(Front of establishment)
The inconvenience of actually traveling to Kyo-Chon or Bon Chon in Flushing forced us to find alternative KFC places around the city. After trying the Bon Chon on Chambers St. and having an entirely unsatisfying experience, we despaired at the fact that the only good KFC places we were ever going to eat were to remain in the distant, almost mystical, land of Flushing, Queens.
In quick review, Bon Chon on Chambers St. had horrible chicken, and it might have been why we were the only patrons there. The chicken was completely dry, quite the contrary to the flavorful and crispy counterparts at the Flushing location. Not only were the spicy wings dry, but they lacked the heat and flavor they were supposed to have.
Anyway, Helen found a place on St. Marks Place between 2nd and 3rd Avenue called BBQ Chicken, and we decided to check it out, as she had heard good reviews from friends. BBQ Chicken stands for Best of the Best Quality Chicken, and in conclusion, I must say that while it was much tastier than Bon Chon on Chambers Street, it is still not up to par with Kyo Chon. The decor was mediocre, very simple, and a few tables in the back, with two or three outdoor tables in the front. The air conditioning was off for half the time we were there, but they turned it on later, so it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.
BBQ definitely had a greater assortment of flavors to choose from: Olive Original, Sweet and Spice, Teri-Gold, BB Wings, and Wings of Fire. Of the five flavors we tried four of them – Olive Original, Sweet and Spice, Teri Gold, and Wings of Fire; they were not making BB Wings that day.
(Teri Gold and Olive Original, from left to right)
Olive Original, which is chicken fried in olive oil, which is basically what’s unique about them; Teri-Gold, which is similar to what is served at Kyo-Chon and Bon Chon, in that they fry the chicken in a rice batter rather than a flour batter. Olive Original does not have much flavor, but the olive oil does give it a distinct taste that differs from any other chicken you may have tried. Teri-Gold was certainly flavorful, and you can taste the cooked rice moreso than at Kyo-Chon; however, I still prefer Kyo-Chon’s – the gingery flavor definitely hits the spot moreso than the garlic at BBQ.
(Sweet and Spice and Wings of Fire, from back to front)
The Sweet and Spice were too sweet for my liking, although they were quite flavorful, and slightly spicy. Their spicyness meter is pretty accurate to my heat tolerance. Sweet and Spice was ranked 2 Chiles out of 3 – it was tolerable but not to the point that you couldn’t feel the heat. The Wings of Fire are definitely rightly named in that eating too many of them WILL cause you (unless you have super insanely high tolerance for spicy foods,) to gasp, pant, and cry for water…so you better have a bottle close at hand (though it won’t do you much good). While it wasn’t spicy to the point that I started tearing, but the heat was definitely satisfying – not TOO spicy, but not hot sauce for babies. The Wings of Fire were probably the most satisfying of the four flavors that we tried – a perfect combination of sweet and spicy, rich in sauce, and the chicken falls right off the bone.
Pricing-wise, it’s not the cheapest, but it’s decently priced. We bought a combo of three flavors, with twenty wings each for $40, and 20 wings (of one flavor) costs $15. For 10 pieces, it is $7.95, and there are other choices to choose from, such as drumsticks, and their grilled series which are all priced differently.
If you live in or close to Flushing, or don’t mind the travel, definitely choose Kyo-Chon or Bon Chon – it’s much better, and you get side dishes of cubed radish and cole slaw along with your meal.
Overall rating: 3.5/5
Food: 3.5/5
Value: 3/5
Decor: 2.5/5
Service: N/A
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$$
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