KyoChon Chicken invades the Philippine Food Scene

KyoChon has finally arrived here in the Philippines with its first store in SM Megamall

I'm very excited to share with you that the "most famous chicken franchise in Korea" called KyoChon has finally arrived in the Philippines with its first outlet in SM Megamall (Ground level of Building B). Established in 1991, KyoChon specializes on providing top-quality chicken in variety of flavors, as well as other Korean dishes such as Kimchi and the like.

Although it may sound closely to BonChon, KyoChon is entirely different because it claims to be non fast-food restaurant (unlike the former). As a matter of fact, this is the first promise that KyoChon is committed to keep. The second and third one is interrelated and that is to use only natural ingredients together with the fresh & healthy chicken!

KyoChon's 3 Main Promises to Customers

Kyochon's Secret

• Natural Ingredients
• Kyochon's Authentic Original Sauces
• Light and Less Greasy Recipe - a result of the double frying method (chefs will know the reason behind this)
• Hearty Recipe - Kyochon promises to offer consistently good dishes by strictly following the standard recipe on the manual

Here's a preview of the potato wedges, one of the side dishes you may order in Kyochon.

KyoChon wedge potato - Crispy and Delicious

Note: I've heard that the Kimchi rice is really top-notch! Maybe you can check it out!

Now, let's talk about the chicken!

The Honey Series

Sweet honey sauce and moist chicken. Sweet and crispy. Choice of Original or Combo.

The Honey Series of Kyochon Chicken

One of the natural ingredients to sweeten something is to use honey, and that is what Kyochon is actually doing. Hence, for those who have prominent sweet tooth, you may go for the honey series!
The Kyochon Series

Rich taste from garlic and soy sauce. Light and slightly salty. Choose from Original, Stick, Wing and Combo

The Original Kyochon Series - just right for the adventure your palate seeks

The Kyochon series showcases the "garlic meets soy sauce" flavor!

The Red Series

Spicy and hot, Korean red pepper taste. Choose from Original, Stick Wing & Combo.

The Red Series - the spicy version of the Kyochon Chicken

If you are a heat-lover, you should definitely try the Red series, which is the spicy version of the KyoChon Chicken! This one offers a different kind of spiciness because Kyochon uses no other than Korean red peppers.

The Salsal Series (but names Soonsal Series here in the Philippines)

Rice-battered, boneless & skinless breast and thigh meat. Savory and crispy. Options of Salsal or Soy Salsal

The Salsal Series of KyoChon Chicken - bite into the crunch

You may be smiling or laughing right now because of the name Salsal, but I guess that word refers to White Meat or Boneless meat. I'm not sure about it, but it certainly does not pertain to the one you have in mind. What you'll find interesting about this dish is the crunchiness coming from the rice bubbles. To top it all, this dish comes with two special sauces that will add more bountiful flavor to the chicken.

The two sauces are the jambalaya sauce (savory taste) and the honey mustard sauce (creamy and sweet). Both will be served with the Salsal, so you'll have freedom as to what sauce to put. Some foodies exert creativity and blend the sauce together. You may want to try that as well.

Alright, so I hope you enjoyed this sneak preview of what KyoChon can offer. Of course there are still a lot to discover, so you may want to drop by the first outlet of Kyochon in the Ground Level of Building B, SM Megamall!

Food Review - Updated 07/21/14

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I know this update has been long overdue, but you know what they say - "It's better late than never". I hope this excuse would be good enough already. Anyway, I want to share with you my personal experience dining here in Kyochon by starting with the appetizer we had:

Green Salad with Grilled Chicken || P160
(Choice of Blueberry or Orange Dressing)

Kyochon's Green Salad with Grilled Chicken

This Green Salad of Kyochon was definitely something I enjoyed. Both the freshness of the greens and the tangy-sweetness of the dressing made the salad dish a good treat for the palate!

Kimchi Fried Rice || P99

Kyochon's Kimchi Fried Rice

This is the one I mentioned above -- the amazing Kimchi Fried Rice. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to have a taste of this rice dish because I was having some cold that time, but my sister can attest about the goodness of the fried rice. She enjoyed the mild spiciness in it, as well as the overall flavor!

Honey Series - Drumstick || P149 - 2 pcs || P290 - 4 pcs || P540 - 8 pcs

The Honey Series of KyoChon Chicken

I was really able to appreciate this honey series chicken because of the crunchiness of the skin and the juiciness of the meat! It was really different in such a way that the flavor didn't come any close to something artificial. In fact, it was the kind of taste that you won't get tired of easily (versus the chickens of other restaurants).

Soonsal Strips || P149 - 4 pcs || P290 - 8pcs || P540 - 12 pcs

The Soonsal Chicken Strips of Kyochon

It was a wise decision for Kyochon to change the name of this chicken to Soonsal! Anyway, this was something I thought would taste completely different, but didn't. Of course, the texture was different because of the rice crispies, but the taste in general was just simple - nothing astounding. This is why I highly suggest that you utilize the Jambalaya and the Honey Mustard sauces that go with this dish. These will be the ones that will add dimension to the taste.

Overall, I found Kyochon Restaurant more than decent, and although there's a higher premium as opposed to the other known Korean Chicken brand, the goodness in the taste of the chickens may compensate for it. Personally, I find it somehow expensive, but definitely I would visit this place again soon!

Kyochon Restaurant
Location:  Upper Ground Floor, Building B, SM Megamall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City

Service Charge: 5%