For years my husband has been talking about Korean fried chicken. Recently he got more specific and started talking about a particular purveyor of said chicken. There are lots of these, including a few in New York (where I lived for a summer) and DC where we have both lived for many years. In all that time I never saw to it that my husband got his Korean fried chicken fix. This week it was definitely high-time to make up for all of the years of fried chicken deprivation. We set out to try Bangkok's Bon Chon Chicken spot, which only recently opened.
All did not go as planned. On Wednesday night we wandered aimlessly for an hour, both certain that we "knew" exactly where the restaurant was located. (Should you come to Bangkok any time soon, be warned that Googlemaps are not to-scale when it comes to Bangkok streets.) We finally gave up, grabbed some papaya salad, and called it a night.
Saturday, refreshed, and having consulted the Bon Chon website, we again set out.
We walked a healthy way up Thonglor Road, eyes scanning the second floor of every block. No chicken. We looked down every street to see we could spot it. Still no chicken. We stopped and had a beer, and watched the sunset.
Finally, we climbed to the second floor of a shopping center, hoping to get a better view, and Frank spotted the sign way in the distance.
And after all that waiting....it was even better than we could have imagined. Here is the chicken, tossed in garlic-soy sauce. It was crispy and juicy - darn-near fried chicken perfection.
And there were fries seasoned with herbs and dipped in spicy mayo.
And gyoza, super crispy with a sweet and spicy glaze.
And some perfect little pickled bites that cooled everything down, including the kimchi coleslaw (that I would willingly eat every day if I could).
Tempted to try some? The one in Bangkok is...
on the left hand side of Thonglor Soi 13 (walk a block and a half down Soi 13 - it's on the second floor)
or there may be one in your neck of the woods....www.bonchon.com
Ellen
That looks sooo delicious!
Ellen
That looks sooo delicious!
Elizabeth
Oh my goodness. Definitely going here (well, the NYC one anyway). Thanks for the tip!
Elizabeth
Oh my goodness. Definitely going here (well, the NYC one anyway). Thanks for the tip!
Chef's Dad
OK, after a long Midwestern conversation about the best "Fried Chicken".
I said "Strouds of Kansas City". I was shouted down quickly by the Inquiring Chef's stepsister.
But I'll have to admit, that looks really good!!!
How are the Livers? Probably not as good as "Boots and Coates". LOL
PS: Where'd she learn photography?
Thonglor-Ekamai.com
Check out our map next time you're in the neighbourhood - http://www.Thonglor-Ekamai.com
Get frequent updates on facebook.com/ThonglorEkamai or twitter.com/ThonglorEkamai
Bangkok is difficult to navigate around sometimes so hope this map can be of future use!
inquiringchef
Thanks! This map is so helpful!
Thonglor-Ekamai.com
Check out our map next time you're in the neighbourhood - http://www.Thonglor-Ekamai.com
Get frequent updates on facebook.com/ThonglorEkamai or twitter.com/ThonglorEkamai
Bangkok is difficult to navigate around sometimes so hope this map can be of future use!
inquiringchef
Thanks! This map is so helpful!
Kristine
So, no joke, a Korean fried chicken place just opened up in the mall across the way! MaryLeigh was with me and I was like "oh my god, Jess was just blogging about this!"
Ivan Collins
Great post and listed tips are wonderfully described.