Bonchon is a Korean chain that's a hit in the U.S. A group of four friends (hence "4 Fingers") brought the franchise to Singapore. What caught my attention (besides the NYC subway style wall-tile decor) was the media attention it had garnered. In the U.S., Esquire and GQ lauded Bonchon as "best fried chicken" and The New York Times also did a feature on it. So now, is it really worthy of the praise?
There's quite a lot of fat in chicken wing skin, and the Koreans have managed to cook chicken in such a way (twice-fried) that renders the fat out (yay!), resulting in a delightfully thin and crunchy skin. Miraculously, the meat stays tender and moist.
I did a takeaway box (6 wings, S$7.95) of both flavours - soy garlic (rather sweet) and hot (very mild). The wings are lightly painted with sauce and the skin did a good job of staying crisp, despite our humid weather. I'd still recommend eating them fresh on the spot than doing a takeaway though.
Worthy of mention are their fries. Generously seasoned with seaweed, sea salt, paprika and chili flakes! Oh *love*! But even their "large" (S$3.50) is not a huge portion.
Other downsides? You do have to wait a while (about 15-minutes) for your chicken to be prepared. I guess this means they cook only upon order, and not pick from a tray of ready-fried items like KFC does.
And it's not cheap - my little snack of 6 chicken wings and pack of fries cost S$11.45, but I might come back still.
BONCHON CRISPY CHICKEN
2 Orchard Turn
#B4-06A ION Orchard
Singapore 238801
Open daily: 11 am to 10 pm
I tried it last week, and it was excellent! There was like a 1.5hour interval between getting the food and eating it (was delayed for various reasons) and I was surprised that the skin was still quite crispy and not too oily, and that the meat texture hadn't turned dry.
ReplyDeleteWow, these come highly recommended, don't they? And they sure look mouthwatering! But have to go all the way to ION ah? Next time you're going, can ta-pau some for me? ;) LOL!!
ReplyDeletecan they find a way to render out the fat in french fries.. ? mwuahaha.
ReplyDeletei too am a wing junkie.. sad but true!
Miachenyze: yes, exactly my experience too! I like that the wings didn't taste greasy and were still crispy, with sweet, tender meat.
ReplyDeleteJu: Hahaha, sure! I will go if you drive me there! :P
Cumi & Ciki: Haha, unfortunately they seem to only add fat to fries, even when twice-fried. But I guess the less fatty chicken wings justify the fries!!! :)
Wow, those chips look amazing with all the flavours and colours on them. I've never tried chips with seaweed, but it sounds interesting.
ReplyDeletenice food, but horribly heaty, not-so-good services, dirty kitchen, and lousy seatings.
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ReplyDeleteOoh! the fries look great! I think i'll skip my no-fries diet for a day to try this.
ReplyDeletei heared theres also have 4 fingersin Philippines but imnot sure where is located. Any Idea? pls. help
ReplyDeletebonchon at megamall UGF near supermarket BLDG A
ReplyDelete4Fingers and Bonchon are entirely different restaurants here in the Philippines - different menu, different ambiance, and different taste. Bonchon tastes way better than 4fingers', for me, at least.
ReplyDeleteThere's a branch of 4fingers in SM North (Main), and Bonchon in Trinoma and Katipunan.
Maybe you should try Manang's too if you're here in the Philippines, and if you're a fan of double-fried chicken like 4Fingers and Bonchon.
:)