Bonchon: A Korean fried chicken chain (launched in Korea in 2002), is the latest entrant into the local fast-casual game.
Sonoma County is an island when it comes to fast-casual franchises.
Certainly, we’ve welcomed many of them in recent years, from Five Guys to Chipotle and the recently opened Shake Shack, but fortunately, locally owned restaurants still have the upper hand. And that’s a good thing.
But a straightforward burger can be a relief after a steady diet of tweezer food and overly earnest menus. You don’t have to ponder it; you just eat it. And while I admit to a mixed history of breathlessly overhyping spots like Sonic (drinks rock, burgers not so much) and under-appreciating a solid entrant like Habit Burger (I don’t get it), I’ve picked a winner.
Bonchon: A Korean fried chicken chain (launched in Korea in 2002), is the latest entrant into the local fast-casual game.
As I write this, I am being powered by leftover pickled daikon and pork buns.
I first tried their ultra-crispy wings, drumsticks and nuggets a few years ago in the South Bay. If you’re a fan of the sweet, sticky, garlicky-glazed Korean fried chicken genre, you’ll understand the hype. Paired with sauces including creamy cucumber wasabi, spicy Korean sauce, Japanese mayo and good old Ranch, you’re talking about some seriously crave-worthy poultry.
But that’s not where the menu ends.
The bulgogi, a marinated beef and onion dish, is a contender on its own, but as a topping for French fries (add melted cheese, a spicy mayo drizzled and green onions) it’s even better.
Don’t miss the pork steamed buns. These little pillows of bao have a crisp slice of pork belly, coleslaw, spicy mayo and katsu sauce.
Another favorite was the Korean doughnuts, two big twists of fried dough slathered with cinnamon sugar, served with a “sweet cream” dipping sauce that tastes remarkably similar to condensed milk.
Bonchon staff are still getting the hang of frying up chicken to order, and service can be slow, but put on your patient hat, and you’ll be pleasantly rewarded.
447 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma, bonchon.com.
