Lunch at BonChon Philippines

The first time I tried BonChon was in 2008 when I was in Virginia. I didn’t even have a blog then. I loved it so much that I had to eat BonChon every time I went to the USA. I hoped someone would bring it to Manila and in November 2011 my wish came true and the first branch in Ayala Triangle Gardens opened.

Andrea, the marketing honcho of BonChon Philippines has been inviting me to try out the local version for the longest time but I was on a strict diet for the past year. Finally last week I met her at their Libis branch for lunch.

I went there at 1:30 pm to avoid the lunch crowd. This branch was located next to The Spa which incidentally is owned by the same owners as BonChon.

menu

seasonal menu

New York Times article

The chicken wings I had in the US were enormous. I was worried that the wings in Manila would be tiny. I was pleased that the wings were plump enough to satisfy. True it wasn’t as huge as their American counterparts but they were definitely bigger than the ones from the chicken we buy in the market.

I’m so happy that the taste and crunch was exactly the same as the ones in the US. The chicken wasn’t oily at all and the sweet, salty flavor that I liked so much was the same.

soy garlic wings – 6 pcs for P185

This ws my first time to try the spicy wings and it literally blew me away! It was a bit too hot for my taste and I miss the sweetish flavor of the original wings.  I thought it would be just a spicier version of the soy garlic wings. This was just plain spicy.

spicy wings – 6 pcs for P185

Only BonChon Manila has fried fish and I’m sorry for those abroad since you won’t get to try this yummy fish. The boneless strips of dory tasted exactly like the soy garlic wings. They were just as crispy and as tasty as the chicken. I couldn’t help myself and ate 2 of the fish strips.

fish & chips box P125

Yes even the squid tasted the same. It was crunchier than the average calamari and I wanted to finish it all too. If you don’t like chicken you can choose between the fish or the squid and get the same soy garlic goodness.

You would think that eating all these fried food would make me ‘suya‘ but surprisingly I enjoyed it all. Since I’ve stopped eating fried food for the past year I’m now so sensitive to the taste of oil (rancid or just a little old) and I’m happy to report that all these fried food didn’t have any aftertaste at all. Andrea guaranteed me that fresh, new oil was used for all their food and I believe her.

crispy squid ricebox P125

It’s really a great thing for a QSR (quick-service restaurant) to serve fresh salads. It’s a boon for dieters like me to have non-carb options. They use fresh Romaine lettuce which I prefer instead of iceberg lettuce which is cheaper but doesn’t have any nutritional value unlike it’s greener cousins.

Caesar salad P125

The ginger tofu is a good diet meal in itself. I just wish the tofu cubes were more crisp and salted before it reaches the salad.

ginger tofu salad P125

I was beyond full to even take a bite of the bulgogi wrap. I did take a tiny pinch of the meat and kimchi slaw and found it quite authentic in taste. I took home the left overs and my office staff loved the chicken and the bulgogi wrap.

bulgogi wrap P125

Andrea wanted me to try their new Korean frozen yogurt parfaits. I told Andrea I always eat froyo plain without any toppings so I will just try a little of each.

KoYo – banoffee pie and blueberry torte P70

Boy, with one bite of the tangy yogurt and the not sweet caramel sauce I was hooked. I couldn’t put my spoon down.

banoffee pie KoYo

My favorite part was their homemade graham cracker crust which was in no way even close to the ones you find in the crust of commercial cheesecakes. I don’t even eat the crust of those cheesecakes. This graham cracker mixture was chunky, crunchy, nutty, buttery and just plain addicting. It remained crunchy and distinct even when mixed with the tangy low fat yogurt. Yes I finished the whole cup.  I don’t want to know how many calories are in this dessert.

I texted Andrea the next day that I was still dreaming of this KoYo.  I hope you come up with new toppings for the KoYo soon.

Thanks again, Andrea and BonChon for the wonderful lunch and the doggie bag too.

BonChon
80 E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue, Bagumbayan, Libis 1110
telephone: 655-1818, 655-8074

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