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| - Review updated after second visit, old one below:
Thank you Bonchon, you've redeemed yourself. Trip #2 was what I hoped for the first time through. Perfectly fried chicken with well sauced shatteringly crisp coating and tender inside. A spicy chicken that slaps you in the face without being too hot that it's not fun. A surprisingly good Korean taco and those crispy octopus balls. Tasty popcorn chicken. The service was slow and didn't get the food out with any urgency and the udon soup tasted a little like it came out of a package buuuut it did have nice toppings. TV screens everywhere- a good place to watch the game. Valet parking, what? In Seven Hills? That's when you know you're really hopping. Bonchon, I just can't quit you. Welcome to CLE!
-=- old review -=-
Soooo... yeah, I'm a little torn. So much promise here, but the execution was wanting. From the very first time that I drove by the empty storefront where the legendary name, Bonchon was displayed prominently, I was struck with a sense of eager anticipation... a real Bonchon, of Korean Fried Chicken fame opening up here in Cleveland? And in the quaint suburb of Seven Hills of all places? Immediately I found their Facebook page and "liked" it, and waited, and waited and waited. Until earlier this week, when I happened to see that there were already a couple Yelp reviews posted! So I had to come out to see what I thought.
For those who aren't familiar with Korean Fried Chicken, they are twice fried chicken pieces coated with a flavorful sauce- in the case of Bonchon, Soy Garlic and Spicy. They are made to order, and so take some time to get ready for you. This is not a fast food place.
I called 35 minutes beforehand for a pick up order. The girl I spoke to initially couldn't hear me in the loud restaurant, so I was handed off to someone else, a male voice. He took my order, one medium combo (wings/drumsticks) split 50/50 in flavors and an order of bulgogi sliders. Told me to be there in 25 minutes or so.
When I pulled into the parking lot- which was fairly large, it was almost completely full. This place was hopping. Decor was hip/industrial. To my surprise, the almost everyone in the place was Caucasian, including the waitstaff! I thought that mainly Asians were going to be there at first until the word got out, but I was wrong. I told the hostess that I was picking up food, but she had a look on her face like she was confused. Turns out that no one entered my order in. I had a hungry toddler at home, but she told me that she could put the order in and it would be ready in 15 minutes. My wife told me to go ahead and get it- I was already there.
15 minutes or so later, the girl handed me a bag. "You already paid, right?" she said. Actually, I had not paid, though if I was less honest, I totally could have said, "sure" and walked out. I wondered if they would comp me a little for completely forgetting about my order, when she had the paper sitting right there in her hand. But they didn't. I paid for everything and went home.
So how was it? It was good, but not amazing. Good things- the coating was crisp and for the most part flavorful. The spicy version packed some real authentic heat. Drumsticks were a fair sized. The bulgogi sliders were interesting. It would have been better if I had eaten them fresh from the kitchen instead of driving them 10 minutes home.
What was lacking? The chicken was overcooked and the meat not as flavorful as the places that I've had in NYC. (does it need to be brined more? Is it even brined?) Chicken was unevenly sauced. The slider rolls were not stale, but felt like it was getting close to it. Wings were a little scrawny.
Honestly, if I wasn't bullish on this place, I'd give it a three for the messed up pick up without any real apology and the somewhat underwhelming chicken. I'm adding one because its the first Korean Fried Chicken in the area and its dangerously close to my house. Will check it out again, in person, with friends and see how it does the second time around- then I'll revise my review. Good luck Bonchon- I hope CLE falls in love with you. I know that you can do better.
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