When in Manila, there is no shortage of restaurants that claim to serve the best fried chicken, in fact, nowadays, they seem to be popping up left and right. Thus, you go in, order your food, and oftentimes, are disappointed with what you ordered either because you feel that the serving was too small or because the dish was overpriced for mediocre food. Well, because I care, I feel like the least I can do is spare you from such an ordeal and just tell you that if it’s fried chicken that you’re looking for, head on over to BonChon Chicken.
My friend and I were craving for chicken, so after hearing about BonChon from family and friends, we decided to head over to the nearest branch (Libis Branch) to give their famous double-fried chicken a try. Upon entering the establishment, we were impressed by the number of customers lined up to give their orders and the diners who were already enjoying their meals. It was barely 6 in the evening and the place was packed! It didn’t hurt either that the red and white interiors of the restaurant gave off a youthful vibe thus making one feel welcomed and immediately at ease.
At BonChon, you order your food and pay for it at the counter, you then take a seat and wait for the waiter to bring it over to you. I won’t lie. I felt like a kid waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve, I was so excited for the food to arrive! Anyways, this is what we had:
Ginger Tofu Salad (Php125). Salad made up of carrot strips, fried tofu bits, greens, and fried wanton strips with ginger dressing.
Bulgogi Wrap (Php 145). A wrap with bulgogi, greens and kimchi koleslaw inside. My friend, Cheston, could not stop raving about this! Seriously! He was raving about it while eating, after eating it, 10 minutes later, and again before we left! Suffice to say, he’s found a new favorite dish.
BonChon Chicken Wings (6 pcs.= Php185) and Drumsticks (3 pcs.= Php185). As I mentioned earlier, the chicken are fried TWICE. The first time is to ensure that the inside is cooked thoroughly, and the second frying is what gives the chicken skin the extra crunch factor. The chicken comes in two flavors, spicy and soy garlic, though between the two, my favorite would have to be the latter. The chicken isn’t drenched or drowning in sauce as the sauce is applied in a specific manner, how they do it is a secret I’m not supposed to tell 🙂
Chicken Chop Rice (Php125). Like the wings and drumsticks, this comes in either spicy or soy garlic. This is also what they use for their Chicken Sandwich. Unfortunately, this was our least favorite dish for the night, not because it lacked flavor but because it was overcooked, I was struggling to cut off a piece. The restaurant however was kind enough to replace the dish with a more tender one that was easy to cut through.
Fish Ricebox (Php125). 3 strips of fried fish fillet with rice. This was my favorite as the lightness and fluffiness of the fish fillet was a good contrast to the crunch of its breading.
Fish Tacos (Php145). Originally meant to be served only during Lent season, BonChon decided to keep this as a regular item because when they took it off their menu, people kept looking and asking for it! Taco with fish fillet, kimchi koleslaw, best eaten with garlic mayo.
Frozen Yogurt with Caramel Syrup. Gah, I’m salivating just thinking about it. You see, I love yogurt. As in, LOVE yogurt. So when this was served, I was in heaven. It was a perfect way to end a heavy meal. Light and tart yogurt drizzled with sweet (but not to sweet) caramel syrup, WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE?!
Look at that, look at how happy we are. I was so stuffed, I couldn’t breathe. The meal was awesome! So, when in Manila, and craving for fried chicken, do what I do, and head over to BonChon Chicken and treat yourself to their double- fried chicken! Deemed the best chicken in America by New York Times, GQ and Esquire, you’re bound to take one bite and say, OH MY GOSH!
BONCHON CHICKEN
AYALA TRIANGLE GARDENS
10am to 10pm daily
GREENBELT 1
Sunday to Thursday: 10am to 10pm
Friday to Saturday: 10am to 11pm
MEGAMALL
Sunday to Thursday: 10am to 9pm
Friday to Saturday: 10am to 10pm
LIBIS (ACROPOLIS)
10am to 10pm daily
BonChon Chicken: THE Original Double-fried Chicken
