As soon as the Astronomer and I got engaged, our families and friends wanted to know if we’d set a date. It’s been nearly two months since The Astronomer popped the question, and no date is in sight. Our thinking was location first, then choose a date based on the facility’s availability. We’re trying to be as rational and logical as possible throughout this b-a-n-a-n-a-s process.

On our first afternoon of scoping out possible locations, The Astronomer and I visited The London West Hollywood and The Oviatt Penthouse in downtown L.A. We loved the rooftop and the English gardens at The London, but The Oviatt’s old Hollywood vibe wasn’t really our style. After thoroughly inspecting the two venues, we skipped over to BonChon Chicken in Koreatown for lunch. Wedding planning, like all proper endurance sports, really works up an appetite.

Similar to Chicken Day and arch-nemesis KyoChon, food orders at BonChon are placed up front at the cash register. While the chicken meets the deep-fryer—not once, but twice—patrons must patiently twiddle their thumbs. The wait time at BonChon is comparable to competitors, but a bit more exciting thanks to the compressed napkins distributed to diners.

To entertain ourselves during the tortuously long lull, I made a movie starring The Astronomer titled, “Napkin Fun @ BonChon.” It’s a riot, I promise.

Before our chicken arrived, we were each served a complimentary dish of coleslaw. The thinly sliced red and green cabbage was drizzled in a pleasant Thousand Island dressing. The coleslaw tasted worlds better than the bizarre ketchup and mayonnaise concoction at KyoChon up the street.

We were also served a complimentary dish of refreshing pickled radish cubes.

After a solid twenty minutes of twiddling our thumbs and making silly movies, the chicken finally arrived tableside. Our large order of wings ($15.99), half soy-garlic (left) and half spicy (right), was enticingly presented in a wicker basket.

The texture of both varieties was spot-on, with the requisite KFC snap wholly present. Flavor-wise, The Astronomer and I favored the soy-garlic variety for its dangerously addictive umami properties. The spicy ones were really tasty as well, but we both desired a hotter glaze—more burning, please.

BonChon is a formidable competitor in Los Angeles’ KFC battle, but KyoChon wins by a nose.

POWER RANKINGS

KyoChon > Bonchon > Chicken Day > Hite Kwang-Jang.

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Bonchon Chicken
3407 W. 6th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90020
Phone: 213-487-7878