Culture on a Plate
By Mera Ghazal
Connecticut has always had many different restaurants that incorporate cultures from around the world. I’ve lived all over Connecticut but the time when I've truly engulfed myself in the different cultures through food was when I moved to Fairfield County. I had never heard of BonChon and I only discovered it during the first time walking around Fairfield County. My friend and I had gone to a crepe place next door and while waiting for our orders, some people came in with black take-out boxes filled with fried chicken. I was immediately intrigued and after we got our crepes, I went to check out what was next door. The place almost looked as if it was closed as everything was dark so, I chose to look at what they offered through the pictures on the window, and after observing, I knew I wanted to go.
I had not made a reservation for BonChon as I thought it was a more “lowkey” restaurant, so I went into the experience not knowing if I'd get a seat or not. The drive there was very fast due to being on Post Road, so my friend and I had no trouble getting there but the parking was a different story. BonChon is located in a walkable part of town so there aren’t many parking spots unless you are going to a certain restaurant or store. Due to this, my friend and I had to park far from the restaurant and walk there. It was a nice part of town so not all bad but a restaurant is expected to have decent parking.
When going into the restaurant, I was immediately immersed in the ambiance. The lighting was very dim and relaxing giving almost a homey feel. There were a lot of people, mostly teenagers, which was expected on a Friday night. There was a hostess at the front who led us to a table and gave us menus as soon as we stepped into the restaurant so there was no wait time even though we didn't make a reservation. As soon as we sat down, we were greeted by a waitress and given water. I was very happy with the seating because it was near a window, so we had nice natural lighting. When looking at the drink menu, I was very surprised by the variety of non-alcoholic drinks that they had. There were a lot of traditional Korean drinks such as Milkies and then a variety of Japanese sodas, but also classic American drinks like Shirley Temples. After looking at the drink menu, I moved on to the food menu. Before coming to the restaurant, I looked at what they offered through their website, so, I already had an Idea of what I'd get. Overall, the menus were very easy to read. There were pictures, which were nice because I didn’t have to search for the dish on my phone to more familiarize myself.
The waiter gave us a decent amount of time before coming back and asking what we’d like. She was very attentive and nice but it wasn’t anything too special. I ended up choosing tteokbokki, spicy Korean rice cakes, Korean chicken tacos, and a Shirley Temple. My friend only ordered chicken fried rice. The food arrived in a weird order. First came the fried rice, then the tteokbokki, and the tacos. Although the tacos were meant to be a starter, they arrived after the mains. When I saw the chicken tacos, I was surprised by how big they were. They were meant to be a starter, but could’ve easily passed as a main dish. Everything else was decently sized. It was enough to have leftovers, which I liked. I started with trying the tacos, and I immediately disliked them. With each bite that I took, all of the filling would fall out. It was more tortilla than a taco. Along with that, the flavors were completely lacking. I had ordered soy garlic and neither of those flavors were present in the dish. It included some sort of vegetable mix including cabbage and onions, which did nothing to elevate the dish.
However, the tteokbokki was the complete opposite. I’ve always wanted to try this dish after seeing videos about it and I'm glad I did. The textures went really well together. It was the ideal blend from the chewiness of the rice cakes to the stringiness of the pulled cheese. I am very good at handling my spice so the rice cakes weren’t as spicy as I thought they’d be, but they had a nice kick. There were fish cakes in the tteokbokki and I'm not the biggest fan of seafood, so I didn’t try it and ended up giving them to my friend. He said they were really good and incorporated well with the sauce. If I were to go back to BonChon I'd get the tteokbokki again and I'd recommend others to get it. It's a delicious way of exploring the culture of different cuisines. The dish my friend chose to get, chicken fried rice, was good, but the flavors weren’t different from any other fried rice I’ve had. It's a nice simple meal to get, and very delicious, but it wasn’t anything special. Overall, the food was pretty decent and the quality of it was really good for the price.
At one point, my friend asked our waiter for a refill on the water and we were told we’d get the refill immediately, but we had to ask again. The waiter was apologetic and that was the one instance of mediocre service we had. She checked up on us a total of three times which I liked because it didn’t feel as if she was rushing us. The timing of when she checked up on us was nice and she asked if we were done at a perfect time. We ended up taking the food home because they were large portions but worth it for the price. There was only one dessert option on the menu so we chose not to get any. For the experience, the price of the food wasn’t bad at all. I enjoyed the atmosphere while eating delicious food.
My visit to BonChon highlighted the unique charm of the area through the food. The blend of traditional and modern elements, both in the food and the atmosphere, reflected the diverse nature of the community. The menu's mix of classic Korean dishes and familiar American favorites showcased how different cultural influences can come together seamlessly. This fusion was mirrored by the diverse crowd of diners, a testament to how food can bring people together. I’m delighted I chose to check out this restaurant and I'll be back!