Gol Tong Chicken
Chicken restaurant · Koreatown ·
Korean fried chicken with fruit toppings from film director
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22049042/2020_11_06_GolTong_Chicken_006.jpg "Gol Tong Chicken by eater.com")
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22049055/2020_11_06_GolTong_Chicken_002.jpg "Gol Tong Chicken by eater.com")
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22049039/2020_11_06_GolTong_Chicken_005.jpg "Gol Tong Chicken by eater.com")
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67807487/2020_11_06_GolTong_Chicken_001.0.jpg "Gol Tong Chicken by Wonho Frank Lee")
Korean fried chicken with fruit toppings from film director
"Lots of filmmakers come to LA with Hollywood dreams. But only one of them opened a fried chicken shop instead. Gol Tong is run by an ex-horror film director from Korea who taught himself how to make fried chicken from a TV show. The result is unlike anything in the city: crispy, saucy twice-fried KFC topped with like diced peppers, golden kiwis, pineapple, tomatoes, blueberries, and green grapes that add bursts of freshness and make the platter look like a patchwork quilt. The one-man shop has walls of posters from movies he’s directed, and if you ask nicely, he’ll probably share a story or two as you dig into a glistening pile of sweet and sticky chicken." - brant cox, garrett snyder, jess basser sanders, nikko duren, sylvio martins, cathy park
"What happens when a Korean horror film director opens a fried chicken shop? You get Gol Tong—a one-man operation where the 70-something owner shuttles around taking every order and frying it himself. You'll have to wait a bit, but gazing at the wall of movie posters (directed by the man himself) makes time fly. The menu includes just three flavors, but they’re all unique, topped with diced bell peppers, kiwis, pineapple, tomatoes, blueberries, and grapes, which add fresh bursts of sweetness and make the platter look like a patchwork quilt. All the chicken is boneless, and while we usually prefer bone-in, the pieces here are so juicy we don’t mind." - cathy park, brant cox, sylvio martins, garrett snyder
"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
"An off-kilter, standalone Korean-fried-chicken spot in Koreatown created by a film director that pairs juicy, golden-brown pieces with substantial crunchy crusts and bold, sticky-sweet soy–chile sauces; over-the-top Director’s Cut platters add fruit, jalapeño, cheese, and even avocado for a successful, playful twist on classic flavors." - Eater Staff
