Midtown Lunch » Mad For Chicken

The Name Game Continues at Mad For Chicken

brianhoffman — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:50:04 +0000

We reported a few weeks ago that the former Mono + Mono, former Mad For Chicken, former BonChon location on 5th btw. 31+32nd had closed down and was in the process of re-naming itself Mad For Chicken once again. Well they’re back open now and yesterday, I stopped in for a quick peek. The new official name is Turntable Mad For Chicken (!?), and the hostess told me it’s the same company and most of the menu remains the same. How can they even begin to compete with nearby BonChon and Kyochon if nobody knows what the hell to call this place!?! These people have officially gone mad!!! Anybody been to this new incarnation yet?

Mono + Mono Becomes Mad For Chicken… Again?

brianhoffman — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:15:13 +0000

What is the deal with the Korean fried chicken on the 2nd Floor of 314 Fifth Avenue? Originally it was a Bon Chon location and then the name changed to Mad For Chicken. Then in another push for re-branding the restaurant became known as Mono + Mono. After that music pub/eatery closed back in February, there has been silence on the chicken front. Now, it looks like a sign for Mad For Chicken has appeared again in the window. I attempted to go upstairs but the security guard wouldn’t let me, saying the restaurant was not open yet. When I asked when it would open, he said, “Later.”

A call to the Mono + Mono phone number re-directed me to the East Village location where the hostess there had no information about the possible re-opening of Mad For Chicken. I also called the Flushing location for Mad For Chicken, but again no answers. Why is everybody keeping so quiet about the fate of this restaurant? Could it be an attempt to make this a “hidden gastropub” once again? Doubtful but who knows. Anybody have any insider info? Let us know in the comments…

Mad For Chicken’s Mono + Mono Has Begun

ultraclay — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 13:30:32 +0000

It looks like the days of Mad For Chicken being a “hidden bar for those in the know” are all but gone. Yesterday they put this big honkin’ sign up announcing the news that was reported last month… Mad For Chicken is now Mono + Mono. Based on what we heard from the staff when the name change was announced (and this report from the new downtown branch) things aren’t expected to change considerably. They updated the menu a few months ago to include maki and some bar foods, but it sounds like there isn’t going to be anything new or exciting beyond what we’ve already seen. That doesn’t mean that a return visit isn’t warranted, just to be sure… y’know, for science.

Mad For Chicken to Become Mono + Mono

ultraclay — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:45:56 +0000

Eater reported this morning that Mono + Mono, a new music-centered Korean Fried Chicken spot is opening in the East Village this fall with another branch to open in Koreatown. Now, before you get too excited for even *more* Korean fried chicken on 5th Ave., it turns out that Mono + Mono’s K-Town branch is none other than Mad For Chicken (on 32nd and 5th, 2nd Floor). I stopped in during lunch and found out that the new location will be tied to a re-branding of MFC, which was (clearly) lacking a decent name since leaving the Bon Chon franchise last year. There’s no eta on the renaming, but according to the staff, there isn’t much that’s expected to change immediately. (Photo courtesy of Eater)

Korean Fried Chicken Wars: The Prelude

Zach Brooks — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 12:30:23 +0000

Curious if Kyochon or Mad For Chicken have changed since Clay did his Korean Fried Chicken Palooza back in March? Doesn’t sound like it based on reading this Serious Eats: New York “fried chicken face-off”. MfC is still delicious but takes forever, while Kyochon has its flaws but is cheaper and makes the spicier wing. Of course it’s hard to take a fried chicken opinion seriously from a person who feels guilty about eating potato wedges… (we kid because we love, SENY!) If you’re addicted to the korean fried chicken, however, we do recommend you read the comments of the post. There’s some real good stuff in there, including an intricate comparison of the different wing flavors, plus some Korean fried chicken cooking factoids from food genius J. Kenji Lopez-Alt. Of course once the new Bon Chon opens on 5th Ave. btw. 32+33rd (this week hopefully!) Clay will most likely be holding a Korean Fried Chicken Palooza 2… you know… for “science”.

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

ultraclay — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 15:52:44 +0000

The problem with Korean Fried Chicken is that it’s actually so good that you’re willing to go through a lot to get it. I discovered this a couple years ago at Mad For Chicken (a branch of Bon Chon Chicken at the time.) Both patience and the lunch hour were tested as 10, then 20, then 30 minutes went by with neither food served nor drinks refilled. But a year ago, when Zach first posted about the place, it was our only lunchtime option. It cost more than you wanted to spend and often took a lot longer than you really had time for… but oh, that chicken! Crisp, sweet and sticky, it made all the worries of time and work melt away.

That’s why when Kyochon’s ‘coming soon’ sign went up last February, I rejoiced. Korean Fried Chicken without the interminable wait? Yes, please! Or so I thought. If the year-long delay didn’t set me straight, the lines out the door after it opened certainly did. Clearly, waiting for Korean Fried Chicken is just a requirement. It’s the way it is. So, the question becomes, with Kyochon finally here, Mad For Chicken across the street and a Bon Chon a few blocks away (and another opening up on the same block as Kyochon), how do they stack up?

With the alternating hype and dog-piling on Kyochon, a clear, unbiased fried chicken smackdown was in order. I gladly stepped up (arteries be damned.)

At each place, I ordered a mix of hot and mild chicken. With all the complaints about the size of the wings, I also made a point of trying out the drumsticks too.

Mad For Chicken

The Chicken: Hot & Spicy is my favorite here. It starts with a warm tingle and builds up with each bite until my face is sweating and my mouth is on fire. The garlic soy has a milder flavor, which was a bit too subtle for me. Both share a sweet candy-coated shell that provides a satisfying crunch with each bite and tender, juicy flesh underneath.

The wait: At minimum, you’re waiting half an hour for the chicken at MFC. If there are only two occupied tables in the place, the servers are still running around frantically and chances are you won’t see them between ordering and getting your food unless they are serving someone near you. That said, the lounge space is comfortable and if you are partial to the occasional beer with lunch, it is an option. Once, I saw a pair of guys working their way through a table keg at 1pm. I wouldn’t recommend that if you’ve got meetings in the afternoon.

Bon Chon

The Chicken: My first bite into a drumstick at Bon Chon, I was mostly surprised at how little MFC had changed anything about their chicken after ‘breaking up’ with the franchise. It’s exactly the same. Morally, that might be sketchy, but practically, it means more good chicken to go around.

The wait: The biggest problem with Bon Chon’s 38th St location is that the space isn’t well organized. Anyone in fast food should know that you need to keep your lines in order. If you walk into Bon Chon when a crowd has accumulated, there’s just a horde of customers milling around, some waiting to order, some waiting to pick up food and very little distinction of who goes where.

Waiting for your order, you can sit or stand in the bar area, just be sure you’re in shouting distance or you may miss your order. When I went, we sat at the bar and waited 25 minutes without an offer of a drink or water or a beer, which I was really contemplating after a while. The staff bantered with a couple guys down the bar from us and occasionally yelled out order numbers. They also sometimes left orders sitting behind the counter until people asked for them.

Kyochon

The Chicken: I loved Kyochon’s garlic soy chicken. It’s profoundly garlicky, which I liked, but I was still tasting it hours later, which may put some off. The coating isn’t as crisp as the Bon Chon recipe but the flavor is the star.

The hot and sweet on the other hand is a bit too over the top. The spiciness overpowers and the sauce is thick and messy. It would probably benefit from being washed down with a cold beer, but I didn’t see that on the lunch menu. As often reported, the wings aren’t huge. Ten will satisfy, but won’t stuff you. A dollar a wing isn’t cheap, so an order of meaty drumsticks is a nice alternative.

The wait: Presumably in response to all the poor reviews in the first week, Kyochon has put a lot of effort into softening the delays. Waiting in line outside, just to get in another line when I got inside was much less annoying after getting free wings to snack on.

The ordering/waiting area is about as poorly put together as Bon Chon’s, but since they give out buzzers that go off when your order is ready, you can go upstairs and wait instead of getting knocked around in the crowd.

The Verdict:

Mad For Chicken is the only option where you don’t have to wait in a line. It’s got a relaxed space to wait in and if you’re up for such debauchery, there are always table kegs to pass the time. Bonus: free popcorn! The chicken is as good as it was before they split with Bon Chon. That means if you’re in Koreatown, and don’t want to trek over to 38th btw. 7+8th, you don’t have to to get the magnificent slow burn of the spicy chicken. The menu is made for sharing, so, you’re only hitting the Midtown Lunch price range if you are splitting an order. Still, it’s a big pile of chicken that you are getting. I’ve never walked out of there hungry (unless I had to run because my order took too long).

Bon Chon is the best bet for those on the west side who can’t take the time to get to 5th Avenue just to wait half an hour for their food. The chicken is glorious, but beyond the wait, the service could use some improvement. When the branch of 5th Avenue opens up, it’s biggest pull would be the outdoor seating area in the back of Caprese Cafe (providing they keep it.) Sitting out in the sun eating those spicy morsels is what dreams are made of. Bon Chon’s menu adds a bit more value with the inclusion of sides in each meal. Ultimately, you’re still paying about $1 per wing, plus another $1 for the side.

Kyonchon is solid as far as I’m concerned. Clearly they had some problems the first few weeks, and the wings are shockingly small, but at least they are actively trying to improve things on a daily basis- with a quarter of the staff dedicated to greeting, managing and directing customers. That’s got to be costly, but it makes a difference. The wait to order goes by pretty quickly and as an added tip, be sure to wait upstairs once you’ve put in your order. There’s no reason to stand in the middle of the mess downstairs. Given the size of the wings, the price is a little steep, but I find that the drumsticks make a good alternative. They’re plump and juicy and provide a better value with more meat for your money.

Mad For Chicken, 314 5th Ave (Just south of 32nd Street), 212-221-2222
Kyochon, 319 5th Ave (btwn 32nd and 33rd). 212-696-0150.
Bon Chon, (Two Locations)

207 W. 38 St. (btw. 7+8th), 212-221-3339
Coming Soon to 325 Fifth Ave (btw. 32+33rd)

Mad For Chicken is Same As it Ever Was

Zach Brooks — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:15:29 +0000

Serious Eats New York hits up Mad For Chicken (on 5th Ave. btw. 31+32nd) and determines something that Midtown Lunch’ers confirmed back in May when the switch was first made. The owner/operators didn’t change, just the name, so the chicken is pretty much exactly the same as it was when it was Bon Chon (except the spicy chicken might be a little spicier?)

The real taste test will happen when Bon Chon and Kyochon finally open their new Midtown locations, and we can have a three way death match!

More Korean Fried Chicken Coming Soon to Midtown & Downtown

Zach Brooks — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:30:01 +0000

Thanks to Lunch’er “Rebecca” for the Photo

Bon Chon is returning to Midtown! The Korean fried chicken chain will be opening a new franchise on 38th Street btw. 7+8th in the next few months. Not only will it be exciting to have Bon Chon back (the original Koreatown location became “Mad For Chicken” back in May) but how awesome will it be to have it a bit closer to the heart of Midtown? Now the race is on to see who opens first… the new Bon Chon, or the Kyochon on 32nd and 5th (which has been under construction since the beginning of the year.)

There’s also good news in here for our Downtown Lunch’ers… according to their website Bon Chon will be opening a new Downtown location as well in Mid November. That one will be on John St. near Wall.

Bon Chon Publicly Severs Ties With Mad for Chicken

Zach Brooks — Wed, 13 May 2009 12:30:37 +0000

Last week we posted the news that two of NYC’s Bon Chon Korean fried chicken locations (Koreatown & Flushing) had changed their name to “Mad for Chicken”. They claim the chicken is exactly the same as before, but Bon Chon wants to make sure that you know it’s not. From their official website:

Ah yes- the old open a franchise… steal the recipe… decide you don’t want to pay the royalties anymore game. If this whole thing sounds familiar, it’s because it is. Shorty’s (on 9th Ave. btw. 41+42nd) did the same thing to Tony Luke’s. Thankfully for Midtown Lunch’ers one commenter is reporting that the chicken pretty much tastes the same as it always has, but I’m guessing it still takes forever to get your order. Thanks to Lunch’er Paul for passing along this link to the Bon Chon Website.

32nd St. BonChon Changes Name to “Mad For Chicken”

Zach Brooks — Mon, 04 May 2009 20:13:54 +0000

Thanks to Lunch’er Jamie (aka Fressagirl) for pointing this one out… the two New York branches of BonChon chicken (the Flushing one, and the Midtown location on 5th btw. 31+32nd) have changed their name to “Mad For Chicken”. They claim the food remains exactly the same, and according to an employee the name change is because the boss thought the old name was “too difficult to pronounce for Americans.”

The owners have already changed the name on their Yelp page, and they have a new website up at www.madforchicken.com. There’s no mention of “BonChon” on the menu, and the two locations have disappeared from the official BonChon website… so I’m guessing they’re just not affiliated with the chain anymore.

You can question the decision, but you’ve got to love the ~~excuse~~ logic. If BonChon was too tough pronounce, what chance does Kyochon have?