken and KFC and Popeyes. I was full, but didn't feel gross like you always do after binging on Popeyes.
I've heard some knocks on Bon Chon's service, however, our service was excellent throughout the meal. It might have something to do with one of the girls in our group being full Korean, but I'll give this Fairfax location the benefit of the doubt this time. The wings are not cheap and the wait time is 30-60 minutes but Korean fried chicken is a MUST-TRY for everyone.
Oh, and there seems to always be a Bubble Tea joint or a Korean bakery near a Bon Chon. I highly recommend going to Shilla and getting a Bing-Soo dessert to cool down your belly. It's a mix of ice cream, shave ice, fruit, mochi (sweet rice chunks) and fruit syrup). Really great!
4 out of 5 stars
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| A slightly mangled bowl of bing-soo for dessert at Shilla. |
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