If there were a separate category for fast food restaurants, I would have given this five stars, but alas, without the gourmet chef and local ingredients, four stars is the best I can do. They sell beer and are in walking distance. Need I say more? Overall, all the portion sizes were quite generous, and the rice was nice and separated. We found nothing to fuss over. Go there. It is wonderful
This is a longer review than usual because I am going to write about the anticipation of this store opening, background on friends and family and how their interests played into this. Finally, I will review many dishes. The family's first order was arranged to be a small buffet of many dishes. Not only are they Korean, but they have Japanese fare as well. Please enjoy reading this extensive tome. I went back the next day and tried more dishes.
Our local monthly news magazine mentioned that Bonchon was coming to a former restaurant near our home. Touting "Korean Fried Chicken", the article piqued my interest. It is a chain restaurant that was very popular in Korea but established a central office in Texas. For many weeks, I drove past the renovation site, hoping they would open soon. Voila! They opened this week. Anticipation built. Seeking the advice of a fellow foodie at work, I found out that she loved the chicken. More interest evolved in our household. Finally, a native Korean at our church praised their fare.
Takoyaki, or fried octopus dumplings were the first choice of my Japophile adult son. They were on the menu, but not available.
Our alternate choice of pot stickers was a good one. Last night were the vegetarian ones, and today I got the pork. Normally a carnivore, I enjoyed the blend of flavors in the vegetarian ones. Both were nicely grilled and not over cooked.
Japchae is a glass noodle dish with beef and vegetables. This was also chosen by my son. He found it to be quite good, but cautioned that with any glass noodle dish, the noodles tend to clump together.
Bulgogi Fries are what I consider "Korean Poutine". Poutine is a Canadian dish growing in popularity which consists of French Fries smothered in beef gravy and cheese curds. This Korean variety features marinated beef with mozzarella cheese. My wife ordered these and is a self-proclaimed French Fry and Poutine expert. She really enjoyed these and said that the fries were well seasoned and stood up nicely to the toppings.
Pork Buns - As we are fans of the Food Network, we have seen some awesome buns. We have also been to some pretty poor variations of these buns at "international buffets". However, unlike the familiar dome shaped delectables, these were formed like a taco. They also have Korean Tacos that look similar and are different. The filling was great and tasty, and the bun portion was nice and light and fluffy.
Fried Chicken was the main dish that drew my attention. Their website explained how Korean Fried Chicken is different. OK. I'll go. Besides, my coworker touted the dish. Yesterday and today, I got two different chicken cuts. I got drumsticks yesterday and wings today. Both were nice and crunchy with a light coating and the meat inside was tender and moist. On both orders, I got the special limited-edition sauce that was pleasantly spicy and sweet. The wings were perhaps the meatiest I have ever enjoyed.
Kimchi is one of those dishes I gravitate to. Three standards for this condiment come to mind. One is an excellent Korean restaurant we love in Nashville. Second is a great variety of I found at a mega grocery store in the Cincinnati area. Finally, there is a small Korean market here in Murfreesboro that has homemade kimchi. It is good, but beware. My first bite chewed a nice, sweet piece of cabbage. When I swallowed, the hot pepper hit the back of my throat and OMG was it gagging hot.
Raspberry Mochi was not available.
A few years ago, we discovered Mexican Street Corn. Here they have a Korean version. While not creamy, it was delicious, but the corn had a covering that was a little stiff.
Leftovers from the feast last night did not last until 10:00 that evening. As soon as everyone's dinner settled, the grazing began. Leftovers from today sit in the fridge and probably will not last long.
Because it is a recently renovated store, it is clean, light, and airy. Staff tried very hard to make sure you were pleased. My wife went for dinner last night and found the place very busy but turn around time for her order was reasonable. I went after church today and it was not as busy, and my to-go order came up in about the same time as it takes my favorite sub shop to give me my Philly Cheesesteak. Prices are a tad high, but the quality and quantity are well worth it.
After we go back and try other dishes, I will update this review. read more