New resto alert: Healthier, flavorful Korean fried chicken in Kyochon

MANILA, Philippines – If there’s one type of food that’s common to Filipinos and Koreans, it’s fried chicken.

Korean fried chicken has already made waves in the Philippines with the presence of several fast food chains offering the dish.

Newly opened restaurant Kyochon, however, says they aim to be different by serving fried chicken that is healthier. While the words “healthy” and “fried” don’t normally go together, there’s always a way to decrease the amount of oil and make sure the ingredients are fresh and all natural.

The company’s policy also dictates the non-use of monosodium glutamate, sodium saccharine, and glacier acetic acid, which can affect customer health.

Kyochon Brand Ambassador Lydia Lee says their cooking process includes frying the chicken twice in canola oil which has zero transfat. This takes about 12 minutes.

Then the chicken is separately infused wih the flavor of your choice before it’s served.

Lee cites Kyochon’s 3 promises: “First, we won’t make fast food. Second, we only use natural ingredients and third, we only make healthy chicken with honesty,” she said.

Though price points tend to be higher than its fast food counter parts, the casual-dining restaurant says every bite will be worth it: no frozen chicken in the kitchen, and it will be cooked only after you order.

Chicken prices start at P149 for 5 pieces of wings and drumsticks.

As far as flavors go, you have 4 to choose from in Kyochon. There’s the Original series that has the soy-garlic taste Korean fried chicken is famous for, the Honey series that features sweet, honey-glazed chicken, the Red series for the spicy-loving crowd (careful: it can be very, very hot!), and the unique Soon-Sal chicken.

Soon-Sal is tender, tasty, boneless chicken fried with a special batter of rice crisps. It comes with two dips – honey mustard and sambal. 

Kyochon started in Korea in 1991 and now has over a thousand stores in Korea, the US, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, endorsed by popular Korean actor Lee Min Ho. Reports say that Kyochon was brought to Manila by the same group that brought in BreadTalk, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, ToastBox, Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen Philippines and Chops Chicago Steak House Inc.

The first Manila branch, which is now open to the public, is at the ground floor of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong.

Have you tried Kyochon? Tell us your favorite chicken flavor in the comments section below. – Rappler.com