BonChon

You know that feeling of satisfaction you get after you finish a school assignment early? You’ll get that same satisfaction after eating a meal at BonChon.

The second I opened the doors to this restaurant, a strong, tangy smell hit me like a truck. A waitress passed me carrying a tray full of fresh, hot, glossy-looking chicken. I had a feeling this would be one of the best dinners I’ll ever have. My feeling was correct.

By the first sight of this restaurant, you wouldn’t think much of it. It’s in a small shopping center, stuck between two no-name shops. The outside of this restaurant does not do it justice at all. Once you step through the doors, you’ll know you made the right decision in eating here. It had a soothing ambience, with dimmed lights, and soft music playing in the background— just loud enough to enjoy without being too distracting or overbearing. The scene was calm with fewer people than I’d imagined, and an empty bar. Seems like any other Korean restaurant right? Wrong.

I have never been to a restaurant with quicker service, and better quality food, than BonChon Chicken.

We were seated right away. Our waitress checked in on us constantly, which started to get a little annoying towards the end, but I knew she was just trying to be helpful. I noticed a family at the table next to ours had been sitting there a while without service, so I informed our waitress of the issue and it was taken care of right away. That’s just one example of the sense of urgency that this restaurant provides in putting its customers satisfaction above all else.

Our food was out relatively quickly after we ordered it, and boy was it exquisite. The spicy drumsticks made my mouth feel like it was just blasted with a flamethrower, but with a few sips of water, the fire in my mouth diminished, making them that much more enjoyable. The chicken fried rice was the perfect mixture of eggs, scallions, chicken, and peppers. The cool cucumbers on the hot rice, creates the perfect contrast in your mouth. There’s a slight kick of spice the initial moment the rice hits your tongue, but the sweet, tangy sauces, and cool, crisp cucumbers will get you hooked.

I’ve never been a big fan of coleslaw until I had the BonChon coleslaw. The creamy sauce tasted like sweet honey vinaigrette met simple mayonnaise. Trust me on this, you will not regret getting the coleslaw. The crunchy carrots and cabbage, sweet radish, and tangy celery will make you never want to stop eating it.

The boneless wings with soy garlic sauce is by far their best meal. The seasoned, crunchy, crust surrounding the perfectly, evenly cooked chicken will make your taste buds happier than a little kid in a candy shop.

Although the food and service were some of the best I’d seen, the prices are way too high. $25 for 10 small boneless wings? I can get twelve wings at Glory Days Grill for $8. Yes, it’s not as good as BonChon, but it’s worth saving $17 for something more important.

If you can get past the ridiculous prices, this place is, without a doubt, the best Korean Chicken place in town.

BonChon

24995 Riding Plaza #120,

Chantilly, VA 20152