Saved by the Bon Chon

The fact remains that almost everyone has probably eaten at Bon Chon Chicken in Manila, so there's a possibility that any reader would hit the close button.

Or try to look at the photos, then close the window.

So, for the sake of novelty and aversion to chicken cliche, let's skip the ambience, service excellence, cleanliness and cluck-cluck chicken goodness and get on with the other menu items.

Bon Chon does serve fares other than chicken, and I'm not just talking about the rice. If rice is your main concern, you're probably better off knocking on Mang Inasal's door.

The Caesar Salad (with extra chicken) came as quite as a surprise with its pepper-studded and thick dressing. It wasn't the watered down, purely mayo magic kind, making this one of the better tasting Caesar Salads for its price range. With only Romaine lettuce and croutons to make up the salad, many will find this a tad too plain - which, on the contrary I found appealing since for the first time, I didn't have to say: No bacon, please.

The Chap Chae's glass noodles were slippery perfection, and I couldn't get enough of this Korean creation. A bit too sweet, I'd prefer it to be more bland and with sesame seeds and chili. However the sweetness level can be waived as this dish is doused with chicken, green and carrots and loads of those lovely glass noodles. Enough as a meal, it still went perfectly with my salad. You'd probably find that combination as rather queer, but then again, I like to include go, grow and glow foods in one meal! 

Balancing 2 Chicken Chops in between what seemed to be an oat bun, the Chicken Sandwich makes one chunky feast, with fries on the side. Between chicken chops with rice or that sandwich bun, the latter seems to be the more attractive option. And there's that dip as well. Don't expect the bun to be French bakery goodness, but all right enough so as not to sidestep the chicken highlight.

Of course the Chicken Chops will always be a staple for the so-so diner.

Bon Chon's frozen yogurt (Korean Yogurt) had to be the fitting finale for this grand meal, but I already had my advance dessert c/o Merry Moo from Mezza Norte. Next time though, that Blueberry Torte ought to be the next buy. Just looking at the poster was torture enough. 

How I ended up in Bon Chon can only be explained by Mezza Norte's seating scheme (which was close to nil) and properly explained in my previous post: Mezza "Messy" Norte. In the dim haze of UP Technohub, Bon Chon's cheery presence seemed to be the guiding light for diners who refused to eat on the floor or steps. 

This is is really one of those rare instances when we can thank the chicken. Saved by the Bon Chon Chicken.

Promenade Picks: BonChon Chicken and Happy Lemon

After years of non-existence in my mental malling destination, Greenhills Promenade finally makes a grand entrance with the opening BonChon Chicken at its ground floor foodcourt-ish section. Alongside Singaporean and noodle stores and with Happy Lemon manning the revolving doors, it’s Asian food bliss.

Despite the lengthy queue and the spiteful stares of the standing crowd—hoping to grab a table in the foodcourt’s limited seating capacity—BonChon Chicken’s debut finally draws in people by the hordes. For once, we don’t have to force ourselves on Mexicali, Pepper Steak or Hizon’s. Hurrah for the chicken homecoming!

BonChon Chicken, with its twice fried chicken and special sauce, has been hailed the Best Chicken in America. The Chicken Chops are tender, sweet and mildly crisp. The batter is chewy and compact, making the 4-chop serving very filling. Pair it with fries for a zesty sidekick. With the fares a bit (okay, greatly) on the oily side, there’s a reason why Happy Lemon is just around the corner.

As expected, only Happy Lemon can match the queuing length and time at BonChon Chicken. With the in-line May-I-Get-Your-Order personnel and the vibrating flying saucers, you might think that efficiency is finally brewing at Happy Lemon, but not really. Compared to our previous visits, the Green Tea with Rock Salt and Cheese has dwindled in taste (the tea concentration, more specifically) and the Crispy Cocoa Matcha with Brown Jelly  and additional Aloe had too much ice and NO cocoa and aloe. Checking the receipt—Hey, I paid P10 for that! I want my aloe!

Hopefully, this lackluster experience will not be the service norm. Coming up with nicknames is my specialty and I’ve already brainstormed the following: Zero Intensi-TEA, Where art thou, my Aloe?, Matcha Misery, and of course, the apt no-brainer: Unhappy Lemon.