Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Soy Garlic Fried Chicken at Bonchon Chicken (Bugis+)

"It is not just Chicken, it's Bonchon Chicken" ... or so goes Bonchon's advertising tagline. Originating from Korea, the franchise has also spread its' wings to the Philippines, Thailand, and the USA, where it's been apparently garnering huge raves.

What we didn't know was that Bonchon has actually also set up shop here in Singapore - at the first floor of Bugis+ (formerly Iluma), so we hitched a train ride to Bugis and ordered up a Large Combo of 10 wings and 4 drumsticks for SGD21.90 to see if the food lives up to the hype!


There are two flavors available - Soy Garlic and Hot Sauce. What's interesting is that the flavors are incorporated into the deep-fried batter, so you get all the flavor but not-so-much of the mess. The large combo also comes with 2 side dishes - we go for edamame and coleslaw.

Verdict? While we enjoyed the crispiness of the batter and the Asian-influenced tastes, we didn't feel close to being blown away. To make matters worse, our batch of drumsticks were pretty badly overcooked. I'm not sure if you can see it in this photo, but the tops of the 'sticks were dry, hard and tough.


Overall, a pretty big disappointment, then. If they can adjust their cooking time and/or temperature I might give them another shot, but dry and hard chicken is inexcusable, especially on a juicy part like the drumstick. Having never tried the outlets in other countries I can't comment on how authentic the fried chicken here is; but for the Singapore version you'd be far more satisfied at 4 Fingers instead.

Also, while we tend to make huge concessions with regards to service in what is essentially a quasi-fast food joint, the service standards here are simply atrocious - standing in line for a good ten minutes being ignored by the entire wait staff isn't fun.

Bon Chon is located at #01-03, Bugis+ Shopping Centre, Bugis.

3 comments:

  1. it's been a long time since i had great chicken wings, but i do love them when they're well-done. finger lickin' good, when they're hot (but not too hot), crunchy on the outside and juicy inside (but not greasy!) :D

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  2. My mouth is watering already. I wish I had one of these right now. That's right! It's finger lickin' good. Best Chicken In The World. I'm tasting it right now just by looking at it.adelaide seo

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