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Saturday, February 11, 2012

That Bon Chon Bite

by Ana Valenzuela

(Published in the Manila Standard Today newspaper on 2011/november/9.)

“I lived in the US for 10 years, and I frequent New York. My first and last destination would always be Bon Chon,” Scott Tan, the owner of the Philippine franchise of the chicken resto, recalls at the opening of the newest branch of Bon Chon in Il Terrazzo in Tomas Morato.

A big fan of Bon Chon's soy garlic chicken and spicy chicken wings, Tan began recommending Bon Chon to his friends. When he came back home, he eagerly bought the franchise and set up the first Bon Chon at the Ayala Triangle Gardens.

“I wanted every Filipino to experience what I had experience at my first bon chon bite,” Tan says. “What makes Bon Chon special I think is pretty much---the crispiness factor, the health factor and the flavour.”


Yummy secret

There must be some secret to making this chicken so yummy that you would just want to continuously feed your mouth nothing more. “The crispiness is due to the secret technique in cooking which no other chicken place in the Philippines does. Second, because of the cooking technique, it actually melts the fat off the chicken that is what makes it healthier than most chickens here in the Philippines. Lastly it’s flavourful because of the cooking technique there is no more fat in between the skin and the meat, the soy garlic and hot and spicy flavour is absorbed in every bite that makes it like a pure bite,” he says.

Now that the the restaurant has become a hit, Tan is thinking of expanding its offerings. “When we first started we only had the chicken,” he shares. “Then we added the fish taco for lent, then it proved to be very popular so we left it, then now the chap chae (Korean noodles) and the calamari.”

“Funny story about the fish taco and the calamari, it was supposed to be seasonal, we took it out after Lent, and then people started asking, where is it? So we brought it back,” says Andrea See, Bon Chon’s marketing head.

“Bon Chon is very flexible in customizing the food in each country, because they know that every country is different. They have to tailor it to the culture. (In the US, they) don’t have rice, but here we have value meals,” Scott states.

Apart from the difference in the menu, there is also a difference in Bon Chon‘s ambience. “In the US, Bon Chon is more of a bar/restaurant. People drink and everything. So when I brought it here, I decided I wanted to make it more of a quick service-restaurant--for a casual dining experience, so more people can try our food. We have beers, but we don’t market it,” he adds.

Bon Chon opted for a quick service setting so as to cater to a more family-centered market. Tan would like as much people as possible to try Bon Chon’s sumptuous recipe. “When we got the master franchise, we proposed to the owner that when we bring it here, we wanted to make it in to quick service. In order for us to reach the majority of the whole Philippines, and let everyone to try our food, we had to be quick service, because of you are a bar, it restricts a lot of age group,” he says.

“If you noticed, you order at the counter then we bring it to you. It is because we wanted the interaction, that still that differentiates us from the other fast food places,’’ says Andrea, stressing their difference on other fast-food chains.

More and more Filipinos seem to be craving this flavorful chicken, as they have plans for expansion. “This is our tenth store. By the year end we are going to have fourteen stores. At the Mall of Asia , Bonifacio High Street Extension , Trinoma and Alabang Town Center. Next year we are targeting to franchise out in the provincial area, so next year expect about 35 to 40 stores ,” discloses Tan. Surely many more hulks of eaters would be unleashed with every bite.

Mario Maurer graces Bon Chon opening

Bon Chon formally opened in the Philippines with no less than Thai superstar Mario Maurer gracing the event.

The Thai superstar, popular for the teenage romantic flick Crazy Little Thing Called Love, flew in to the country for the first time recently to do a series of engagements including signing a movie deal with Star Cinema and appearing in a Fan Conference at the PICC with thousands of screaming fans in attendance.

He was greeted by Bon Chon executives for the ceremonial ribbon cutting with a flock of excited fans hoping to get a glimpse of the 22-year old actor.

Bon Chon Chicken outlets are located at: Ayala Triangle Gardens; Greenbelt 1; Libis (Acropolis); SM Megamall; Robinson’s Galleria; Greenhills Promenade; Katipunan; Shangri-La Plaza; Taft Avenue; Tomas Morato (Il Terrazzo). Soon opening in TriNoma, SM Mall of Asia, Alabang Town Center, and Bonifacio High Street Extension.

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