"Bad Mouth" Fried Chicken Wings - Bonchon 4 Fingers

After BBQ Chicken graced Singapore F&B, 4 Fingers Bonchon Crispy Chicken finally hit Orchard ION B4 to contest with the wealth of diverse F&B outlets with the only contender in Orchard ION for the fried chicken wings is Old Chang Kee unless you want to consider Dong Dae Mun which retail fired chicken cutlet etc. By chance, my makan kaki & me found the Bonchon is not vacant during one late sunday night while we wandering aimlessly in ION prompt us to give this Korean fried chicken a go for our money.

Our first look into the Bonchon menu give us a shock of our life. For 3 mid wings & 3 wingstick (3 Chicken Wings) are priced at $7.95 and for a set meal with drink $9.90. There are 2 flavour of choice :- Spicy Chili or Garlic Shoyu. We ordered $7.95 chicken only set with mixed spicy chili & garlic shoyu in order to try all the Bonchon fried chicken flavours.

After paying up $7.95, we move on to "spacious" unique reclining seating area while we wait for the fried chicken to served to us. While we waiting for the chicken served to us, we notice the video adverstisement screening in Bonchon video wall actually is a collection of video comment film from a group of fried chicken lovers "bad mouthing" other fried chicken franchise. Exact details of the comment I won't delve, I leave it those who are interested to dine in Bonchon to take a look. (Note: The video advert was screening during the time of my dinning, as for whether the advert is still screen in Bonchon, I'm unable to verify). After 5 to 8 minutes wait, the fried chicken wings were served to us.

My first glance of Bonchon Fried Chicken Wings, it is very puny like winglet & wingstick if you compared with Old Chang Kee Fried Chicken Wing. I guess maybe the redeeming factor is in its special flavoring sauce that is coated on the fried chicken. I proceed to take a bite on the Spicy Chili flavour. Bonchon is the most crispy fried chicken in Singapore but with a catch. Bonchon is also the driest fried chicken as you can forget about finding any meat juice.

Bonchon crispy crust is due to their special rice flour batter that contribute to its ability to retain its crispiness after being fried for a long time. The spicy chili sauce have a sweet fusion of Gochuzhang (Korean Chili Paste) & Tasbaco sauce which is pretty unique and I quite like it. As for the Garlic Shoyu, it is sweet shoyu with hint of garlic. For a hefty price of $7.95 for 3 dry crispy winglets & wingsticks, it is unlikely I would revisit Bonchon as I prefer crispy juicy chicken.

Kimchi Gyoza/Dumplings

Lately, I have been brooding over what dishes will we be having for reunion dinner. Steamboat always has been the usual fanfare. I decided a change is needed for this upcoming reunion dinner. How about Gyoza/Dumplings instead of the boring steamboat?

Gyoza or Dumplings is one of the dishes that is commonly made during Chinese New Year. Chinese Dumplings normally made from mixture of minced pork, chives and spring onions. I decide to give it a korean twist this time - Kimchi Gyoza/Dumplings. This concept was given to me by a Korean Drama "Precious Family" that was screened in Channel U few months back. I decided to give it a try with my own rendition since not much information was given and it turn out quite good.



Kimchi Gyoza/Dumpling

1. Dumpling Skin 2 packet (available $1.90 at Sheng Siong)
2. Minced Pork 500g
3. Mat Kimchi 250g (available in alot of supermart, avoid local brand called Gana)
4. Pressed Tofu (not tau kwa or tau poh)
   
5. Egg
6. Corn Starch
7. Dry Chili Flakes (optional)
8. Ginseng Powder (optional)

For minced pork, it best not to get lean meat as you need retain certain amount fat when you frying the gyoza on a pan to retain the meat juiciness. First you need to buy Kimichi that is cut to smaller pieces, for this gyoza you to chop it up further so that it will mix well with mince meat. For 500g of mince meat, you need 250g of gyoza about 1 normal soup bowl. For a square piece of pressed tofu, you only need half of it.

First, mash the tofu into bits. After that, mix in the chopped kimchi into the mash tofu until it is blend well. Next add in the mince meat, you might want to use your hand this time (make sure you detox before you mix it) to ensure the kimichi gyoza filling is blend well. At this juncture, you can add in the 1 or 2 eggs, 3 teaspoons of corn starch and 2 tablespoon of light soya sauce to flavour and congeal the fillings. Knead the whole gyoza fillings until it blends well and it time to wrap the gyoza and do a taste test.

Normally, I will wrap 2 gyoza. One will be use for the pan fried another is for boiling in soup. After cooking this 2 gyoza, you ask someone to taste test it to see whether it is too salty or too bland. From there, you just adjust the soya sauce or kimichi consistency to your liking. After you finalized the exact flavour, it is time to wrap them up and pan fry them or cook them in broth. Make sure you finish up the whole gyoza mixture, as the mixture cannot be keep overnight as the meat composition will start to turn due to the lactic acid in kimchi.

For extra power, I add in 1 teaspoon of ginseng powder and korean chili flakes which even bring more flavour to this dish. For pan fried gyoza, make sure you got a non stick frying pan with a lid put in 1 tablespoon oil and ensure all areas of the pan is coated with oil then you line up all the gyoza in the pan and fired up the pan. Fried for about 10mins, you add half a cup of broth or water into the pan and cover it. Let it boil and steam cook the gyo for 15mins or so uncover the lid and let it boil until the broth/water evaporate. Then let it fry for another 10 mins to ensure the gyoza bottom is crisp then it is ready to serve.

Ginseng Soy Dory Fillet/Honey Chipotle Dory Fillet with Carbonara Agnoletti

Being an offer grabber, I tend to overly purchase groceries when particular food items on big discount. Therefore, my fridge have the tendency to bulge with all kinds of sauces and meats. As Chinese New Year is closing, it is the time of the month to clear all the leftover food remnant. Having remaining dory fillet and carbonara sauce leftover from previous culinary adventure. I decide to create 2 new fish dishes to clear the leftover - Ginseng Soy Dory Fillet & Honey Chipotle Dory Fillet.



Ginseng Soy Dory Fillet (Pan Fried)

1. Dory Fillet or Sutchi Fillet (Easily found in supermart cost about $3.90 per pack)
   
2. Light Soya Sauce
3. Ginseng Powder (Easily found in TCM shop)
   
4. Ground Black Pepper
5. Corn Starch
   

Most of the sutchi fillet sold in super market comes in a pack of 3 IQF. So when you need to defrost them completely before you marinate it in order for the marinate to seep in. For 1 piece of sutchi fillet, use 1 to 2 tablespoon of light soya together with 1 teaspoon of ginseng powder rub down on both side of the sutchi fillet u can sprinkle 1 teaspoon of corn starch and rub in so that they can congeal the marinate to the sutchi fillet. Grind some black pepper to both side of the fillet and leave it to marinate for an hour at least.

Fire up the stove with a table spoon of oil in the frying pan, once the pan is hot enough place the sutchi fillet into and sear for 2 mins before flipping to the other side to sear for another 2 mins. After that, ginseng soy dory fillet is ready to serve.

Chipotle Honey Dory Fillet (Pan Fried)

1. Dory Fillet or Sutchi Fillet (Easily found in supermart cost about $3.90 per pack)
   
2. Chipotle Chili Paste (Sold $12.90 in Belmonte Latin Food)
   
3. Honey

This is the most easy of all the fish dish. As the chipotle chili paste is very spicy. I only use 1 teaspoon of chipotle chili paste to mix it with 1 tablespoon of honey after that apply it evenly to both side of dory fillet. Ensure it is marinate thoroughly for an hour at least before you pan fry it both side for 2 mins before serving.

Carbonara Agnoletti

1. Agnoletti
   
2. Leggo Carbonara Sauce
   
3. Stock
   

Agnoletti is a kind of stuff pasta that you can easily find in Cold Storage or Carrefour. This Agnoletti is stuff with spinach and ricotta cheese. You need to cook it in boiling water for about 5 to 8 mins till it soften. Next, you need to drain and set it aside. Next will be the Carbonara Sauce, heat up the frying pan and scoop 2 tablespoons of carbonara sauce to the frying pan as the sauce is rather thick you can add in 2 scoops of stock to dilute it. As it boils, put in the cooked agnoletti and let it cook till the sauce thicken then it is ready to serve.

Korean Chicken Fever

Lately with all those K-fever conquering Singapore media airwave have prompted me craving for Korean food. Not your average Korean stall manned by local selling Korean food in your Kopitiams or foodcourts but authentic Korean food franchise in Singapore. I found one such Korean franchise specializing in chicken cuisine.

You might say - What another KFC wannabe? Nope they are not only selling Fried Chicken but BBQ Chicken as well Smoked Chicken (currently not available). The restaurant - BBQ Chicken - is convenient located at Basement Cineleisure. The menu consist of ala carte items range from Olive Oil Fried Chicken, Ginseng Fried Chicken to BBQ Chicken. For details can refer to their website. Don't think this is your average fastfood restaurant, 10% service charge & 7% GST are applicable in this restaurant.



Unknowing to the first timer gracing this restaurant, you'll notice certain customers will ask the staff to serve them a bowl of small white cubes. This white cubes are pickled radish or white carrot a name which is commonly known to Singaporean. These customers are mainly Korean that patron this Korean franchise before. It is customary for the staff to serve customer with pickled radish to open up their palate as well as to reduced the oiliness after a meal of fried foods. The pickled radish is free flow. Take note not to stuff yourself full of pickled radish before your main dish is serve.



I had tried Ginseng Power Crisp, Jerk BBQ and Teri-Q wings. Ginseng Power Crisp is actually Olive Fried Chicken sprinkle with Ginseng Powder giving it a strong Ginseng taste. For those who don't like Ginseng can skip it. Jerk BBQ is chicken whole leg bbq over charcoal grill. Unlike other bbq chicken you ate in food court, the chicken here is grill to perfection that it is tender and juicy inside while outside remain smoky with special spicy taste. Today, I decide to settle for 10 piece Teri-Q wings $11.00 with top up of $3.00 SGD for sides - a soft drink, coleslaw and potato wedges as shown above. Be prepared to wait for 15 to 20mins before your main dish is served.

Teri-Q wings comprise of mini chicken wings and drumstick coated in glutinous rice flour batter fried to crisp and drizzle with soy teriyaki sauce with garlic flavouring. The chicken taste quite good however due to the high msg content in the teriyaki soy sauce, I quickly expended the soft drink after my 4th pieces of chicken. Sad to say, unlike other restaurant they do not serve any free flow iced water to quench your thirst if you expended your soft drink. I'm rather disappointed in this as I was trying to cut down on sugar intake. I hope they can improve on this since they had free flow pickled radish why not free flow iced water.

For those who are tired of eating KFC no harm have a go at BBQ Chicken as it whole new taste experience. The price could be a tad pricier than KFC but if you looking for KFC direct replacement, you can try Popeye at Level 2 Changi Airport Terminal 1 which is a Fried Chicken Fastfood Restaurant which I will talk at another time.