Bonchon Chicken

Have only ever been here for the chicken wings so I may be biased, however they are fantastic. Always crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I’ve heard people say the spicy is too much for them, while others complain it’s not spicy enough. I always get soy garlic! This place never disappoints and is always consistent.

I’ll make a bold statement here: this may be the best fried chicken I’ve ever eaten. I favored the soy garlic flavoring over the spicy, but both seasonings are full of flavor! We stopped in on «Soju Sunday» which means $ 5 soju drinks and $ 15 carafes. The mango soju was really good if you like sweet drinks.
The atmosphere is very hip. Be prepared to spend a little more than you would at a typical wing spot, however. I’ll definitely stick to the $ 9 lunch combo in the future.

I’ve eaten at Bonchon enough times to definitively state that the Philly location is 3-​stars, «A-​OK.» I will keep it positive by announcing that the lunch special is an INCREDIBLE deal — for less than the price of sharing you get more chicken than you can eat (unless you’re a gluttonous monster). The pickled radishes as a side dish make a refreshing palette cleanser in-​between bites. Lastly, shout-​out to the soy garlic, which is undoubtedly superior over the spicy sauce. The end.

What’s the crispy (candy) shell/​coating on those chicken wings/​drummers!!! Is it crack??! It very well may be, the stuff is addicting (not that this particular writer has ever done crack… I plead the «fif»).
Rumor has it (fact) that the chicken is double fried; lower initial heat to cook the chicken through, and high temperature to crisp it up. Doesn’t hurt that they (very very likely) add baking powder to the dredge; the stuff crisps up at the touch of heat. I am speaking, of course, as to how this particular writer would do things to achieve that candy shell of a crunch.
Having been a consistent patron of the NYC location (s), I was ecstatic (and mad jelly) that the City of Brotherly Love was finally getting one of these joints; took damn long enough… and well after the completion of my 4 year tenure within its borders. Sad fact of the matter is that Korean fried chicken joints (and Korean food spots in general, for that matter), are sparse in Philadelphia… so just by virtue of having this in Chinatown is a great boon for Philly.
I came in with the fam bam for lunch prior to my journey back to NYC. It needs to be said that the standard pricing for Bön Chon wares doesn’t come cheap… that being said, the lunch deals, running from 11:00 — 3:00, are pretty phenomenal. Your choice of chicken (8 wings, or 4 drummers, or 2 drumsticks and 4 wings) plus a side for under $ 10? ?? Criminal pricing when considering that 5 drumsticks alone (on the standard menu) run about $ 12… which is a price I gladly pay, and then hate myself after for doing that; chicken these days can be found at your local grocer for as low as $ 1 per pound (yummy steroid fed fowl).
Food deals aside… this actual joint in Philly may be sporting the coolest interior out of all the Bön Chons this writer has had the great honor of visiting (a few here stateside and one or two abroad). Multi-​leveled, with a dark cherry red hue to the seat cushions, and with wood finishes everywhere else… the place just feels cozy. You will also find multiple wide screen televisions, one super high def TV by the bar, huge projector television… this place has a sh*t ton of televisions. And on those televisions (or on the vast majority of them) you’ll find the hottest K-​pop acts dancing their tight attractive buns off in their music vids (and the sound system will likely be playing the K-​pop music to match the MV or audio from whatever big sporting event happens to be on).
Definitely a space that I want to go to again, either for lunch (for the bargain specials) or after a late night. Nothing like finishing off a drinking sesh in the city with some Korean fried chicken, some booze, and a bit of K-​pop.

We ordered a dozen soy garlic chicken tenders. The seasoning is tasty and sent me to the moon on my first bite. But the chicken is very, very dry. I wish it came with more sauce or some other type of dipping sauce.
I liked the ambiance — modern and chic with red chairs and lots of tv’s playing k-​pop music videos. However, it is too expensive — it’s located in Philadelphia’s Chinatown and charging NYC prices, like what?

I’ll get to the point. I’ve never enjoyed such crispy, flavorful chicken wings as those I ate at Bonchon. However, I was disappointed by the «Spicy» option. It must be the chronic sriracha use on my part, but they were simply sweet but lacked any «hotness». Nevertheless, I want them again.
Their french fries are excellent and worth combining with some wings, but I personally enjoy the play between kimchi and chicken wings. If you haven’t had kimchi, definitely give it a try.
You really can’t beat $ 8.95 for 8 wings with french fries for lunch every day.

Ordered some chicken wings and the takoyaki, alongside a few Sapporos. Overall, everything was tasty and inexpensive. I would definitely recommend coming here for a few drinks and greasy, fried food to get your fix. I didn’t really like the huge, and blindingly bright TV screens all over the place, but they did provide some K-​Pop entertainment for us during our meal.

We used to live close to the Bonchon in Annandale (outside of DC), and I gotta say, despite the crappy service that we got in Annandale, the chicken was so much better there.
Bonchon is our go-​to place for Korean food in Philly proper – this location has korean food (not just chicken and ramen, like the Annandale location), which is nice. Their kimchi bokkeumbap (fried rice) is pretty good, and their bibimbap was fine. I was sorely disappointed by the tteokbokki we got last time we were there, though.
But really, we go to Bonchon for the chicken, right? Well, one time when we went, chicken was delicious, spicy and crispy and juicy and flavorful… and when I went back again, we got these completely un-​sauced, not crispy chicken. After we finished our food, we looked around, and realized we apparently just got a bad batch – everyone else’s looked visibly better than the plate that we had gotten. Minus points for inconsistency.
Ambience here is rather distracting, with sports games and kpop MV’s on repeat… it’s rather amusing, but can also detract from… you know, real conversation with your friends.

Apparently Korean Fried Chicken is the new KFC.
Bonchon’s ambience is hip, with TV screens all around blaring sports games and K-​pop music videos. It’s open late, too, as any self-​respecting fried chicken joint should be. The waitstaff is friendly and service is quick.
Bonchon’s Spicy and Mild sauce are both solid options. I’d rank Mild at a ¹⁄₁₀ heat level and Spicy at a 6.5÷10, but your mileage may vary. Their chicken is available in wing or drumstick form — both compare favorably to other Philadelphia staples like Koreana and U-​Town. If you’re anything like me then you will immerse yourself in gluttony, your face and hands running red with the blood of Korean wing sauce, and your tongue positively quivering beneath the onslaught of a thousand savory suns.
If you’re looking to chow on something that won’t make you feel like you just ingested the entire Great Wall of China, try the Salmon Avocado Ball. Like the name suggests, it’s a giant ball filled with crisp cucumbers, imitation crab, avocado, and salmon and topped with crisp panko bread crumbs, scallions, and spicy mayo. Yum! And try a flavored soju if you’re thirsty. It’s an interesting twist on the original and the lychee soju actually tastes like lychee, although it’s a bit sweet for my taste.
As far as late-​night indulgences go, Bonchon really hits the spot. On next week’s episode, we will find out what it’s like to feast here after a long night out.

We used to drive all the way out to the northeast to a different place but were super happy to discover this place which is closer to home. We’ve been twice in a 2 week time frame, both times with friends and both times were amazing.
The service will blow you away; our guy was crazy helpful and accommodating both times. I recommend both the spicy and the garlic soy chicken. SO SO GOOD! Over the two visits, we’ve also tried and loved the fried calamari, japchae, fried rice, bulgogi, bull dak and, bimibap and scallion pancakes. We’d get all of these things again! The bull dak was the spiciest of them all.
Also like the sunday drink specials, specifically the watermelon and lychee soju and the soju limeade cocktail.
Must try!

Came here pretty drunk on a Thursday night. We got the dumplings and chicken wings (obviously). I have to say the wings were on point! I didn’t think they would be good as soho, and they’re not but it’s almost there, they just need to make the wings bigger like soho does but for being there on a 2am on a drunken Thursday night, it was pretty solid. Customer service was amazing! But then again there was no one else really there haha.

Decided to check out Bonchon with a friend after finding out Soho on Cheltenham was closed for the day (they always do this for some reason at the most random days/​times) and after failing to find parking for lunch on a weekday, paid to park in the lot right next to Bonchon. The attendant speaks little/​broken English so it might help to either speak Mandarin or go with someone who does.
The restaurant was busy but we were able to get a table and get seated almost immediately. The interior is bright and clean and modern. I definitely was enjoying the huge storefront window view and seating because it allowed for a lot of natural light to stream in even though the décor was very much modern, club-​like.
The service was quick and friendly. The food on the other hand was just ok. I know that this is a chain restaurant and known for their fried chicken, but when I’m comparing gourmet fried chicken, this place comes at a distant second to Soho. Of course, I’d choose this place over Popeyes, KFC, all the other fast food fried chicken, and I’d prefer this place over BWW and PJ’s (even on gluttonous Tuesday ½ wings) but when it comes between good and amazing, this place is just good.
The fried chicken was crispy, adequately spicy and flavorful but nothing that makes your mouth water like Soho.
Pricing is about the same as Soho too so in all honesty, I’d choose Soho (Cheltenham, not the one in Blue Bell) over Bonchon.
If you’re in the area and craving fried chicken, this is the spot, otherwise, I’d trek it northwest and get some Soho.
Parking: Very limited metered parking or paid lot ($ ⁴⁄₃₀ mins)
Price: $ 10+ per person
Wait: 20 mins after ordering

You are coming here for the double fried korean chicken wings. Some of the other side dishes aren’t the best, i.e. we tried the japchae and dakbukki, takoyaki I think these dishes were just ok and I wouldn’t order again but the chicken wings I can see myself craving again.
Because they are double fried, just be prepared to wait a little while. It’s worth the wait, but depending on how busy they are and how many wings you’re ordering, it can range from 25 – 35 minutes wait. You also have 3 sauce choices: Soy Garlic, Spicy, and Half-​and-​Half (which is a mix of the first 2 flavors). You can choose to get just Wings, or Drums, or Tenders.
The texture of the wings is really nice, you get a good crunch and crispiness. The sauce is not overdone, so it won’t get soggy or too messy. The spicy is pretty spicy, please be warned, and the soy garlic is a little sweet and really tasty. Really good, and I would say my second favorite place for Korean fried chicken wings with #1 being in NYC.
The service is pretty nice, for example, half of our order got misplaced and then food came out a little later than expected but they quickly offered to discount 10% from the bill. They were also good about refilling our water and cleaning up dishes when we were done. It will be about $ 1 per wing, so an order of 40 was $ 40.
For the décor and ambience, it’s pretty modern feeling with red seats, and lots of TV’s showing K-​pop videos. I actually really like this part of the experience and it will keep you very entertained. On the bottom floor, the bar seating also looked like a fun area.
Overall I had a great time with family here and I will crave those wings again! Good flavor and texture and fun environment. Enjoy!

I have been a fan of Bonchon for a few years now. Coming from Virginia, I have eaten at the Richmond and Sterling location. Their soy garlic chicken has always been consistently delicious. This goes for the Philly location as well.
Along with the chicken, I ordered the bulgogi bibimbap — thinking it was going to live to the same standard as the fried chicken. Bonchon Chicken is named Bonchon Chicken for a reason. The whole dish was rather bland and disappointing. For once, I did not take my leftovers to-​go.
While we’re on it — the owner needs to improve several qualities of the restaurant. Firstly, please have your host wear appropriate pants. I’m all for empowering ladies, but there are certain places and occasions where see-​through leggings are not appropriate — one being a family establishment. Also, I understand this is a fried chicken spot, but both floors were dangerously slippery. Everyone in my group made a comment about this as well. What are you doing? Rubbing the chicken all over the floors?
TLDR: come for the lunch special only for their soy garlic wings, get it to-​go

I was really nervous to try this location out because of the mixed reviews and mixed articles about how the hype of Bonchon opening in Philly was all just talk. We’ve been to Bonchon in NYC and absolutely loved it. We’ve also been to Café Soho and loved it there too.
We lucked out and loved the Philly location! We made it just in time for Happy Hour so we got $ 3 drafts and $ 5 wines! Perfect for the boyfriend and I. We got the medium combo (10 wings and 5 drums)… it was $ 21. We got half soy garlic and half hot. I love the soy garlic more. The hot is like way too hot for me to enjoy but the boyfriend loved it. We also got a side of fries, they were so good! Maybe I should’ve been more specific, but I wanted the fries with our wings. It came out first and we were done the fries well before the wings even came out. The waiting game for the wings took awhile, it was almost 20 minutes! I guess this is why people get really drunk before eating since they probably just keep ordering drinks.
The service was decent. The waitress was nice. The atmosphere of the restaurant was cool. It was weird they were playing like Asian MTV music videos, but whatever. It is Bonchon.
We’ll definitely be back!

This probably deserves closer to 3.5 stars, but overall, I thought Bonchon was a tasty, different (for those who have never had it before) place to eat that had pretty good service as well.
I came here with a group of 5 and we ordered the XL wings (half and half), a salmon avocado ball, japchae, and the watermelon Froju. We were all pretty hungry to start, but I felt pretty full after the entire meal. I loved the chicken and thought it was super crunchy, which was great. I liked the soy garlic a little more than the spicy. The salmon avocado ball was great, although I think it might have been The noodles didn’t stand out to me too much. I’d definitely recommend trying a bottle of their soju; you could taste that they used actual watermelon in our drinks.
The atmosphere definitely catered to fans of kpop, as there were large screens around the restaurant blasting music videos the entire time (I didn’t mind it). The waiters were attentive throughout the night as well.
Overall, I wasn’t so impressed that I would go again every week, but this is definitely a nice place to check out, and I could see myself coming back here every now and then!

I love Korean friend chicken. I’d been wanting to check out this place ever since it opened. Last night I was leaving a party in Philadelphia around 11:30 PM and wanting a hot bite to eat. I noticed that Bonchon was one of the few places open as they close at 2:00 AM. This seemed like a good opportunity to check it out. We parked on the street very easily right by the restaurant since it was late, and we didn’t have to wait forever for a table like I’d been hearing about in the reviews.
We were seated on the first floor by the entryway. We didn’t have any of the service problems I’d been reading about. I’d originally wanted to order a soju fruit drink, but they were all $ 20! Maybe they are big, I don’t know, but I would have been the only one drinking it, so I gave that a miss. We ordered the medium combo with drum sticks and wings with half soy and half spicy. The chicken took maybe 15 – 20 minutes to come out. While you wait, you can enjoy the K-​pop music videos on the large tv screens around the bar.
Now, if you have been to Café Soho, this chicken will disappoint you. If you have nothing to compare it to, you’ll probably walk away pretty happy. It wasn’t as crisp as Soho’s and some pieces were lacking on the sauce. Also, the hot sauce wasn’t hot enough, and the soy was a bit too sweet for my taste. It was good, but I’ve definitely had better. The other disappointment was the radishes. They give you a lot, but they were a bit dry, not as crisp as Soho and needed more vinegar. The only advantage I see to Bonchon over Soho is that they offer boneless chicken and chicken drum sticks which Soho does not. We couldn’t finish two pieces of the chicken as we were full, and the server nicely offered to wrap them up to go.
If I am in the area late at night and craving this kind of chicken, I’d come back, but when given the choice, I’d much rather go to either of Soho’s locations.

I came back again to eat in, and was pleasantly surprised.
Food:
— Small Soy Garlic Wings ($ 11.95)
— Avocado Salmon Ball ($ 9.95)
— Reload (Raspberry Yogurt Soju) ($ 5 HH)
The quality of the chicken definitely was better this time around, with more sauce & crisp to the chicken. Even the avocado salmon ball, for which I was a little hesitant for, was pretty tasty (but a little heavy on the mayo inside). Despite the better food, I still feel as if the food is overpriced for the quantity and quality I receive. Hopefully next time my thoughts will change as I come back for their happy hour specials!

No point to write long review for a place with 100+ reviews already. Lets get right down to business:
Great lunch special: $ 8.95 for 8 wings and a side. (Fries, kimchi, etc). I’d suggest the «half and half» sauce. Very good. Fair prices given its Center City.
I heard some others complain about slow service. I sat at the bar. The bartender was very friendly and prompt. I had my food in about 10 minutes or less.
Bonchon has avery trendy and clean atmosphere. Everything is pretty much brand new. Theres big screen TVs with K-​POP on during the day and sports at night. Good: scantily clad Korean girls dancing on big screens, Bad: Korean Justin Biebers hopping around on big screens.
Cool place with good food. I could possibly give them 5 stars, but I need to take it in a little more first.

I came back to give this place another try after their soft opening. It’s been a while so I was hoping the food has improved since then.
Consensus? Definitely has improved over the few months. Also, the hype has died down so there isn’t a 1 – 1.5 hr wait as there was before.
We ordered the salmon avocado ball and a medium order of the soy garlic chicken combo with drumsticks and wings. The salmon avocado ball came out in a timely manner and was presented pretty well. The appetizer consists of a generous amount of crabmeat, cucumber, avocado, tempura crumbs, and tobiko all wrapped up in some seared salmon drizzled with spicy mayo and unagi sauce. So so yummy! Definitely something to get to start off your meal here. Our chicken came out shortly afterwards, and it was great. Soy garlic flavor was on point. The chicken was tender for the most part, but there were some parts that were pretty dry. No biggie though.
Bonchon has upped its service and food quality the past few months. So glad to have a place like Bonchon around to serve up some mean Korean fried chicken. Keep it up, Bonchon!