Bonchon First Hill

I was super excited to come to the First Hill location. I ordered soy garlic wings with Cole slaw. I got the soy garlic mix of wings and drums with cole slaw instead. The chicken was cooked really well. The inside was still nice and juicy. Had I never been to a Bonchon, I would have scored this location score higher. Unfortunately, having been to Bonchon in NYC (the 38th st location, the one in K-town on 5th Ave, and the one in the Financial District on John Street before they closed it down), I can say this place ranks number 2 or 3 on the list of Bonchons. How a place sauces their chicken is second to how well the chicken is cooked. This chicken was cooked really well but what would have made the experience over the top would be the sauce. It didn't have the finger-licking good garlicky quality I expected and I felt that it was drizzled on the chicken, not fully coated as I preferred. Overall, I would still recommend this place and would return if I am in the area.

Had a great lunch here with my partner! We initially were a bit worried by the negative reviews, but decided to try it out due to a friend's recommendation -- very glad we made the decision. Food was amazing and service was adequate. The chicken drumsticks had the most crispy skin I've ever had, and was coated in just the right amount of sauce. The seasoned fries were a delight as well, with generous amount of herb seasoning and parmesan. Staff was very attentive and we didn't have to wait long at all for our food. Would definitely visit if I found myself in the city again.

Went here after some friends recommended it. I think I tried it twice and both times I really liked it. Their spicy wings are pretty good and I would recommend that. It is not super spicy but pretty good. We also tried the soy garlic which was okay. The other thing I liked was the fried rice which had a great portion and was pretty appetizing.

Service was great being a brand new restaurant adjusting to the public. Atmosphere is very clean and modern, nice branded wood tables and sturdy chairs. Branded napkins, nice new heavy forks real glass glasses. The food was good. Not exceptional in my opinion but good. The chicken was the best item I tasted, it's crunchy and just a bit juicy. Though it did seem like it was not fresh. Spicy had just enough kick and did not over stay it's welcome. The potstickers we're ok and lacked flavor in themselves and come basted in the same sauce as the wings. The coleslaw tasted just like KFC, take that as you will. The price is something else that needs to be discussed. Our lunch came to over $60 (including tip). We got 2 combos, a side of potstickers and fries as well as a soda. I came out full, my friend did not. Halving the price would bring this to 5 stars from me and likely make me a weekly regular, at it's current price point I may visit once a month or so.

I was in Seattle last week and decided to have lunch at Bochon Korean fried chicken. It is a brand new only open for about a month. We got there around 11:15am and they open at 11:30am. We were second in line. When the place open at 11:30am, it was pack very quickly. We ordered some Korean fried chicken and other dishes. It took almost an hour before our food came out. It was good but the wait was long. I would give it a 5 star but the place didn't even have ice tea.

Came through during their soft opening and there was a line well before opening. Luckily there was a spot for us and we got immersed in the menu. Besides the friend chicken that they're known for, they have a bunch of other bomb Korean and Asian. Got the large half & half and was definitely impressed. The chicken was a generous size for four people and it was very satisfying. They had the perfect crunch and great balance of flavor. It's not too overwhelming with sweetness like some places nor does it feel greasy. The spicy wings were amazing, they had a good kick towards the end but the spice didn't overpower the flavor. We got the pickled radishes to go with then and even the radishes had a great balance of flavor. More things to go with the chicken, the seasoned fries were definitely worth and offered a good break in between the wings. Also, we had an order of the tteoppoki and it was great. It had a warm kick, cheese on top, and some fried glass noodles wrapped in seaweed. All in all, it came out to $63 before tip for 4 people and we were full and happy. Can't wait until this place fully opens up, so much more menu items I want to try!

I ordered seasoned fries and seasoned zucchini with a side of ranch dressing to go. Before I left, I decided to have a few. When I opened the ranch, it had about a half of a tablespoon of dressing in it. I walked up and asked how much he charged me for it, while showing him what little I received. He told me it was a dollar and shrugged his shoulders. I thought for sure he would apologize and go get a full size container of dressing. They are not that big to start with. But, I could tell he didn't care. So I said to him, I can give you a bad review, as in a question. He said Okay, and walked away. Apparently, he doesn't care about his job or the restaurant either. The fries were okay. Hot, at least. Served in a paper bag. The zucchini was mediocre. Some slices were like breading only. Also served in a paper bag. Friendly, kind and attentive service is important. If you don't have that, it's not worth returning especially when the food isn't especially great.

Update: What a great addition to the Seattle food scene. Finally got to experience some legit Korean fried chicken in Seattle! Imitators be warned! The owner and staff are very friendly and the service was excellent. Nice modern details and very clean. They also have other Korean street foods and beer as well. The space is small and it can get very busy. Either way I'll be coming back for sure. Highly recommended!

I know this place is known for its fried chicken but that is not my favorite. Bibimbap is! Bonchon is close to the hospital where I work. My coworkers and I often come to celebrate a birthday. I love that you can order ahead and eat in or take it to go. My dish was a very generous portion for lunch with flavorful meat and lots of fresh veggies. My friends did rave about their chicken too. I only wish there had been kimchi with my dish! The service is friendly but the wait can be long on a busy work day at lunch time. Most people do take their food to go but there is decent in house dining too.

I first saw a branch of Bonchon's in the Philippines and I've been intrigued since. Having a Seattle location made it possible for me to finally give this place a try! Korean fried chicken is a hard miss! And this place did not disappoint. While my preference would be a much crispier chicken, it was still acceptable. I wished they had more sauces to offer, this lack of options pretty much forced me to go with Korean bbq sauce. It was OK, but was looking for something more on the sweet side. Service was great. I was the only customer at the time since they just opened. It's good for a small group of people I would say.

Fair warning: all I've tried here is the wings and both times I took them to go - they're SO good. Try the soy garlic. Spicy is too spicy for me. They're crispy yet tender with lots of flavor. They even withstand the duration of DoorDash delivery in a to-go container. They arrived hot and fresh. Can't wait to come back for more.

Just came back from lunch dining in and our food took nearly an hour to arrive. When it arrived my order was missing an ingredient that was described in the menu-- when I asked the waitstaff about it I was told that they had initially run out but now they had it back and gave it to me as a side. However, I think i should have been told about the missing ingredient upfront. The dish I ordered-- bibimbap-- was also not very good, but I ate it because I was already hungry after waiting for a long time.

Friendly, flexible and clean simple lunch place near the hospital. Generous serving for lunch special price. Pickled radish was interesting to try and a good compliment and that Korean BBQ sauce was FIRE

Ordered the Delivery, never received the order. I tried to call them for a refund at least 6 times, 2 days in a row, nobody answer the phone

Wait like actually though, even if i had free money i would not like to spend a cent here because they have no shame LOL. After my last miserable experience i decided to give them another shot and guess what? I got a good chuckle and laugh at the food quality, again! $18 for what tastes worse than oscar Mayer boneless chicken that was refried 4 times in a week old oil, size smaller than my SMALL applewatch and no sign of chicken in more than half of the pieces.

This was my first time trying Bonchon and I see why it is loved by all who try it. I tried their half and half 10 piece box with their newest flavor: Korean BBQ and a classic flavor, Spicy. Even after waiting 30 minutes to bite into my wings, their chicken was absolutely delicious, crunchy, and flavorful. I got their coleslaw as my side, it was quite plain but I was not expecting much there. I have no comments regarding the service because I ordered to-go, but the cashier was far from rude while I ordered. The indoor store, was clean and nice, much nicer than a wingstop if you ask me. All in all, this experience deserves 5 stars and a second t

This is probably the worst bonchon I've been to in terms of the food. I came here because I wanted to introduce my friends to KFC. I have been to the bonchon in NYC and I frequently go to the ones in SF Bay Area so I can compare with other bonchon. The chicken here is fried way too much. It feels almost like Wingstop in that the pieces are over fried to the point of dry. When chicken is over fried they shrink and becomes dry. The juiciness of the chicken meat was what sets Korean fried chicken apart from other fried chicken place and unfortunately this place botched them. I still do recommend spicy flavor over either the soy garlic or Korean BBQ if you can take spicy. The service itself is good as they constantly come to refill water and I feel bad about not leaving a larger tip but since my friend paid I can't say much. The place is not very large so I don't recommend a larger party (more than 4) to come together.

My order was incomplete. The food is great but the service and getting the order to the customer is terrible. Drivers won't deliver to the specific location. The driver left my order at a different building outside. I had to go and look for it. I called the driver back and he wouldn't answer his phone. I was charged double what my order actually was. I received my order without drinks that I ordered 2.

Stopped by to order takeaway and the service was friendly and pretty fast (maybe 10 minutes for a large combo). Since we came during slower hours, they let us sit at any empty table to wait for our food and brought it to us once ready. As for food, we ordered a large combo fried chicken with half and half flavors for soy garlic and Korean bbq. Bonchon's fried chicken has a crispy thin skin instead of thicker batter which goes well with the sauce. There wasn't much of a difference between the two flavors I chose so I'll have to try some different ones next time.

Delicious fried chicken & sides! I love it!! Very nice staff. The options are many, and you can enjoy all sorts of interesting Korean and Korean-inspired dishes. Just love it!

Server forgot pretty much everything. Served the chicken before the rice and they forgot about the fries. Also a few pieces were still undercooked. Actually no rice they forgot to put it on the order.

The point of a chain is that you can expect the same taste at each--it should be reliable. This is NOT what you should expect from a Bonchon. I tried the chain store in Chicago and it was good and authentic. We got the boneless half half Korean BBQ and soy garlic, buldak and a side of rice. The rice tasted like jasmine rice, the breading on the chicken was more like American cakey breading than Korean and the sauce tastes way artificial and isn't coated evenly on the chicken. The ambiance itself is cute and I liked that their sinks for hand washing were outside the bathroom, but we were one of two patrons and they got our order wrong--sent out spicy instead of Korean bbq chicken. They gave us the correct chicken free of charge to make up for it.

I really wanted to love this place but it was not good and I'm annoyed I wasted $60. However, service was fantastic and waitress/host was great. I'm from Busan (where this chain started, I believe) and I've had Bonchon in Philadelphia and New York years ago which was probably my favorite Korean fried chicken I had. This was not the case for this place. Everything was TOO sweet. Buldak chicken was extremely sugary and the chicken wasn't crisp. It didn't have the crunch Korean fried chicken should have. I could only have a few bites of the chicken at a time and it was just disgustly sweet. Buldak dish was also just like eating spoonful of sugar. It was probably the worst Korean fried chicken I've had in my life which makes me so sad because I wanted to love it here.

DON'T ORDER THEIR BONELESS MEAL ONLINE, SO LITTLE CHICKEN Good food, I come here twice a month. But slowly by slowly the portion sizes for their online orders have gotten smaller and smaller. The attached photo shows much you get for their 10 piece boneless meal, which is 15 bucks; some pieces are almost 25¢ quarter size, kind of unbelievable. I will keep coming but don't buy the boneless online, it's theft, doesn't even come with rice.

I was so excited to try this place. Flavor was decent. But the price for what you get is insane. Not in a good way. I had the 10 piece boneless and it was the tiniest chicken wings I've ever seen. Like comically small. And it was $18. Like other reviews have pointed out, I feel like there was hardly any chicken. It was all breading. I bit a few in half and could barely see the thin white line that was the chicken. Khokio on Rainier is much better value for your money. And better flavor. Their boneless wings are massive. I'm a big guy and I was still hungry after my Bonchon order.

Ordered a couple of things. Seasoned french fries were good. Got half & half large wings and some boneless wings. Service was good too.

Loved this place. It was quiet not too many dinner in but plenty of orders to go being processed. We were seated after our vaccination cards were checked along with our i.d. Once seated we were served water and given menus, they have more than just wings but we stuck to the wings this go around. They were excellent. The spicy were pretty hot but the soy garlic were perfection. They were crispy and sticky and just delicious. The fries were a great addition to our meal. The pickled radish isn't something is normally get but OMG it was terrific and helped calm the spice from the spicy wings. We'll be back. If you're in the neighborhood of first Hill though need to pay them a visit.

Ordering online...their app is terrible. Double food orders. Unable to use gift card. Had to input tip on credit card to submit order! Hopefully the food will be good!

Bonchon was an okay place. It really threw me off the way the restaurant was laid out. It seemed more like an order at the counter and go instead of a sit down restaurant. I ordered the Bibimbap platter (Soy Garlic) and it came out SIZZLING in the cute stone bowl. The food was so hot and continued to be hot the whole hour we were at dinner. I was only able to finish 1/3 of my food as I was constantly blowing on each fork full. They also give little sauce packets, but for the amount of food that comes, if you're someone that likes flavor, you will need 2 sauce packets. When I boxed my food to go, I asked for another. I will most likely try Bonchon again and try to order something different!

Very surprised by the food from this place. Really caught us off guard with how delicious it was. Even having it delivered, the chicken was crunchy, fries warm and a little crunch. The bacon in the fried rice was so good. We ordered the spicy chicken on the tacos and it was actually spicy. My wife was very happy with her shrimp shumai. Highly recommend this location!

Their chicken fried rice as a spicy version is the real deal. It's not fake spicy it's actually spicy. That's what people want when they ask for spicy. Be sure you have some water with it though because it can be a bit intense just on its own lol. They're friendly people and I'd recommend eating here if you're in the area.

Pretty much your standard bonchon. We ordered 30 wings and the seasoned fries to share, all of which was exactly how I remembered it. The wings lacked a bit of the sauce, but the fries were really good! The food also came out really fast which I appreciated since most bonchon locations usually take quite a while to get food out.

According to my Korean friend, Bonchon's fried chicken is one of the most authentic fried chicken spots, and it's the closest thing to how fried chicken taste like in Korea! We got just 8 pieces and fries but it was filling! Get their drumsticks! Their drumsticks are huge, like turkey size drumsticks. In terms of the flavor and texture, I'd also give them a 5 star because their chicken has a very thin crisp layer of skin, which is great because I don't like thick breading on my fried chicken. And they don't cover the chicken with thick sauces, their sauce is just a thin layer, just a little covering the chicken, and it's just enough flavor because the flavor comes from within the meat, I think they marinate the chicken which is great, cuz you get even flavor all throughout. Shout out to the seasoned fries - it's a must get! One of the best fries I've had, evenly sized not too thin not too thick, and they're covered in parsley and Parmesan!

I really love Bonchon I have been to different locations including the one outside state they were a lot better than Seattle location.I always ask for extra sauce because they are flavorless! Kimchi coleslaw come out different all the time I can say the headquarters should audit this location soon they ruining your reputation now

Bonchon is located First Hill a few blocks away from Harborview Medical Center. I was also excited that ShareTea was next door, but was closed for the night. Upon arriving, there was not much people dining. We were promptly seated after showing proof of vaccination and ID. We ordered 30 soy garlic wings, seasoned fries and Takoyaki. The wait was shorter than I expected, awesome! Let's dig in! Seasoned fries were delicious as Daym Drop mentioned. They were sprinkled with garlic and cheese-It was some damn good fries I tell you that! They're were *cronchi* and very fluffy inside. Con: I couldn't justify $9 for fries, (-1) Chicken was really good in terms of the skin being so crispy and delightfully thin. It kind of reminds me of lechon skin. It's really that delicate. The soy garlic sauce was coated every piece of chicken They were also smaller wings than BWW OR Wingstop, hubby like that a lot! Con: we noticed the chicken bones were brittle which can gage what the quality and freshness are of the chicken (-1) Overall, great place, great experience. I would definitely stop by when I'm around.

Omg, today was my first time eating here! I don't know the name of what I ordered but it was so damn good. I wish I lived closer I would definitely eat here more often. I definitely would recommend, I can't describe it but it's like going to a expensive restaurant but not lol. The taste was amazing you have to try it! Parking sucks though....

Went around lunch time, service was good. Ordered strips and wings and they don't come even close to what we experienced while living out in the DC area. We frequented Bonchon all over the mid-Atlantic and the food was always consistent and what you'd expect, which was amazingly delicious. The first thing that I found different at this location is that our order came out super fast, unlike all the other locations we dined at or waited for a pickup order, where there's a bit of a wait for the proper preparation which was always longer than average for a fried food order in a restaurant. The breading was different here. Food wasn't awful but I probably won't come back.

Pathetic. I have given them feedback before but they refuse to listen. They never put enough sauce. You need to make sure you have a drink because they are always dry and have almost no sauce. If you don't have a drink, your mouth with seize from the dryness and you will choke to death. Make sure you have a will written in advance before you come here! Picture is one of many seriously under-sauced nuggets. I will order again because it is close by but seriously how hard is it to sauce my nuggets sheesh

Bonchon has the very best wings in the city.. big statement but it's true. Soy garlic wings are the very best. We always have great customer service. Food is always super tasty! I do wish it was slightly cheaper but other than that.. I love the food!

Ordered delivery. Got the half and half, spicy and soy. The chicken was fried well and the sauces were tasty. The inside of the chicken was bland and a few of the pieces tasted like eggs. The freshness of the chicken was lacking. I really wanted to give this place a good review, but now I'm wondering if I'll be sick later today. Not sure if they brine their chicken .. but that would probably help with the bland taste after the skin layer. They also mix the soy and spicy in one box so all the chicken is pretty spicy when being delivered. So for those who order the combo, it'll be a good idea to have them separate the flavors if you have kids or someone that can't handle spice.

Just finished the takeout I got from there. I ended up throwing away half of them. For the wings. 1. Heavily coated boneless wings. I don't even know if I ever tested any meats. It's literally worse than frozen chicken nuggets. 2. House Fried Rice - No taste or very just very bland. If you gonna charge me $14 for a fried rice, it better taste good. Nevertheless, it just sucked. Bonchon used to be my go-to when I lived in DMV. I wouldn't order from this location anymore.

First time having Bonchon in seattle, but I've had it back in the Bay Area. Ordered it to-go recently and I was pleasantly surprised! The order came quick and everything had great portions sizes and the food was flavorful! Everything was delicious, especially the Japchae & wings. This whole meal fed 6 mouths so I would say it was definitely money well spent! The spicy wings were DELICIOUS so I definitelt recommend it, except it was a little spicier than I could handle so I didn't have too many. There's just something about korean wings that hit different than american wings... not sure what it is but Bonchon's got it down

I got the 10 wing half n half w pickled radishes. There's only two items on this plate. While the chicken was delicious as usual, the pickled radishes weren't pickled, but rather raw, chopped radishes wet w water. There was no vinegar or sugar on them, just water. I was in a rush to catch a flight so I didn't bother complaining but it was a big let down when the radishes are literally 50% of what's on the plate. I would have appreciated the kitchen just telling me the radishes aren't ready and given me rice. Chicken was tasty and staff are great!

My wife and I got carry-out here recently when visiting a friend in the area mostly for the convenience of the location. The menu had some great-looking options and we were starving so it seemed like the right choice. I went with the Chicken Katsu and my wife the Bibimbap but unfortunately neither of us were particularly pleased with our food. The chicken in the Chicken Katsu was extremely thin, tough, and difficult to chew. The katsu sauce and spicy mayo were actually pretty decent but weren't even close to being enough to save it from the overall incredible dryness of the meat. It was pretty much what you'd expect from a frozen meal you'd microwave at home. The Bibimbap was just exceedingly average. It was fairly unflavorful which was surprising with the "spicy chicken" option but the worst was that while it looked like a nice arrangement in the dish, the bowl was overwhelmingly comprised of rice. Even mixing it thoroughly left some unseasoned white rice in the end and to get a worthwhile bite throughout your meal you'd have to avoid 1/2 of the rice in the bowl. This would probably have been a 2 star review but they managed the 3rd star for decent service and the fact it wasn't very expensive.

Decided to give this place a try and thought it was ok. There was hit and misses that it average out. Pros/cons: -Chicken was good, it has a nice crispy texture even though it was in sauce and flavor was good. But the size was off, for a small, you get 6 pieces, 2 good size legs and 4 really tiny wings so it doesn't really justify the price in my opinion. -tteboki - average, nothing really special - the little rice noodle wrapped in seaweed was a nice touch though -coleslaw side -a little liquidy side Service: normal Parking: horrible - even though it was street parking, it's located in an area where there's barely any street parking. Expect to walk at least 5-10 minutes to get to this place from the parking place (and possibly up a hill)

I finally get to try Bonchon in Seattle. I keep telling myself that I have to go here to grab some Korean fried chicken. Every times something else came up. Until tonight, after work. Me and my friend we decide to go there and have a drink and grab some food to eat. It was pretty busy when we walk in. We got greeted by server and was seated pretty fast. We sat at the back but there was still a television there you can watch though. We order couple of things from the menu. We got their medium combo wings and drum stick with half & half flavors. Popcorn shrimp, pork bun, Korean spicy rice cake, and salmon avocado ball! We got our food our pretty fast. Everything tasted good. I do have to say that their salmon avocado ball, the portion is too small and in the inside it's mostly vegetables. But it's what it's, I wouldn't order it again in the future. As for the other entrees the portion is fair and tasted good as well. We got our chicken last. That was the moment I have been waiting for. The pieces were smaller here compare to other locations I went to, but the taste is still the same. It was just a little too plain on the inside after your first bite. We finished everything on our table at the end. I would definitely come back here again when I'm craving for some Korean fried chicken. :)

I loved the taste I got chicken strips and they did not add a little sauce they did just right I love how there was a little spice I ate it and that crunch was amazing

Came below my expectations, before this I loved chi Mac and stars in the sky. The flavor was good but wasn't as flavorful as others. Wish it was wet wings. Anyways it is overpriced. Nothing special. Maybe I'll try the Korean food here. Parking was hard to find, took almost 20 min. Update: food is better dine in and more saucy. My favorite is the soy garlic. Didn't have to wait on Friday evening. 24 for like 26.50$ is not bad for me. Definitely made me full even without the fried we ordered. I would come back!

Lovely spot for lunch or an afternoon bite, or I'd imagine in the evening too. Chicken strips are wonderfully crisp with a ton of flavor options (spicy is super spicy, so be aware). Speedy folks and easy online ordering. Good vibes from what I've seen inside too! Lots of window space to let in the PNW light (which is sometimes hard to come by!)

My coworkers and I ordered a late dinner for takeout around 9pm on a weekend. The menu zones in on every savory fantasy buzzword and makes your mouth water instantly. The Bul Dak was really really spicy in the best way, with chicken and cheese in a gochujang sauce and rice on the side. The plentiful almost raw onions are too sharp and detract from the dish overall. The salmon avocado ball was delicious but way too small for the price. The cooked salmon is intertwined with avocado, imitation crab, and crispy tempura flakes. It's oily and heavy, creamy with a salmon flavor that isn't overwhelmingly fishy. I've saved the best for last. The wings are incredible, I may say the best I've ever had. So crispy with a spicy sauce that isn't caked or slathered on, not enough to ruin the crisp. It felt like eating wings in their final form, the Super Sayan 5 of wings. The dipping sauces are spicy mayo and something resembling teriyaki sauce, which kick the pants off of ranch and blue cheese. The side of pickled radish brought a nice fresh crispness to all of this grease, even though they were not my favorite representation of Korean pickled radish. Overall, I really liked the package that Bonchon puts forth. There are things I'd alter here and there, and the price is a tad high, but the wings combined with the varied decadent Korean dishes on the menu have me sure to be a return customer.

I had been holding out on this place after trying other Korean fried chicken in the area and feeling not so impressed. Being from kentucky I am a big fan of fried chicken. This chicken did not disappoint. I tried the strips half spicy and half soy garlic. Not really knowing what to expect I was pleasantly surprised. The food took a bit to be made but it was worth the wait. The chicken has a nice crunch, it's super quality, and perfect level of sauce- not too much. The spicy is definitely spicy so warning if you decide to go for it. Spicier than I personally like but I had to try it. The garlic fries were really good as well. I have also tried the boneless wings which were good, but not as good as the strips in my opinion. But if you're looking for quality chicken this is the place. You can get it plain if you prefer no sauce. The whole menu looks good and I am looking forward to trying more things. Will always come back for the chicken fix though! Staff was patient and friendly too.

Okay - I said in my last review that I'd be willing to come back and try the non-chicken items on the menu, and that we did (twice in a week, might I add). We tried the tteokbokki, chicken katsu, bull dak, and even got a combo fried chicken special they had going on. We enjoyed them all! Everything was cooked well, flavors were there, and the service team was great. My only suggestion is maybe to use a different cut or style of cut on the chicken for the bull dak - the chicken breast was diced into small cubes like you would see in fried rice, but I think the dish would be SO much better if you had bigger slices of chicken breast cutlets like what's served at teriyaki restaurants or even the non-breaded version of your chicken katsu. Definitely left with a better impression the second and third time around, and will be happy to go back the next time I find myself in the area. Great job!

Finally decided to try this place out and I kinda regret that I did... I paid $17 for a signature Korean dish called Buldak that was not even remotely close to what I had at any other Korean restaurant... especially in LA. On top of that, the portion was like a kids size bowl lol. I was expecting a much more generous portion considering the $$! Good thing it came with the free rice because the chicken def needed it... everything was drenched in oil and still the flavor was not there. Rice cakes were cooked fine but it seemed like there weren't very many and it was just mainly chicken, oil, and some mozzarella. Service was quick and ok but for $17 -- I would way rather spend my money elsewhere. Maybe I'll try another one of their dishes off the menu someday. Wings seemed extremely overpriced though as well lol so maybe not.

I'm sure I am not the only person that has been stalking Bonchon's social media for updates on their Grand Opening...and its feels like YEARS since Eater announced Bonchon's coming to Seattle! Thanks to being at the right place at the right time, I walked by and saw that Bonchon was having a "Soft Opening" from 5 PM to 8 PM. Of course, I text my bf to immediately head over while I put our name on the list. Luckily, we did not experience a wait since there were parties finishing up. By the time our table was ready, we already had our order figured out but learned that they had a limited menu for the "Soft Opening". So if you are trying to get a taste of Bonchon this weekend, keep in mind they are not serving any of the sliders, baos, tacos or rice cake dishes. Then again, everyone only cares about the chicken so this should not be an issue. Anyways, the chicken here is so tasty! If you can't tolerate spicy, you might want to refrain from the spicy chicken and kimchi bacon fried rice since those had heat. I personally could not choose a favorite between the spicy and soy garlic chicken since the wings had that perfect crisp while being juicy. So if anything, just order both to share. The service was great for a Soft Opening, where 2 servers kept checking up on us and making sure we had enough food and water. I cannot wait until Bonchon's Grand Opening so I can sample the rest of the menu!

This much anticipated Korean chicken joint has obviously been on the list of many residents and neighboring areas of First Hill. First I have to say, we went on a soft opening. 30 minutes before they opened for dinner service a queue was already forming. This is always a good sign. We ended up waiting for 20ish minutes before getting seated. If you were in a party larger then 2 people you had to wait longer for a booth. If you had a party larger the 4 then they only have 1 table if 6 in the back, be prepared to wait. The menu is pretty basic: chicken, sides, and Korea dishes. Chicken comes sauces up, no exceptions that I read. Spicy, sweet crunchy, and soy garlic. You can do up to 2 flavour and do half and half. Unfortunately sweet crunchy wasn't available. We ordered an 8 piece chicken mix with shale spicy and half soy and a Chicken katsu. The spice on the chicken is great! My SO wasn't too impressed. But we both loved the crunch that they had on the batter. Even if it was coated in sauce, it was never heavy enough to reduce the batter to sogginess. Which is quite an achievement! The chicken katsu was good, but nothing overly special that you can't get anywhere else. The negative: now I get, why they have soft opening. I've been there. Service was slow due to the overwhelming number of people. But we were placed in the center aisle where there were 4 other tables of two. I swear it was like dead zone, no one seemed in charge of that section. It was over 15 minutes before we got water,a bit more before one of the other wait staff found someone to take our order. Wish they had those call buttons in the table like other Korean restaurant had. But again, soft opening, training people on his table service worked as well as their ordering system. I get it. But it makes me a bit upset when, people who were seated AFTER we were, had orders and received their food before we had even gotten water. When we got our food, which was great. Never got any traditional radish like the table next to ours with our order if chicken, but coleslaw. As soon as the food was dropped off we were back in the dead zone until we asked for the bill. Even that took a lot longer then it needed too. Now if you go to Bonchon, and expect side dishes, be prepared to pay. I know they're working out the kinks. But I wish that they'd be smarter about training staff. Or even upgrading to a tablet style ordering, anything to make the process faster and easier in everyone. Will I go back? Probably definitely. Just hope to not be put back in the dead zone aisle.

In my opinion, Bonchon has one of the best soy garlic sauces among KFC (Korean Fried Chicken) restaurants so I was really excited when they finally opened a branch in Seattle. On my first visit I got the legs in soy garlic sauce and I found the meat to be pretty bland. The second time, I ordered wings to go and I found them to be a little dry. The soy garlic flavor was there but was not as flavorful as the ones I tried in Asia. They are quite expensive for chicken wings so it's not a place I would go to quite a lot but it's also not a place I could completely avoid because as I said - they have one of the best soy garlic sauces... and sometimes that's just worth spending for.

Korean fried chicken a block from me? Thank you! I do enjoy the extra crispiness of korean twice fried chicken and was glad when the first hill branch of this international chain finally opened. Stuff tried: Wings (soy garlic, spicy) wings are what they are known for so it seems foolish not to get them. Not too overly battered but still crispy. I would rather have no sauce and just have the fried chicken taste but i go for these flavors as well. Pot stickers: pork and ginger. They are deep fried which are not as tasty as pan seared. You can also get these spicy. Pork buns: kind of like the taiwanese bao pork belly dish but i dont think they use belly unfortunately. We all could use more pork belly. Place can fill up on weekends and there is little to no parking in the area which can be a pain. Decent lunchtime option if you are in the area