Back in August, we announced the opening of a brand new Bon Chon location in Turtle Bay, but never got around to a full review. Since I’ve never been to Bon Chon (criminal, I know), I decided it was most definitely time for me to venture over.  Korean fried chicken places can get a bit expensive if you aren’t careful, but there are four lunch specials on the menu that all clock in at under $10: BonChon Chicken Lunch, LaFrieda Korean Bulgogi Burger + Frite, Balsamic House Salad, and BonChon Marinated Chicken Fried Rice.

The namesake chicken lunch ($8) consisted of 5 wings and 1 drumstick, in either Hot & Spicy or Soy Garlic flavor. I got the hot and spicy, and it was nice and spicy without being uncomfortable. The skin on the chicken was crispy, and the wings were clearly fresh out of the fryer. In my opinion, they could have been a bit saucier, but once again I am a BonChon newbie, so maybe this is just how they are?

I had very high hopes for the burger ($9). LaFrieda? Check. Bulgogi? Double check. Unfortunately, the result did not live up to the expectations. The burger was small and overcooked, and had none of the juiciness, sweetness, or fattiness I generally associate with bulgogi. The lettuce and thin slice of cucumber were an afterthought and added little to the burger.

Another thing I need to mention is the fact that the service was very slow. I would try to do takeout unless you have a full hour for lunch, and stick to the chicken if you’re going to go for a lunch special. The one other item in the ML range I would be interested in trying is the Seoul Rice Bowl ($10): marinated steak or spicy chicken, mushroom, and local vegetables.  But considering what they did with the burger, I might just stick with what I know is going to be good: aka the chicken.

BonChon, 957 2nd Ave (btw. 51+50th), 212-308-8810

We got a tip earlier this week that the Bon Chon on 38th btw. 7+8th had been closed by the Health Department. Upon investigating yesterday, it turns out that the restaurant is open for business with a Grade Pending sign in the window. According to the DOH website, the restaurant was shut down after a failing inspection last week and re-opened on Monday with an A-grade worthy 11 points. But the trip over there wasn’t completely futile! It turns out they’re now serving $2.99 tap beers (including Brooklyn Lager, Stella, and Sam Adams) all day long Monday – Wednesday and at off peak hours the rest of the week. And now we know those tap lines are most likely clean.

Related:
Korean-Fried-Chicken-Palooza: Kyochon vs. Bon Chon vs. Mad For Chicken

Our friends at Scoutmob have got a great deal today at one of our favorite places in Midtown… get 50% off at the Bon Chon on 38th Street (btw. 7+8th), and the best part is you don’t have to buy anything. All you have to do is enter your cell phone number and you score the coupon for free. But wait… there’s more. To sweeten the deal the awesome folks at Scoutmob have $100 in BonChon gift cards to give away to one lucky lunch’er who subscribes to receive their daily email. To enter, just follow this link and sign up by entering your email address in the box at the top ( where it says “join the nyc mob”). Already a Scoutmob member?  Post a comment below and we’ll make sure you’re entered to win the gift cards too.

So… just to recap.  Enter your cell phone number, get 50% off Bon Chon texted to you for free (on 38th.)  Enter your email address in the box at the top of the page, and you’re entered to win $100 worth of Bon Chon gift cards.  What are you waiting for?  You have until tonight (3/7) at Midnight to get the 50% off, but you can enter to win the gift card by signing up for the Scoutmob email through Friday (3/11) at Noon.  Good luck!

Last week Grub Street reported that a new Bon Chon will be opening on 51st and 2nd Ave., and this morning Lunch’er “Joyce” was kind enough to send along these photos.  It may be technically out of bounds, but if you work in Midtown East it means no more trekking down to K-Town for fried chicken!  Unlike the two locations in south Midtown (on 38th btw. 7+8th, and 5th btw. 32+33rd) this new location is actually owned by a former manager of the Bon Chon on John Street (not to be confused with the one on Chambers which recently lost its “Chon”.)  Our Downtown site always had good things to say about that location, so we’re guessing this one should be just as good.

They’ve launched a website at http://www.bonchonmidtown.com, and you can track their construction progress on this Wordpress blog they set up.  They’re hoping to open in early 2011.

Now that the newish Koreatown location of Bon Chon has had a couple months to settle in, it’s time to really give them the once over. The opening was much more low-key than Kyochon’s, there haven’t been any lines out the door or anything, which is a good sign. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean that there haven’t been some long waits and service confusion. See what we’ve found after the jump.

The biggest problem with the new location is that they seem understaffed. Three people deal with seating dine-in customers, taking orders at the counter, providing table service, bussing tables and getting the food from the kitchen. It can get hectic quickly and often leads to long waits. That said, the staff is very friendly and helps as much as they can.

Really, what keeps me going back is the food.

The chicken is still as good as ever and is definitely coming out faster than I’ve ever seen it. I got this small, mixed, spicy order ($7.99) in maybe 10 minutes. At Mad For Chicken across the street, the same order of what’s basically the same chicken would take easily twice that time.

The shell is still a crispy, spicy candy coating and the flesh is juicy and delicious. The small, mixed order comes with one drumstick and 4 wings.

What really interested me from the initial reports was a more expansive menu (beyond the fried chicken.) I can’t say I’ve ever paid a lot of attention to what other food is on the menu at the other Korean Fried Chicken places. Given the ordeal usually involved with ordering and waiting, I typically only go when I’m craving that tasty tasty fried deliciousness.

Now that the chicken is so much easier to get, it’s time to explore the other options.

First up are the fabled bulgogi tacos. I’ve pined after these ever since I got had my first Kogi Taco in Los Angeles. We’ve seen them pop up at Sagaponack in Flatiron, and Chris H. has been investigating at Pro Hot Korean, Cafe Duke and Bann Next Door.

I don’t know that they quite fall under what I’d call a taco. narrow and fully wrapped, it’s sort of more like a skinny burrito filled with beef and aioli with a little lettuce thrown in. The tortilla is flour, which I’m not so into and the aioli is a little heavy, but it’s a step in the right direction.

One of my biggest complaints about the new Bon Chon is that they seem to be perpetually out of certain items on the menu. On no less than three occasions, I ordered the Pork Katsu and was told that they ran out. The first time that happened, I tried the Chicken Katsu, but it’s just not the same. I mean, katsu is schnitzel is milanese and at the end of the day it’s just going to be better with pork. This is no different. It was fine, if a little dry, but certainly not anything to get excited about.

On a later failed attempt to get Pork Katsu, I was recommended the scallion pancake by my waitress. I’d read plenty of commenters in the forums talk about scallion pancakes, but never tried them before. With no frame of reference, I can’t say how it compares to others’ but I certainly enjoyed it. Thick and cakey, it was filled with chili peppers, scallions and carrots adding spice and crunch to each bite. It’s more than likely the first vegetarian lunch I’ve had in years and I walked away surprisingly satisfied.

The waitress also offered me a couple other dips in addition to the sweet soy sauce that came with it. The chili aioli and the wasabi mayo were both tasty, but given how heavy the pancake was, I thought they were a bit much.

Bon Chon also serves beer, which may be just the right tension breaker on a particularly hectic day, but be careful which you order. They’ve got a mix of good craft beers and mass market stuff, but, like the katsu, they often seem to be out of the things on the menu. Worse, while they have happy hours selling $2 buds, the good stuff like the Hawaii’s Kona Longboard Lager costs a whopping $8!

Overall, the new Bon Chon still needs to work out some particulars, but has jumped a major hurdle with the speed of cranking out the chicken. The rest of the menu is pretty good and makes for a good alternative or addition to the fried chicken, but some consistency in what’s available would really help.

The + (What somebody who likes this place would say)

• Korean Fried Chicken in 10 minutes? I’m there!
• I have to have a bulgogi taco even if it’s a burrito.

The – (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)

• The staff is small and can get really thrown off when they get slammed. Give these guys some help.
• Well over a month in, they’re still regularly out of dishes. Either stock enough or take them off the menu!

Bon Chon, 325 Fifth Ave (btw 32+33rd), 212-686-8282

The opening of the new Koreatown Bon Chon has been much more subdued than when neighboring Kyochon opened the door on its spaceship themed chicken shack. While the lines haven’t been particularly long, the wait is still classic Bon Chon. The new, faster frying process owner Simon Lee told us about last week doesn’t seem to have been implemented yet. As of 1:30pm, customers were being told that any order would take at least 20 minutes. My small, mixed order took half an hour to show up.

Also note that the entree options, which include tonkatsu and bulgogi tacos(!) are not available yet, but hopefully will be in the next day or two. With less than a week under their belt, clearly, this is all still a work in progress, so have patience and, if you’ve got the time, enjoy the leisurely pace by watching the Yankees game playing on one of the projectors.

Related:
Let the Fried Chicken Wars Begin: New Bon Chon Opens Today