NYC/NJ Dining: The Great Korean Fried Chicken Round-Up (UPDATED)

Recent updates: Kyedong Chicken in Palisades Park NJ, and 3 branches of Kyochun open up in Queens.

It was a sticky, spicy job, requiring multiple road trips and multiple visits to restaurant locations in the in New York and New Jersey metro areas. It took six months, a new Nexium prescription and several bottles of Shout! stain remover (Rachel recommends Shout Ultra! Gel with the scrubby top) but we did it — we managed to try all the major variants of Korean Fried Chicken, so that you, our readers, will benefit from our research.

Ready for some spicy, sticky, crispy Fried Chicken with an attitude? Click on the “Read the rest of this entry” link below for more.

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Bon Chon Chicken

2467 Lemoine Ave
Fort Lee, NJ 07024
201-461-1212

New York City Locations:

314 5th Ave, 2nd Floor (32nd Street)
New York, NY 10138
(212)221-2222

98 Chambers Street (SOHO)
New York, New York 10004
(212) 227-2375

157-18 Northern Blvd
Flushing, NY
718-321-3818

45-37B Bell Blvd
Bayside, NY
718-225-1010

253-11 Northern Blvd
Little Neck, NY 11362
718-224-8523

478 Plainview Rd
Hicksville, NY 11801
(516) 932-4690

Web site: http://www.bonchon.com

Bon Chon is the 800 pound gorilla in the Korean Fried Chicken biz, with six locations in the New York Metro area and still growing. Originating from Korea itself, it has legions of fans and started much of the KFC craze in the US, with its crispy wings and drumsticks that are flash fried and dipped in a choice of two sauces, a garlic soy or a spicy sauce laced with Korean hot pepper.

Bon Chon storefront on Lemoine Ave. Parking in this area is scarce, and because it takes 15 minutes per order, you should call in advance before showing up.

As with Boom Boom, there are essentially only two things you can order — Wings, Drums, or a combination of both (Special) in either Spicy or Soy/Garlic glaze. You can also get a combination of sauces in any order, which is either Medium or Large sized.

Bon Chon has about six tables you can eat at, plus they have a restroom.

Fried Chicken is healthy and is actually GOOD FOR YOU. Now I have proof!

A medium order of “Special” with half and half Spicy and Soy/Garlic.

A spicy drumstick.

Spicy cross-section. I can definitely say that I like Bon Chon’s wings, but I have a slight preference to Boom Boom, because while Bon Chon’s “Spicy” wings are hotter, due to use of more dry Korean red pepper, they don’t have as much as a pronounced Gochujang (hot fermented bean paste) and garlicky flavor as Boom Boom’s. I also think Boom Boom’s soy/garlic wings have a more pronounced soy flavor and they use a bit more sauce on their wings. However Bon Chon has more tables to sit at and is in a somewhat more preferable part of Fort Lee, with somewhat more parking, so it’s kind of a toss-up. I’m going to say you’re going to want to try both.

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Boom Boom Chicken
553 Main Street, Fort Lee NJ 07024
(201)592-9700

Boom Boom, which used to be a Bon Chon store on Main Street in Fort Lee, has gone “rogue” and is looking to start its own KFC empire. While it shares some similarities with Bon Chon — fresh, never frozen wings and drumsticks, a 15-minute turn around time and similar choice of sauces — Boom Boom also fries whole chickens and bastes them, for those who like thighs, legs and breasts. I also find that their spicy sauce has a stronger fermented bean paste taste than Bon Chon’s, and their garlic/soy glaze appears to have a bolder flavor. Overall, my favorite of the two styles.

The storefront on Main Street.

Basically, you got four choices of things you can order: An order of drumsticks, an order of wings, an order of mixed drumsticks and wings, or a whole chicken. Everything is deep fried. You also can get your choice of Garlic/Soy sauce or Sweet and Spicy sauce, or half and half.

We got a order of Wings, half and half. It should be noted that it takes about 20 minutes for them to cook your order, because nothing is frozen or left under heat lamps — its made from NEVER BEEN FROZEN fresh chicken. So I recommend you call in your order before you get there, or bring a magazine or newspaper while you wait.

It should be noted that I think these are probably the best wings I have had in the entire area — the garlic/soy glazed ones are fantastic, as are the spicy/sweet ones which have a serious Korean red pepper kick to them. I think to truly appreciate them, you have to eat them on premises, because of the fried foods deterioration factor, they probably don’t travel far.

Every order of wings comes with sweet radish kimchi, which is great for eating between wings and is great for cooling the palate.

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Kyedong Chicken / New York Meat Market
133 Broad Avenue, Palisades Park, NJ
(201) 346-0700

The Palisades Park branch of Kyedong, which opened last year, slipped under the radar from the first version of this round-up, and its not surprising as to why — the signage outside is totally in Korean, and you have to look closely to see that there’s fried chicken advertised in the window. To make matters more complicated, the franchise is co-located within an upscale Korean butcher shop (which we’re going to dedicate another post to shortly) that specializes in barbecue meats made from Black Angus cattle. There is also no seating, so Kyedong is strictly for take out.

However, none of these complexities affect the fact that Kyedong’s chicken ranks right up there with Bon Chon and Boom Boom in terms of quality — its the same never frozen chicken, cooked to order, and takes a half an hour like the other two. The skin is nicely crisped, and like the other two, features a spicy (albeit very spicy) sauce and a regular, soy-based sauce.

The Kyedong Chicken franchise co-located with New York Meat Market on 133 Broad Avenue in Palisades Park.

The Kyedong Chicken menu, not entirely different from Bon Chon’s.

A large order of Drumsticks and Wings.

Drumstick closeup.

Drumstick, in the car.

Gotta eat them while they’re hot — although even when cooled, they’re pretty damn good at room temperature too.

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Baden Baden
28 W 32nd St, New York, NY
(212) 714-226

Baden Baden
329 Bergen Blvd, Palisades Park, NJ
(201) 592-0815

Baden Baden is another local chain that originates from Korea, but rather than being styled after a quick service restaurant, its more like the Korean version of TGI Fridays. Referred to as a “Hof”, which is derived from “Hops”, this is a beer-drinking establishment that serves a variety of Korean pub food. I’s specialty is the Baden Baden Chicken, which is stylistically different from the Bon Chon style.

The Baden Baden Palisades Park location.

The interior is meant to resemble a German brew pub.

The servers wear military-style uniforms, which I find weird and amusing.

The menu is pretty extensive, with both American-style and Korean-style food, but the place is really known for its whole chicken, which is rotisserie cooked, and then flash fried to crisp the skin.

Like many Korean Fried Chicken places, the required moo sweet radish kimchi is served on the side.

The main event, a large order of Baden Baden chicken.

Chicken closeup. Unlike the Bon Chon style, the flavor emphasis is on the crispy skin itself. Baden Baden provides hot sauce on the table for kicking things up.

Chicken closeup, with hot sauce on top.

Crispy skin closeup

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My Favorite CheoGaJip Chicken
160-24 Northern Blvd
Flushing, NY

718-445 0806

Like Baden Baden, CheoGaJip is also a “Hof”, in that it serves beer and other food items, but it’s chicken style is more similar to that of Bon Chon. However, it uses far more sauce than Bon Chon or Boom Boom, to the point where eating the wings becomes a very sticky affair. They also claim to use a special bottled wing sauce that comes from Korea, rather than produce their own recipe onsite. Whatever the case, it’s good spicy ‘eatins.

CheoGaJip storefront on Northern Boulevard in Flushing.

CheoGaJip serves a nice shredded cabbage appetizer, which is covered with a matrix of a spicy ketchup and a Japanese-style mayonnaise. I thought it went great with the wings.

A large order of the spicy and soy/garlic chicken. CheoGaJip also uses pieces of chicken breast in addition to wings and drums.

Spicy wing closeup. Note the heavier sauce glazing.

Soy/Garlic Wing closeup.

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Hansol Nutrition Center
160-26 Northern Boulevard
718-888-0200

Hansol calls itself a nutrition center, but its just a weird name for a regular Korean restaurant. The funny thing is its right next door to CheoGaJip, so in a sense they are “dueling” Korean Fried Chicken places. Hansol is a full blown Korean restaurant, so they’ve got a lot of other stuff on the menu, and they provide traditional banchan service, which is a great value.

Hansol storefront on Northern Boulevard in Flushing.

Hansol features both fried chicken and rotisserie-style chicken. The pitchers on the table are filled with boricha or iced roasted barley tea.

You want to order the “Yang Yum Chicken” or the “Chicken Plate”.

Hansol has a nice array of complimentary banchan that goes with the meal., including the traditional spicy kimchi, cabbage and white moo radish.

The Yang Yum chicken, which we thought was excellent. Really strong spicy fermented bean paste flavor too.

The chicken plate, which is not altogether different from Baden Baden’s but is not deep fried.

Chicken plate closeup.

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Yet to be visited:

Kyochon Chicken
156-50 Northern Boulevard, Flushing NY
718-939-9292.

From NYTIMES.COM: “This Korean 1,050-restaurant chain, said to be the inspiration for the wave of Korean fried chicken spots in New York and on the West Coast, has opened its first New York outpost. Two more will open in Bayside, Queens, in a few weeks.”

Bon Bon Chicken
98 Chambers Street (Church Street)
(212) 227-2375

Notes: A reported downtown NYC clone of Bon Chon.

Unidentified Flying Chickens
71-22 Roosevelt Ave.
Jackson Heights , NY 11372
718-205-6662

Notes: This Jackson heights KFC shop appears to be stylistically similar to Bon Chon and Boom Boom. We’re looking forward to the chance to head to Queens to try it out. In the meantime, check out this post at The Food Section and this feature article by Julia Moskin at the New York Times.

Heidelberg
448 Broad Ave, Palisades Park, NJ
(201) 947-0600

Notes: This Korean hof, which appears to be a virtual clone of Baden Baden, has an extensive beer menu and also specializes in Baden-style Korean Fried Chicken. On a recent onsite inspection by the Off The Broiler team, we found the beer and food menu to have no English translation and no pictures, and the staff did not speak English. Your Mileage May Vary.

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Bonus Material: Korean Fried Chicken Commercials

Here are some insane commercials from the Kyochon fried chicken chain. Reportedly, they already have a few outlets in Los Angeles, and just opened a branch in Queens (see above).

Kyochon Commercial 1 (click)

This one would start a race riot if it was ever shown in the US:

Kyochon Commercial 2 (click)