The Korean chicken craze has been taking the country by storm in the last few years. And it looks like the craze wonÔÇÖt be over anytime soon because of the growing number of Korean restaurants and fastfood chains that have populated the metro.┬á
WeÔÇÖre sure that with so many choices out there, youÔÇÖre puzzled which one to try. ┬áSo we checked out three Korean chicken restaurants in BGC so you wonÔÇÖt have to. We went to Oppa! Chicken, BonChon and Chicken and Beer in the hopes to find the best Korean fried chicken in Fort Bonifacio.┬á
Criteria for Judging
Before we dig into the unravelling of the tastiest Korean fried chicken in The Fort, letÔÇÖs first dig into these questions: what is Korean fried chicken? How does it differ from the conventional fried chicken that weÔÇÖre all used to?
Compared to the usual fried chicken, KoreaÔÇÖs version has much more work put into it as it is fried twice (thus crispier and less greasy) and seasoned before and after frying. Whereas the conventional fried chicken is dry and crunchy, the Korean style is often laden with special sauces making it savory yet crispy.┬á
To determine the winner of this battle, we will be judging based on the following criteria with 0 to 5 stars, 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest.
- Ambience
- Speed of service
- Portion size
- Taste
- Value for money
Star points will be added for each establishment, and the one with the most number of stars will be dubbed the best Korean fried chicken in Fort Bonifacio. To have a fair and balanced judging, we made sure to order similar variants across the three restaurants. 
Let the battle commence!
Oppa! Chicken
Located in The Fort Strip, Oppa! Chicken (see map here) is a relatively new restaurant which opened just last December 2016. We ordered 8 pieces of their Yangnyum Chicken, which is the oriental sweet and spicy variant, for P280.
Ambience: ÔïåÔïåÔïåÔïå
On the ground floor are six small tables whereas the second floor has bigger tables for group diners. So whether youÔÇÖre eating alone or with your friends, this place will have the right table for you.
The second floor seats more people.
Speed of service: ÔïåÔïåÔïå
Our order took 20 minutes to be served, which we think is slow given that we only ordered 8 pieces of chicken.
Portion size: ÔïåÔïåÔïåÔïå
The size of the chicken pieces was just right. There was a right amount of skin and meat in one piece of chicken. 
Taste: ÔïåÔïå
We werenÔÇÖt satisfied with the overall taste of the chicken. Granted, the skin was crispy and the meat was juicy enough. But the spiciness of the sauce overpowered the sweetness, so we couldnÔÇÖt find the balance. Also, there was too much fat in the chicken pieces.┬á
Yangnyum Chicken.
Value for money: ÔïåÔïåÔïå
Honestly, Oppa! Chicken had the lowest price among the three restaurants. Unfortunately, their chicken lacked appeal in terms of the taste, thus the rating.
BonChon
BonChon, meaning ÔÇ£my hometown,ÔÇØ has three branches in The Fort: one in Bonifacio High Street One Parkade, one in Venice Piazza and one in Market! Market! (see map here). ┬áWe went to the branch in One Parkade and ordered the Wings Ricebox meal for P155. Our meal comprised 4 fried chicken wings (two in soy garlic flavor and the other two in honey citrus), rice and a glass of iced tea.┬á
Ambience: ÔïåÔïåÔïå
In Bonifacio High Street One Parkade branch, there were enough tables to seat the long line of people ordering during lunch time. The space of the restaurant seems to have been maximized for tables and chairs, so the walkways in between tables almost too narrow to pass through. So if you donÔÇÖt want to overhear the gossip at the next table, better just eat your meal in peace in your office.┬á
Lunchtime warriors lining up at BonChon.
Speed of service: ÔïåÔïåÔïåÔïåÔïå
Despite the many orders of the people in line, our meal was served to us in less than 5 minutes. We were more than satisfied.
Portion size: ÔïåÔïåÔïåÔïå
All the four pieces of chicken were almost the same size. Compared with the other two Korean fried chicken that we tried, BonChonÔÇÖs has the lightest color. Does this mean that the flavor would also be bland?┬á
Taste: ÔïåÔïåÔïåÔïå
Oh nooo, the chickenÔÇÖs light color does not mean that the taste would be bland. In fact, the chickenÔÇÖs flavor, whether it be the honey citrus or soy garlic, tends to explode in the mouth and will keep you wanting more. (Pro tip: For extra flavor, tell the staff to have your chicken double glazed. YouÔÇÖll thank us after.) The skin was crispy enough, but the meat was a little dry compared with the others.┬á
Our wings ricebox.
Value for money: ÔïåÔïåÔïåÔïåÔïå
With the speed of service and excellent flavors of their Korean fried chicken, BonChon easily gained five stars for value for money. 
Chicken and Beer
Chicken and Beer has two branches in Fort Bonifacio: one in The Fort Residences (near Burgos Circle) and another in McKinley Hill (see map here) . We went to the former and ordered the Yang-Nyum Chicken set, which has three pieces of fried chicken and rice, for P235.
Ambience: ÔïåÔïå
The outlet in The Fort Residences has a roomy interior with many tables and chairs that can accommodate whatever the size of your group is. We just didnÔÇÖt like how dark and uninviting it was inside, not a very conducive environment for eating.┬á
Chicken and Beer’s interior.
Speed of service: ÔïåÔïåÔïå
Our take-out meal was served to us after 25 minutes. Quite slow for a single meal, TBH. 
Portion size: ÔïåÔïåÔïåÔïåÔïå
Theirs is by far the biggest serving that we encountered. The meal is actually good for sharing by two people. 
Yang-Nyum Chicken set.
Taste: ÔïåÔïåÔïå
In the beginning, we really were digging Chicken and BeerÔÇÖs Yang-Nyum Chicken; it was big, crispy, sweet and the meat was juicy enough. Unfortunately, this variant was too sweet for our palate. Another flavor might work better for us next time.
Value for money: ÔïåÔïåÔïåÔïå
Next time indeed because weÔÇÖd definitely go back to Chicken and Beer. The size and flavor of the chicken made up for our dislike of their interior. Because of the bar that they set for their Korean fried chicken, weÔÇÖre definitely excited to try out the other variants.
Official Scoreboard
And the winner isÔǪÔǪÔǪ. BONCHON!!! Aside from the appealing taste of their Korean fried chicken, BonChon set high standards for their customer service. Kudos to the staff for making our experience worthwhile. We will be going back for more 😉
How about you? Do you agree or disagree with our ratings and verdict? Share your thoughts and comment below 🙂
