Bonchon Chicken goes Under the Sea

Chicken lovers all over town rejoiced when Bonchon Chicken finally landed in Manila 4th quarter of 2010. I still remember missing out on The Food Club's first visit to their Ayala Triangle branch as I was bedridden with a nasty and traumatic case of amoebiasis (believe me, a food blogger's worst nightmare). It took me a couple more months before I finally was able to give it a try and as expected... I liked it!

Since then, Bonchon Chicken has been my go-to place whenever I'm craving for some Korean Fried Chicken and most especially some Kimchi Coleslaw when in the mall. With 19 branches all over Metro Manila, it makes it so accessible to dine in whenever the craving arises.

However, there are just times that I would prefer a seafood dish over a meaty one. Luckily, Bonchon Chicken now has the answer to that as they recently introduced a line of seafood options for the non-meat eaters.

A month ago, I was able to try their Fish & Chips Box (Php. 145) that comes with three long strips of breaded fish fillet coated with the same sweet, delicious Bonchon sauce and a generous amount of crispy fries. I really enjoyed this! It's a good deal as this comes with a glass of your choice of soda or iced tea already. Should you prefer to have rice over fries, then you can try the Crispy Fish Ricebox (Php. 145) instead.


We also tried the Crispy Squid Ricebox (Php. 145) which has calamares-like squid made Asian with the Bonchon sauce and spring onions on top. Just like the Fish & Chips, this comes with a glass of your choice of drink as well.

To go with our meal, we also had one order of Chapchae (Php. 75). Don't be fooled with the price that may get you into believing that it's a small serving. What we got was a bowl filled with perfectly stir-fried vermicelli noodles cooked in sesame oil, scrambled egg, carrots and pork. It was delicious! 

For dessert, Paul and I each got a cup of Ko-Yo (Php. 70) which is short for Korean Yogurt. My choice was the Blueberry Cheesecake which had graham bits and blueberry syrup generously drizzled on top. I liked it but I think to make it more authentic is perhaps if they can add in a few cheesecake slices too!

Paul had the Banoffee Pie which has always been his signature dessert whenever we're in Starbucks Coffee. Thus, having him choose this was no big surprise. He enjoyed his cup of Banoffee Pie Ko-Yo to the very last bite. I was able to try a small scoop and I agree with him, the banana slices, caramel drizzle and graham crackers made the yogurt more indulgent as it really should be.

I enjoyed our quick dinner at Bonchon Chicken that I was craving for more Crispy Squid the next day...and the day after that...and after after that.

Click here to see Bonchon Chicken's current list of branches. 

*photo credit: Paul Ang