Light Eaters 2: Bonchon Chicken - Good, But…

August 21, 2011

A friend brought me to Bonchon Chicken today at SM Megamall while we were waiting for our first class in Canon’s Photoskwela Pro at the Megatrade Hall 3. Great event by the way - too bad I wasn’t able to take a class under Pilar Tuason (portraits). But ANYWAY.

First things first, the place was packed - with families and couples alike busy digging into their meals. I’ve always been intrigued with the talk & hype over Bon Chon Chicken, and paired with an empty stomach - I wanted to eat ASAP.

Bonchon Chicken’s menu was fairly simple, with just enough choices to make a first-timer think but still decide within a few minutes. But frankly, service was not on par with my expectations. Drinks were served for a considerably long time after the food was served - which didn’t get to our table too quickly either.

A friend and I shared the “medium” order, that is, 6 drumsticks. The pieces were moderate in size, and the soy-garlic sauce was unlike anything I’ve tasted before. It was savory with just the right hint of sweetness. I always eat some of the chicken’s skin before I dig into the meat, and so the first few bites brought a smile to my face. The texture was great too - crispy, but made slightly softer with the lathered sauce.

But things aren’t always as they seem.

I was expecting a burst of flavor as I bit into the drumstick, but it didn’t deliver. Strangely enough, my benchmark for “juicy” is Mini Stop’s chicken. Bonchon’s drumsticks were a stark contrast from my expectations & previous experience with fried chicken. It had flavor, but it was a bit dry for me. I’m not sure if overcooking or the recipe itself was to blame. Needless to say, this made the experience fall short of “great” for me.

This is not to say that Bonchon Chicken is no good. Personally, if the soy-garlic sauce lathered on the chicken itself was also offered as a dipping sauce, it would more than compensate for the relatively dry meat. I say this with conviction, because Bonchon Chicken’s sauce is delicious.

I’m especially sensitive when it comes to chicken dishes, having eaten chicken more than any other meat since I was a child. I had great expectations for a great lunch because of all the talk I’ve heard, in addition to comments like “the best chicken in America” as per the New York Times, GQ and Esquire - but Bonchon just didn’t impress me enough.

But would I recommend it to others? I guess so; others seem to really like it.

*pardon the poor photo - with a 50mm prime and a jampacked restaurant, there wasn’t much room to shoot a nice photo of the chicken