Rate-A-Restaurant #197: Kyo-chon

(Photo by My Restaurant Tips.)

Restaurant: Kyochon

Location: 3833 W 6th St (Koreatown)

Type of restaurant: Korean Fried Chicken

We stipulated: Maria had been craving chicken, and suggested we stop by a favorite of ours — Koreatown’s BonChon Chicken. I suggested that we try BonChon’s biggest rival, the fellow Korean Fried Chicken chain Kyochon, to finally compare and contrast the two.

They stipulated: Like BonChon, Kyochon offers up the fried chicken in two varieties: Garlic soy sauce or hot sauce. Again, like BonChon, Kyochon offers its chicken as either wings or “sticks” (in other words, chicken legs). Kyochon also offers healthier grilled chicken wings (something BonChon doesn’t).

What we ordered: Combo A: Wings 8 pcs, chicken bulgogi with rice and a soda, $14.99. Also, a 4 pc order of “sticks” (chicken legs), $7.99.

High point: The Kyochon menu is much larger than BonChon’s, and the waiter was helpful in directing us to the combo, which made more sense for the both of us. (Not sure we ultimately needed the chicken legs as well — it was hard to guess how much we needed — and not sure if they mistakenly gave us 6 sticks instead of 4, or if that’s actually the norm.) The food was also served much faster than at BonChon.

Low point: The huge menu, nonetheless, was difficult to figure out. Also, Kyochon doesn’t sell beer — something that actually goes pretty well with the spicy wings — while BonChon does. And I was a little bummed to hear regular English-language pop music on the radio, and ESPN on the TV. BonChon offers up K-Pop music videos, which add to the Korean Fried Chicken experience.

Overall impression: Just like BonChon, Kyochon attempts to sell you on the health benefits… of fried chicken. Really. Their slogan: “Healthy food for ecstatic body and soul.” As much as I liked the chicken bulgogi, and we appreciated the better service, the taste just isn’t quite there. I’m not sure which came first in Korea (I believe Kyochon did), but I do know that we enjoyed the taste of BonChon quite a bit more.

Chance we’ll go back: Sorry, Kyochon, but now that we’ve tried both Korean Fried Chicken chains… we’ll be sticking with BonChon.

For a complete list of our more than 190 restaurant reviews, check out our companion Rate-A-Restaurant site.

The Chapman Market May Have Changed, But It’s Still Hopping 80 Years Later

(Flickr pic by fabooj.)

The Chapman Market, designed by Morgan, Walls & Clements and opened in 1929, is representative of the Spanish Revival architecture popular in that era. Designed as the first-ever drive-in market, the Chapman is now a Koreatown nighttime hotspot, as well as home to boutique eateries like Bosco Cake Salon, which we reviewed last month. The main building is at 6th and Alexandria, with an auxiliary building across the street.

Charles Chapman and his brothers were major land owners; besides opening Chapman Market, founded what’s now known as Chapman University and also published county almanacs and county histories under the name “Chapman Brothers.” Charles Chapman also scored the nickname “The Orange King of California.”

Back to the Chapman Market… eventually, of course, the building fell into disrepair. Enter developer Wayne Ratkovich, who took a shine to the property (as well as the Wiltern Theatre and other spots) and restored the center in 1989. The L.A. Times recently wrote about Ratkovich, here.

I’ve driven by Chapman Market for years, always intrigued by the architecture and the name. These days, there’s not much “market” to Chapman Market, but it’s still completely packed with tenants, ready to sell you a good cake, soju, karaoke, a cell phone or clothes. (Guess there still is a “market” to the Chapman.)

A few shots:

The drive-in tunnel that immediately made the Chapman Market a 1929 novelty. Look how narrow that tunnel is — fine for 1929 vehicles, not so much 2008.

A fountain adds even more character to the inside courtyard. I stood here a few weeks ago and imagined the days where you’d walk one way to get produce, and the other way to find baked goods.

The Chapman Market’s profile shot.

The Chapman Market May Have Changed, But It’s Still Hopping 80 Years Later

(Flickr pic by fabooj.)

The Chapman Market, designed by Morgan, Walls & Clements and opened in 1929, is representative of the Spanish Revival architecture popular in that era. Designed as the first-ever drive-in market, the Chapman is now a Koreatown nighttime hotspot, as well as home to boutique eateries like Bosco Cake Salon, which we reviewed last month. The main building is at 6th and Alexandria, with an auxiliary building across the street.

Charles Chapman and his brothers were major land owners; besides opening Chapman Market, founded what’s now known as Chapman University and also published county almanacs and county histories under the name “Chapman Brothers.” Charles Chapman also scored the nickname “The Orange King of California.”

Back to the Chapman Market… eventually, of course, the building fell into disrepair. Enter developer Wayne Ratkovich, who took a shine to the property (as well as the Wiltern Theatre and other spots) and restored the center in 1989. The L.A. Times recently wrote about Ratkovich, here.

I’ve driven by Chapman Market for years, always intrigued by the architecture and the name. These days, there’s not much “market” to Chapman Market, but it’s still completely packed with tenants, ready to sell you a good cake, soju, karaoke, a cell phone or clothes. (Guess there still is a “market” to the Chapman.)

A few shots:

The drive-in tunnel that immediately made the Chapman Market a 1929 novelty. Look how narrow that tunnel is — fine for 1929 vehicles, not so much 2008.

A fountain adds even more character to the inside courtyard. I stood here a few weeks ago and imagined the days where you’d walk one way to get produce, and the other way to find baked goods.

The Chapman Market’s profile shot.

Movies Move to Koreatown

Despite its large population, Koreatown and Mid-City have been surprisingly short on movie theaters — until now.

According to today’s Variety — with a dateline out of Seoul — South Korea’s largest multiplex chain is building a 648-seat, three-screen theater at “a site near Western Avenue.” The details:

CJ Entertainment’s CJ CGV chain set up CJ CGV America Holdings at the end of 2006 to run its exhibition business in the U.S. The theater was skedded to bow last year, but the opening got postponed.

“We’re going to increase our competitive power with a small but high-qualified boutique theater,” said Park Yong-gil, prexy of CJ CGV America Holdings.

The company said 45% of its pics would be Korean, 45% from Hollywood and 10% from Asia at large.

Still sounds like too small of a theater to me.

Rate-A-Restaurant #174: Bosco Cake Salon

Restaurant: Bosco Cake Salon

Location: 3465 E 6th St (Koreatown)

Type of restaurant: Dessert

They stipulated: It’s more than cakes at Bosco — don’t be fooled by the name. You may even be better off getting patbingsu — Korean-style shave ice.

We stipulated: We were meeting our friend Mika for dinner, and I suggested we finally try the L.A. outpost of Korean fried chicken joint BonChon Chicken. Afterward, walking down 6th for dessert, we wandered into the Chapman Market (blog post to come) and decided to try out Bosco.

What we ordered: The patbingsu Korean shave ice dessert — which we all shared — as well as a sweet potato cake and a raspberry heart-shaped cake.

High point: The spot is comfy — nice furniture — and the cakes were right on; the sweet potato cake was extra sweet potato-y. But the highlight had to be the patbingsu. The four of us (Evan was there too) devoured it.

Low point: The prices are out of whack here — $4 for coffee? Maybe the late-night crowd won’t bat an eye, but we were taken aback.

Overall impression: These fancy Korean dessert restaurants are popping up all over the place — and how can I not like a trend that involves dessert. Much more formal than Paris Baguette — which I like for the prices and the self service — Bosco is still a great spot to linger, cake and coffee in front of you, in a comfy environment for hours. It wasn’t too crowded on a Saturday night, and they weren’t in a rush to shoo us out.

Chance we’ll go back: If we’re in the area and in the mood for dessert (albeit, pricey dessert), we may stop by — especially to show off the Chapman Market to others. (Again, separate blog post coming.)

For a complete list of our more than 170 restaurant reviews, check out our companion Rate-A-Restaurant site.

Soju Town Emerges Victorious

In February we asked you to choose sides in the inevitable battle between Koreatown’s Soju Town and Beer Town.

Well, it looks like the boozy war has a victor: Soju Town still stands, while Beer Town has disappeared. Soju Town is apparently celebrating with purple neon.

Below, the two sides earlier this year:

Here’s Why Koreatown is Next to Hancock Park… Probably

(Flickr pic by Ophelia Chong.)

The Militant Angeleno wrote about Koreatown grocery store HK Market the other day (there’s also an even bigger outlet in Glendale) but blew me away with a side observation.

He notes the origin of the name “HK Market” — and winds up giving a very plausible theory on how Koreatown wound up in Mid-Wilshire/Mid-City:

In this case, (the “HK” in “HK Market”) stands for “Han Kook” (Han-guk) which in Korean is the commonly-used nickname for the Republic of South Korea, and is probably the main reason why Korean immigrants in the late ’60s decided to build their community more or less where it is today – in close proximity to Hancock Park.

I have no idea if that’s true or not… but it sure sounds like a good enough reason to me.

“Hey, where should we settle once we get to L.A.?”

“I dunno, but this “Republic of South Korea Park” neighborhood sounds inviting.”

Here’s Why Koreatown is Next to Hancock Park… Probably

(Flickr pic by Ophelia Chong.)

The Militant Angeleno wrote about Koreatown grocery store HK Market the other day (there’s also an even bigger outlet in Glendale) but blew me away with a side observation.

He notes the origin of the name “HK Market” — and winds up giving a very plausible theory on how Koreatown wound up in Mid-Wilshire/Mid-City:

In this case, (the “HK” in “HK Market”) stands for “Han Kook” (Han-guk) which in Korean is the commonly-used nickname for the Republic of South Korea, and is probably the main reason why Korean immigrants in the late ’60s decided to build their community more or less where it is today – in close proximity to Hancock Park.

I have no idea if that’s true or not… but it sure sounds like a good enough reason to me.

“Hey, where should we settle once we get to L.A.?”

“I dunno, but this “Republic of South Korea Park” neighborhood sounds inviting.”

Rate-A-Restaurant #170: BonChon Chicken

(Flickr pic via inuyaki.)

Restaurant: BonChon Chicken

Location: 314 5th Ave, 2nd Floor (New York); Also in Los Angeles: 3407 W 6th Street (Koreatown)

Type of restaurant: Fried Chicken

They stipulated: Korean Fried Chicken is cooked in oil, then set aside, before being cooked in oil again for extra crispiness. BonChon’s chicken is coated with either a soy garlic or “hot” flavor.

We stipulated: For my last night in New York, my Gotham friends Lisa and Hank promised me the best damn chicken I’ve ever tasted. (Well, they promised pretty good chicken.) I was sold.

Condiment bar (Flickr pic by Roboppy.)

What we ordered: Large plate of chicken (wings and drumsticks), half with hot, half with soy garlic.

High point: Holy crap. Hank had hyped BonChon for days. I’d honestly not clued in on the Korean Fried Chicken craze, which seems to have hit NYC first. (BonChon’s L.A. outpost just opened here two months ago.) Lisa and Hank tell me they’re here every week, and I can see why. The chicken — how can I describe? It’s like candy. You bite into the skin — and I HATE chicken skin, I NEVER ate it, at least until Korean fried chicken came along! — and it’s like biting into a piece of chicken fruit. Also, like anything this good, you can’t eat just one. Or eight. I prefer the hot chicken, which contains just the right amount of fire for a fan (like me) of all things spicy.

Coincidentally, the L.A. Times wrote about the Korean fried chicken craze on Thursday, the very same day I was trying it out in Manhattan. Here’s their take.

Low point: The thousand island dressing-laden salad and the pickled radishes are just OK… but it doesn’t matter, you’re there for the chicken.

(Flickr pic by Scaredykat.)

Overall impression: Haven’t visited the L.A. outpost, but the Manhattan spot is all the more intriguing because of its location — it’s hidden on the second floor of a non-descript building. You’ve gotta climb some narrow doors to get to the second floor… and then you’re suddenly in a dark, nightclub atmosphere with booming dance music. And tons of young New Yorkers tearing into drumsticks. Meanwhile, BonChon’s website touts the healthiness of it all… but c’mon, it’s fried chicken. But I don’t care, it’s too damn good. If it takes a year off your life, so be it.

(Flickr pic by Scaredykat.)

Chance we will go back: Oh, there will be several field trips to the L.A. location in the coming weeks as I introduce all of you to the joys of Korean fried chicken. Who’s game?

For a complete list of our more than 170 restaurant reviews, check out our companion Rate-A-Restaurant site.

Rate-A-Restaurant #170: BonChon Chicken

(Flickr pic via inuyaki.)

Restaurant: BonChon Chicken

Location: 314 5th Ave, 2nd Floor (New York); Also in Los Angeles: 3407 W 6th Street (Koreatown)

Type of restaurant: Fried Chicken

They stipulated: Korean Fried Chicken is cooked in oil, then set aside, before being cooked in oil again for extra crispiness. BonChon’s chicken is coated with either a soy garlic or “hot” flavor.

We stipulated: For my last night in New York, my Gotham friends Lisa and Hank promised me the best damn chicken I’ve ever tasted. (Well, they promised pretty good chicken.) I was sold.

Condiment bar (Flickr pic by Roboppy.)

What we ordered: Large plate of chicken (wings and drumsticks), half with hot, half with soy garlic.

High point: Holy crap. Hank had hyped BonChon for days. I’d honestly not clued in on the Korean Fried Chicken craze, which seems to have hit NYC first. (BonChon’s L.A. outpost just opened here two months ago.) Lisa and Hank tell me they’re here every week, and I can see why. The chicken — how can I describe? It’s like candy. You bite into the skin — and I HATE chicken skin, I NEVER ate it, at least until Korean fried chicken came along! — and it’s like biting into a piece of chicken fruit. Also, like anything this good, you can’t eat just one. Or eight. I prefer the hot chicken, which contains just the right amount of fire for a fan (like me) of all things spicy.

Coincidentally, the L.A. Times wrote about the Korean fried chicken craze on Thursday, the very same day I was trying it out in Manhattan. Here’s their take.

Low point: The thousand island dressing-laden salad and the pickled radishes are just OK… but it doesn’t matter, you’re there for the chicken.

(Flickr pic by Scaredykat.)

Overall impression: Haven’t visited the L.A. outpost, but the Manhattan spot is all the more intriguing because of its location — it’s hidden on the second floor of a non-descript building. You’ve gotta climb some narrow doors to get to the second floor… and then you’re suddenly in a dark, nightclub atmosphere with booming dance music. And tons of young New Yorkers tearing into drumsticks. Meanwhile, BonChon’s website touts the healthiness of it all… but c’mon, it’s fried chicken. But I don’t care, it’s too damn good. If it takes a year off your life, so be it.

(Flickr pic by Scaredykat.)

Chance we will go back: Oh, there will be several field trips to the L.A. location in the coming weeks as I introduce all of you to the joys of Korean fried chicken. Who’s game?

For a complete list of our more than 170 restaurant reviews, check out our companion Rate-A-Restaurant site.