Bon Chon K-fried chicken to hit LA?

[TonyC]

does anyone know where the store front is in Ktown? I can't find it. I haven't seen it. I know it's there.

NYT article below:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/07/din...

[borkborkbork]

BonChon: corner of 6th and Catalina in Koreatown. Great chicken, but unbelievably rude service. I won't be going back, no matter how good it is.

[Hershey Bomar]

Odd. I've only done take out but they're always some of the nicest, most polite teenagers I've encountered in LA. Give em another shot. Course KyChon gave me a teddy bear so...

Ever been to Zankou on Hollywood -- Rude. Cash only. Alway running out of chicken. Dirty tables. Horrible lot. Pan handlers -- No one every complains?

[borkborkbork]

Actually, the teenage waitress was fine and very sweet and professional. It was the female manager behind the counter who was rude beyond belief. "Shrew" is too kind a word to describe.... Oh well.

[Hershey Bomar]

I read your other review and understand your misery.

I think Koreans and Japanese are a bit uptight about packaging. Maybe you hit some kind of nerve -- too bad. I think I prefer KyoChon anyways.

[TonyC]

sent by a friend - LA Times article on Bonchon vs. Kyochon:
http://www.latimes.com/la-gd-rest15-2...

[slacker]

Has anyone figured out what Bonchon means by "nutritiously enriched" and "collagen ingredients" and "specially engineered sauce"? I'd like to know what exactly they're adding to their chicken.
http://www.bonchon.com/

[hrhboo]

Their website is hilarious! I love how the whole chicken is purported to be "low-calorie". Really?! I don't care about calorie content at all but it seems absurd to make such a claim. I mean, it's fried chicken! No one expects it to be diet-friendly.

[Skunk2Racer]

Garlic, Garlic & More garlic.....

[slacker]

lol!

[TonyC]

Bonchon and Kyochon are both now passe in KTOWN.

newest players:
BBQ Chicken (not good, chicken fried in olive oil? no bueno)
Chicken Day (pretty good, wait almost as bad as Bonchon, but better sauce, better consitution, a bit cheaper)

and my fave:
TBBC on Western, north of Wilshire

Not exactly fried, TBBC 's original recipe is a sickenly addicting charcoal grilled chicken. Check it out and report back.

also, while i never dislike fried chicken, the tung dalk served by Viking made me never want to go back on my no-more-tung-dalk-for-the-rest-of-the-year diet.

-----
TBBC
206 N Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90004

[Hershey Bomar]

Could you share the different ways the chicken is served -- sauces?

[Josh90004]

Went by TBBC to try the wings but the cheapest was $17! The pictures looked good but I was alone and decided to come back with a friend to try it. The counter guy said they don't sell smaller orders.

[PayOrPlay]

The comparisons are much appreciated. Do both of these places still involve super-long waits as implied in the older threads? (Trying to determine suitability for my sometimes-impatient 6-year old, not to mention myself!)

[obsessive]

The wait at Bonchon was 30 minutes when I went. KyoChon is rarely less than 20. As others have mentioned, this is because of the double-frying method used by both chains.

[Hershey Bomar]

Both are 30 minutes.

Just call ahead?

[Hershey Bomar]

I'm a big fan of KyoChon so last night I had to try BonChon. I'll do a little comparison.

K has a busy parking lot
B has no parking lot but a pay garage around the corner on Catalina

K looks like a nice but typical fast food place
B looks like a Pinkberry

K serves the chicken very very crispy. The meat is just crunch.
B has a nice skin that smells oddly like frydough and the chicken meat is juicy

They are both good. Just depends what you are in the mood for. BonChon tastes healthier because the meat is juicy.

I have tried KyoChon's grilled hot wings and would recommend them.

[lvgoodfood]

I have been to, and tried both, BonChon and KyoChon, and I totally agree with Hershey Bomar's comparison. I will go back to both. It is hard for me to decide which one is better.

[David Kahn]

Burried deep in their confusing website, I finally found the address of the LA store:

BonChon Chicken
3407 W. 6th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90020
[phone]

Now, we just need to see if they do a strong bird.

[TonyC]

opened this weekend

Kyochon for the win.

Bon Chon has huge drum sticks, amazingly crisp skin but too light on the sauce / flavor.

[obsessive]

Tried BonChon last night. I'm a fan of Kyochon and was curious to see how BonChon compared. I ordered the medium portion wings with "mixed" sauce (half "soy garlic", half hot). Short version: I liked it a lot -- a bit better than Kyochon. As others have noted, wings are a better vehicle for the style of chicken on offer at Kyochon and BonChon, as the sauce-to-meat ratio is better.

Other good points: their "white moo" (white picked radish) was _much_ better than the dreary, medicinal "product" on offer at Kyochon, and the included salad was also a considerable improvement.

Other notes:
- Prices and portions appear to be similar to Kyochon (unsurprisingly).
- Unlike Kyochon, they don't have their own car park. I was lucky and found a nearby meter, and consequently neglected to ask whether they had any parking arrangements with adjacent parking facilities. (Will ask next time!)
- They have no liquor license; however they claim to be happy if you BYOB provided it's beer and not soju. I didn't actually test this.

[TonyC]

the valet parking is right around on the corner, not on the 6th, but on Virgil. Fee is $1.50, tho if you come on a slow weekend afternoon (not evening), the attendant might let you part for free.

[David Kahn]

This might help: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/491618 .

[Joe Blowe]

...and this (which is linked within the above): http://www.chowhound.com/topics/410229

[TonyC]

thanks guys, but FAIL.

Bon Chon is coming to LA. Obviously Kyochon's already here. Bon Chon is NYC's doppelganger of Kyochon.

Think Pinkberry vs. Red Mango. Korean enterprises are quick to copy, quick to market

BonChon NY: http://www.bonchon.com/eng/index.php
reviews: http://www.yelp.com/biz/bonchon-chick...

I'm looking for the plyboard report...

[Joe Blowe]

You found the corporate website, they have a telephone number... make the call and fill us in.