Kyo-Chon Korean Fried Chicken @ 1 Utama
12:01:00 PMAfter so many years of eating and tormenting myself with KFC or Mamak-styled fried chicken, there is finally a restaurant, that could change everything. Surprisingly, its a Korean Fried Chicken Restaurant, Kyo-Chon.
Founded in 1991, Kyo-Chon is the largest and most popular fried chicken restaurant in Korea. It has over 1000 branches in Korea and it is currently expanding all over South East Asia. Open not more than 2 months ago in 1 Utama, is the first and Halal branch that Kyo-Chon has. Not to worry, it is also planning to open in Sunway Pyramid and Pavilion over the next couple of months!
The entrance with one member of the Super Junior group waxed and displayed.
To my surprise, this wasn't an average Korean BBQ restaurant nor a Korean Fast Food Restaurant. Everything here is made to order, fresh. The batter, seasoning and frying of the chicken will only be conducted once the customers have placed an order. Also, no MSG, non-oily, healthy, delicious and fresh fried chicken is what they serve.
Natural Sparkling Yuza Fruit Tea - RM5.90
Natural Sparkling Plum Fruit Tea - RM5.90
Before the commencement of our meal, we were served 2 types of Natural Sparkling drinks; Plum and Yuza. I can't really decide which I liked more initially but, throughout the whole proceed, my vote goes to the plum as it was slightly more refreshing and sparkly. I absolutely loved both these drinks really badly and I really do wish to try them again.
Honey Flavour - Prices below
Honey Wings & Drumette
Small, 5pcs - RM10.90
Medium, 10pcs - RM21.90
Large, 20pcs - RM43.50
Honey Stick (Drumstick)
Small, 2pcs - RM10.90
Medium, 4pcs - RM21.80
Large, 8pcs - RM43.50
Honey Mix
Small, 2 wings + 1 stick - RM9.90
Medium, 4 wings + 2 sticks - RM19.80
Large, 8 wings + 4 sticks - RM39.50
Yes, there are 3 methods of serving, Wings & Drumettes, Drumsticks or Wings & Drumsticks. The prices will vary for different flavours.
Well, I believe my favourite would be the Honey Glazed Flavour for it is sweet, savory, juicy, and really flavourful. Unlike conventional fried chicken companies like KFC, McDonalds, Texas Chicken or Popeyes, the difference in oil is remarkable. Its as if I was comparing Rosmah's handbags collection and my personal bank account.
Knowing that Kyo-Chon serves non-oily chicken, I have no guilt stuffing myself with more!
Red (Spicy) Flavour - Prices below
Red Wings & Dumette
Small, 5pcs - RM9.90
Medium, 10pcs - RM19.80
Large, 20pcs - RM39.50
Red Stick
Small, 2pcs - RM9.90
Medium, 4pcs - RM19.80
Large, 8pcs - RM39.50
Red Mix
Small, 2 wings + 1 stick - RM8.90
Medium, 4 wings + 2 sticks - RM17.80
Large, 8 wings + 4 sticks - RM35.50
I would've prefer the Red Glazed Flavour if it was just a little spicier and more balanced. No doubt it was good, but it wasn't as great as the Honey. The issue for me was I could only taste the spiciness but not the sweet or aromatic flavour the sauce has to offer.
I'm not sure whether or not they meant it that way, but for sure I will not take a pure spicy sambal compared to a sweet, spicy and nutty sambal. Same concept. Nevertheless, for those who love spicy food, this is the chicken to go for!
Original Soy Flavour - Prices below
Original Soy Wing & Drumette
Small, 5pcs - RM9.90
Medium, 10pcs - RM19.80
Large, 20pcs - RM39.50
Original Soy Stick
Small, 2pcs - RM9.90
Medium, 4pcs - RM19.80
Large, 8pcs - RM39.50
Original Soy Mix
Small, 2 wings + 1 stick - RM8.90
Medium, 4 wings + 2 sticks - RM17.80
Large, 8 wings + 4 sticks - RM35.50
The prices of the Original Soy is similar to the Red. However, this was my least favourite. It did taste a little like chicken dipped in soy sauce but that was it. I'd expect a lot more considering it was named "Original Soy".
Sal Sal Strips
Small, 5pcs - RM10.90
Medium, 10pcs - RM21.90
Large, 20pcs - RM43.50
*Comes with a choice of Jambalaya, Honey Mustard or Red (Spicy) dipping Sauce.
I would say that this was possibly the freshest and most crunchy chicken tenders I've had. Those little white balls are not the results of an over-fried battered but a crushed Korean Rice Powder instead. Overall, crispy, crunchy, flavourful, tender and fresh!
Seasoned Wedges - RM5.90
Another plate of non-oily, crispy, well cooked, delicious potato wedges. Even after leaving it on the table for some time, the crispiness was still there with no sign of oil lumps or sogginess. A simple use of American red potatoes seasoned with some butter; fantastic results.
Pickled Radish - RM3
This was amazingly good. I think I was the only one who enjoyed it because I ate 2 full bowls of these. Very sour, slightly sweet and very crunchy!
Dakgalbi Grilled Chicken - RM23.90
Tenderly marinated and grilled chicken served with a bowl of Kimchi Rice with egg and salad. Chicken was both flavourful and juicy, no doubt. However, the rice was a little let down. I'd expect more flavour from the erupting from the Kimchi within. Nevertheless, the rice was consistently cooked and evenly coated with Kimchi.
Sauces of the night! These will be used in our following dishes.
Sal Sal Rice Bowl - RM21.90
Cutlets of crispy Sal Sal Strips and salad on some Korean short grain rice. Pretty surprised with the results of balance from the Sal Sal Strips, rice and sauce. Interesting mix.
Mandarin Salad + Grilled Chicken - RM15.90 + RM6
I was really interested to see how does Orange mix with grilled chicken. Amazingly, it was pretty good. The zesty and sweet orange flavour uplifted the slightly more dull and heavy chicken. Not to say that the chicken wasn't good but with all the amazing flavour I had earlier, it was no doubt that this came to me as a little bland.
Blueberry Salad - RM15.90
Similar to the Mandarin Salad but without the additional grilled chicken. Also, instead of the Orange sauce, we had Blueberry! Personally, I prefer this over the Mandarin Salad because it is rather difficult to find a good mix of Blueberry and salad.
In conclusion, I believe I have found my replacement for any convention fried chicken restaurant. I need not worry about the flavour nor the amount of oil at Kyo-Chon. Furthermore, the service staffs were pretty nifty and quick when preparing our orders. Last but not least, the restaurant was pretty spacious, well arranged, well lidded and clean. Unlike fast food chain stores where they sometimes do have oil stains on their tiles.
Address:
Lot 311, Lower Ground,
1 Utama,
Bandar Utama,
Petaling Jaya
Operating Hours:
10am - 3pm, 5pm - 10pm daily
2 comments
Nice restaurant! I should try it too! :-)
ReplyDeleteHaha, I like the remark about Rosmah's handbag collection. But to be fair, she can afford it because she has been saving her RM1,000 daily pocket money since she was 3 years ago! :-)
Please check me out at:
http://penangfoodforthought.blogspot.com
Cheers!
Penang Ho Chiak
Hello,
DeleteSorry for the late reply. Did not realize that there was a comment here ahaha. Thank you =D