Look At All That Chicken!

When Tony Zhou first tried Korean fried chicken in 2014, he had no idea that a Korean soap opera was in part responsible for the explosion in popularity of the culinary phenomenon in China, Europe and the United States.

All he knew was that, when his wife brought home leftovers one night, the food tasted lighter, crispier and fresher than any fried chicken he had ever had. And that was hours after it had been prepared.

On Thursday afternoon, Zhou, Jason Zhou (Tony’s brother) and Jay Cao introduced that international take on an American staple to downtown New Haven with the official grand opening of Bonchon Chicken, a new Korean fried chicken restaurant at 170 College St, on the ground floor of the 160-unit College & Crown luxury apartment building. The restaurant has been open for business since March 6.

Tony Zhou, Jason Zhou and Cao, who all hail from Fujian, China, are the three co-owners of the new restaurant. They’ve contracted with Bonchon to open up to 10 more restaurants in New Haven and Fairfield counties.

Bonchon Chicken is an international Korean fried chicken franchise that was founded in Busan, South Korea in 2002. There are 286 Bonchon stores worldwide, including 74 in the United States.

Tony Zhou explained that Bonchon Korean fried chicken is triple fried, and yet somehow lighter and less flaky than its American counterpart.

Although Bonchon Chicken’s menu carries a number of Korean staples like Bibimbap (white rice, vegetables and egg served in a hot stone bowl with Korean red pepper paste) and Bulgogi (thinly sliced and marinated ribeye beef), the chicken is the centerpiece of the menu.

Customers can order a small plate with 10 pieces of chicken, a medium plate with 20 pieces, or a large plate with 30 pieces.

Although Tony Zhou was won over by the taste and texture of Korean fried chicken upon first trying it four years ago, Realtor Young Won Lee, who helped connect the Bonchon franchisees with the College Street location, said that Korean fried chicken is in part such an international phenomenon because of a Korean soap opera called ​“My Love from the Star.”

Lee said that, whenever the beautiful young heroines of the drama are feeling down or are in need of a good night out, they always say: Let’s have some chimaek! Chimaek is a portmanteau of the Korean words for fried chicken and beer.

Lee said that that soap opera, which is very popular in China, helped galvanize an international interest in Korean fried chicken and beer, stretching as far as the United States.

During Thursday’s ribbon cutting, city Economic Development Administrator Matthew Nemerson emphasized the international connections that a restaurant like Bonchon brings to the city, though he did not mention any Korean soap operas.

“We don’t just have regular fast food” in New Haven, he said. ​“This is literally an international taste, an international restaurant, and that plays on our theme as not only the foodie capital of America, but one of the great international centers for students and investors and companies looking to do business around the world.”

He also said that the location of the restaurant on the first floor of a College Street apartment complex represents the type of mixed-use development that he and Mayor Harp have promoted since the beginning of her administration.

“One of the things that makes New Haven different,” he said, ​“is that when we do development, we ask and pretty much require that developers keep the first-floor space for retail.” He recognized that that is sometimes a difficult proposition for developers who need to spend more time and money finding a commercial tenant.

But, he said, when it’s successful, it keeps a street like College Street alive and bustling.