Saturday Splurge: BonChon (Manhattan)

When you stop off the subway at 34th Street/Herald Square (right by the infamous Macy's) and walk east on 32nd Street, you'll find yourself in the heart of Koreatown. Unless you live here, you may have never heard of Koreatown. Chinatown seems to steal the show when it comes to Asian neighborhoods in NYC. After all, Chinatown has 'Chanel' handbags, 'Rolex' watches and dirt cheap dumplings to offer. Who could pass that up?

But Koreatown, though a much smaller neighborhood, has won MY heart in ways that Chinatown could never dream of. I don't have to take a 14 hour flight to Seoul to sample traditional Korean bbq, Korean fried chicken or kimchi. Koreatown has it all. They even have some Karaoke bars that make your average Karaoke night look like child's play.

This weekend, I headed to Koreatown to get dinner with Adam. Well, I actually went for groceries (truth be told), but dinner wiggled it's way into the plan. How could I not with all those succulent smells floating around?

My one weakness when I hit up K-Town (as the kids are calling it), is Korean fried chicken. I'm afraid to say that 'my people' in the South aren't the only ones frying up a mean chicken. BonChon's Korean fried chicken is a whole different ballgame, and not quite as bad for you as the Southern variety.

DISCLAIMER: For those of you who are new to my blog, I'd like to explain myself. Yes, this is a blog about nutrition, BUT it's also a means to promote balanced living. I am a HUGE believer in balance. It's what you do 90% of the time that makes an impact on your health. The other 10%... well, have a little fun!

Now, back to the fried chicken... BonChon prides itself on using organic chicken. In addition to that, they coat the chicken with only a thin layer of fine flour and fry it in olive oil. That's it! You'll find none of the normal offenders in BonChon's kitchen... no buttermilk, no lard, no canola or vegetable oil.

We chowed down on the fried chicken strips and wings, coated in half soy-garlic sauce and half hot sauce. Their sauce is what makes it! One sweet. One spicy (and be forewarned, the spicy will make your eyes water and your nose bleed). There's something for everyone. They also have fantastic fries here (I know this because in my former life, I'd order them in a flash), but we decided on the kimchi cole slaw, a Korean twist on traditional slaw, and the pickled radishes.

Clearly, if I'm going to splurge, I'm going to do it here! Give BonChon a try if you're in town and find yourself standing in line at the Empire State Building. You'll need some chicken for sustenance 'cause that's one LONG LINE!



BONCHON
325 Fifth Avenue (btw. 32nd and 33rd St.)
New York, NY 10016
212-636-8282
www.bonchon.com