Gol Tong Chicken

"If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if a 70-something Korean horror film director opened a fried chicken shop, well, now you know. You get Gol Tong—a one-man operation where the owner shuttles around the dining room to greet every guest, take every order, and fry every chunk of chicken himself. You may have to wait a bit for your order, but gazing at the wall of movie posters (directed by the man himself) makes the time go fast. The menu is just three flavors of fried chicken, but they’re all unique, topped with diced bell peppers, golden kiwis, pineapple, tomatoes, blueberries, and green grapes, which add fresh bursts of sweetness and make the platter look like a patchwork quilt. All the chicken here is boneless, and while we usually prefer bone-in, the pieces here are so juicy we don’t mind." - Cathy Park

"After leaving a career in film behind, Kil Chae Jeong started making fried chicken in South Korean. In 2017, he opened Gol Tong Chicken in Koreatown and the restaurant quickly rose to cult-favorite status. Order the Director’s Cut, which comes with chili chicken, classic fried chicken, and soy garlic chicken. The chicken is served with a medley of fruits and vegetables that often includes blueberries, raspberries, avocadoes, jalapenos, and more. While it may seem unconventional at first, the side does something similar to the pickled radish more commonly served, offering a sweet, fresh contrast to the chicken." - Rebecca Roland, Eater Staff

"Gol Tong Chicken is a rare standalone in the world of sticky-sweet Korean fried chicken, where most outposts are part of a large national or even international chain. It’s bold to go it alone, but South Korean film director Kil Chae Jeong is up for the challenge with his one-off phenomenon in LA’s Koreatown. In stark contrast to the more polished KFC chains, this place is as unabashedly off-kilter as the founder himself, who directed erotic horror flicks before turning his creative eye to chicken. His Director’s Cut platter tops glistening chicken with everything from fresh berries, pineapple chunks, jalapeno slices, peaches, cheese, and even avocado. It sounds gimmicky, but it works, and the chicken itself more than holds up — juicy, golden brown morsels with a substantial crust that stays crunchy even after being tossed in the signature sweet, soy, and chile-inflected sauces." - Eater Staff

"Koreatown is no stranger to fried chicken; it seems like on every corner, in every strip mall, there’s a restaurant that has one of the crispiest and juiciest versions of the poultry dish. On the corner of Western and 4th, Gol Tong Chicken prevails. At first, the shop — flanked on each side by a Korean video store and a hair salon — seems rather unremarkable with a minimalist storefront and matte red letters on rectangular signage. But diners are in for a pleasant surprise when they taste the chicken and end up meeting Kil Chae Jeong, the shop’s sole owner and only employee." - Cathy Park

"Don’t let the dodgy strip mall location off Western deceive: Bukchon’s wood-adorned, elegant Old World-style interiors house one of the city’s more unapologetically traditionalist menus. Between the soojaebi (Korean soup with torn pasta) and samgyetang (Korean chicken soup) is a kalguksu that’s gaining serious buzz around town. The clam kalguksu has a refreshing broth and is adorned with buchu, or flat garlic chive, and the anchovy is as worthy a bowl of soup noodles as any in town. Though a relative newcomer, expect the restaurant to become one of the city’s strip mall stalwarts." - Euno Lee