Nick The Foodie Boston

www.bonmetruck.com

Location: Cambridge, MA (See on Map)

The Foodie: Recommends

Breaking news, America.

In a shocking turn of events, Boston-area food trucks are trading in their wheels for solid foundations. Just in time for the spring selling season in real estate, folks.

Case in point – Bon Me. Once a truck. Still at truck. But now also a sandwichery and noodle-shop at One Kendall Square? Bonkers.

They are basically churning out the same goods as their roving kitchens, but with slightly extended hours.

The ordering process is about as simple as that new iPhone app you downloaded for free:

CHOOSE DELIVERY MECHANISM:

• Bread (banh mi sandwich)
• Rice (bowl)
• Noodle (salad)

CHOOSE PROTEIN:

• Spiced-rubbed chicken
• Chinese BBQ pork
• Roasted soy and paprika tofu
• Miso-braised pulled pork
• Other specials du jour

CHOOSE SIDES + DRINKS:

• Edamame
• Asian greens
• Asian slaw
• Thai basil limeade
• Thai iced tea
• Vietnamese iced coffee

Regardless of your delivery mechanism or filling, your meal will come loaded with veggies and extras. Add some sriracha sauce or really really spicy chili sauce (if you are man enough).

Bon Me definitely assembles a respectable banh mi sandwich (pork recommended) that comes with an assortment of veg and a little spicy mayo. All packed into a long slab of French bread.

It’s good.

This is The Foodie reporting from – you guessed it – Boston. Keep chomping, Beantown.

www.sinclaircambridge.com/

Location: Cambridge, MA (See on Map)

The Foodie: Recommends

Here on Nick The Foodie Boston, my meals are typically the main form of entertainment that I speak of. When dining out at Metro Boston restaurants, the small plates or appetizers serve as my opening act, the main plates my main show, the dessert the encore.

But this time, my compatriots, things are different. I actually will write about something other than food.

***GASP***

Oh no I di-int. Yes I did. I spent an incredibly fun night at the new Sinclair restaurant and show venue in Harvard Square. The Sinclair sports a good-sized “Kitchen” and an intimate space for concerts. Here’s a snapshot of upcoming shows that look worth attending (and aren’t sold out yet):

• Kishi Bashi
• Patrick Watson
• The King Kahn & BBQ Show
• Daughter

We saw the very first comedy show here and were cracking up the entire time – I haven’t laughed this much since Seinfeld, Something About Mary, It’s Always Sunny, Billy Madison, and the Chappelle Show…speaking of which – the main comedy act of the night was Neil Brennan – Dave’s co-creator for the show and co-writer on the stoner classic Half Baked. Brennan’s opener was a local act named Jenny Zigrino – who is a legitimate rising talent and one of funniest female comedians I’ve ever seen.

So there you have it – I led a review with a subject other than food. I’m sweaty, my hands are clammy, and I’m a bit light-headed. I’ve gotta throw some grub in here to revive myself.

So the Sinclair concert venue is housed through a separate entrance than the restaurant. The Sinclair Kitchen exists to feed hungry adventure-seekers prior to their music and entertainment next door. And they do a pretty good job at that. The menu delivers a solid lineup of pre-show supper items, including:

• The Sinclair Burger – Thick patty, soft bun, watercress, basil aioli (nice touch), and secret sauce – could just make my Top 10 list of 2013, we shall see.
• Steamed Mussels – with red curry and lychee (trust me, it works)
• Pastrami’d Pork Belly Sliders – a gut and artery coagulant that is no doubt tasty
• Crispy Fried Oysters
• Shellfish Gumbo – with crispy rice and Andouille saucisse
• Grilled Octopus – gigante beans and chorizo
• Kale Salad – golden raisins, parsnips, sunflower seeds
• Roasted Local Beets – honey, thyme, hazelnuts, goat cheese mousse.

We sampled the roasted local beets, burger, and mussels and were quite pleased with all three. Though the Sinclair offers a pretty “safe” menu of time-tested, tried-and-true recipes and loses innovation points for things like Gianonne Farms Chicken, Steak Frites, and a Veggie Burger – they do pull all these things off with quality and a bit of style and flair.

So don’t expect something you’ve never seen before on the menu – but DO expect a well-executed and tasty munch pit before your mosh pit.

TIP: Ask your server to snag you some tix while eating if you plan to see a show after dinner and they’ll oblige.

Alcohol flows freely at both the restaurant and show venue, which is cool. Beer selection is, again, safe (think Harpoon, Miller Lite, ‘Gansett) but with a little flair (Pretty Things Jack D’Or).

So there you have it – good reliable food and good solid shows. Two doors. One roof. The Sinclair.

http://www.giuliarestaurant.com/

Location: Cambridge, MA

The Foodie: Recommends

Sooooo – It’s been a quiet month here on NicktheFoodie.com – but not for lack of eating. During this slow, cold month of January, your master of ceremonies has been patiently waiting to spring a deluge of fun filled food adventures on you.

In this short month of February, you will be magically swept off your feet to vicarious experiences of Italian dining in Cambridge, to our nation’s capital, and to the exotic culinary capital of Peru.

Let’s start with the first item on that list – Giulia.

After assembling a pretty impressive CV in Boston and Chi-town, former Via Matta Exec Chef Michael Pagliarini stepped out on his own to bring us a very solid upscale Italian joint. Thank you, Michael.

We managed to snag a table just a few short weeks after Giulia’s grand opening, and impressively the FOH (or Front of House for the laymen) were running the place like they’d been practicing with plastic kiddie toys and mannequins around the clock for a solid month before the first breathing customers arrived.

Which is to say, service was very attentive.

I could go on and on about an exposed brick interior and a “pasta table” while filling up this site with expertly-crafted photographs, but I will skip right to what you rely on me for – the food.

So enjoy my food blurb complete with poorly-taken smartphone snapshots:

FOOD BLURB:

Giulia has everything that an Italian expat nostalgic for the flavors of the motherland would want:

• House-made pastas rolled out with nice technique into lovely shapes such as pappardelle, fusilli, ravioli, orecciette, agnolotti and linguini
• A menu structured to facilitate several courses slowly devoured amongst family and free-flowing bottles of wine
• Dishes that prominently feature a range of beloved meats, that when sung in an operatic fashion, sound like a classic tragedy set in a salumeria: mortadella, soppressata, pancetta, lardo, prosciutto and Finocchiona (a version of Tuscan salami made with fennel seeds)
• The famous cheeses of Italia sprinkled, shaved, sliced, and diced up into your favorite dishes – think aged parmigiano, pecorino, ricotta, and grana.

I had the good fortune of sampling several delectable dishes here over a few courses – here are the highlights:

• Warm Semolina Cakes with Lardo – Soft little circular slices of love slathered in a substance that is the subject of every segment of food porn – yes, lardo. That thin layer of fat under the pig’s skin that is wonderfully herbed and melts like butter onto a warm slice of good bread.
• Pappardelle with Wild Boar – An amazing pasta dish from start to finish, this creation will meet and exceed every thought of mouth-watering anticipation once the order escapes your mouth and reaches the pen of your server. Beautifully thick strands of pasta with braised  wild boar, seared black trumpet mushrooms, juniper, aged parmigiano and a little spicy heat bubbling up from below.
• Burrata – Another foodie buzz word that features prominently into full-length foldouts in Bon Appétit magazines and winds up posted on your favorite chef’s locker. That cream-filled mozzarella-like cheese is served up at Giulia with roasted peppers, pine nuts, and golden raisins.

I left still dreaming about a few dishes that I’ll be back for like an Arnie flick: Veal medallion with umbrian lentils, cippolini and pomegranate saba, house-made lamb sausage with broccoli rabe, pepperonata, and gigante beans, and the classic bucatini all’amatriciana (consisting of house-cured pancetta, tomato, onion, pecorino and white wine).

My beefs with Giulia are few, but I feel that I must step up onto my all-important soapbox to air them into the cybersphere:

1. Wine list is too aspirational. When the cheapest bottle starts at $55, you are missing out on a wide market of drinkers who are happy to slug down an excellent bottle priced at $35.
2. The “Small Plates” phenomenon taken too far. The way Giulia is priced, you will be dining on a miniscule portion of excellently cooked food for the price of a heaping portion at other places. Unfortunately, I thus need to file this spot in my ‘special occasion’ folder next to other restaurants that I spring out when in the doghouse with me lady.

Overall – a fantastic food experience, which is undoubtedly the most important thing. But like any good Italian tragedy, we need a little drama thrown in to make life a little more juicy.

http://puritancambridge.com/

Location: Cambridge, MA

The Foodie: Strongly Recommends

–“Men of New England, I hold you to the doctrines of liberty which ye inherit from your Puritan forefathers.” –

The puritans left England to practice what they believed without persecution. Like the intense cult-prone adventurers who first developed the new world, Will Gilson has sailed out into uncharted culinary territory with his new restaurant to worship the demigods of lamb belly, jamon iberico, and bone marrow on his own terms.

I am here to tell his story.

While I’m pretending to be an historian, I’ll throw a little more history atch’ya – a local business called Puritan Cake Company once occupied the space that now houses this immaculate new temple of gourmet righteousness. In fact, the new owners will even present their interpretation of the cake once produced here in little bite-sized pieces at the end of your meal.

I open this review with a lesson of our past, for, in Churchill’s words: “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

Gilson, it appears, was paying attention during his “ye olde volume ‘o cooking history” class in culinary school. The menu at Puritan & Company shows deference and respect for rustic New England favorites while taking a few chances with cuisine from other regions and incorporating interesting twists on the foods of our forbearers. This is also a restaurant strongly grounded in the fat of Massachusetts soil – with goods sourced from Savenors and The Herb Lyceum (the Groton farmstead owned by Gilson’s family).

Now, without much further ado, I present to you my analysis on my flavor fave dishes from Puritan that I had the joy of eating from our charcuterie table seats:

The softest, buttery brioche roll you will ever taste – topped with some amazing lightly-shaved sea salt. Washed down with a Peak Organic dark nut brew made specially for Puritan that involves a little ginger and honey from the Herb Lyceum.

Something called Gougeres. I’ve never seen these in France (assuming they’re a French dish), but wherever they hail from these things are awesome. Lightly-toasted warm balls of wonder stuffed with rosemary and cheddar mornay. Tasted like a gourmet cheez-it.

Cheez-its, Beware!

Rare Jamon Iberico freshly shaved from a $1,200 hock of cured ham sitting by the charcuterie station. Lightly nutty, smooth, and tender.

Fresh-Shaved from the Ham Hock

“Swordfish Pastrami.” One of the most unique and inventive plates on the menu, this dish incorporates spiced strips of smoked sword, cannelles of chilled mustard cream, brussels, and pumpernickel essence. Amazing.

Pastrami of the Sea

Bone Marrow Gratin. Easily one of the best dishes on the menu here, Puritan’s bone marrow is beautifully plated on a bed of hay and roasted with an array of herbs, butter (surely) and garlic. Spreading a little of this gelatinous goodness on a slice of torched duck fat brioche was literally one of the best things I’ve done all year.

Will You Marrow-Me?

Lamb Belly. Probably the other “must try” dish on the menu here in addition to the marrow, lamb belly is similar to pork belly in terms of the presentation and texture, however it comes with an added gaminess and earthiness that is matched wonderfully with an orange + moxie sauce. I’ve never had anything quite like it but I loved it.

Lamb - The Other Delicious Belly Meat

Clam Chowder. Pure genius. Your server will bring over a sexy-looking lineup of clams sharing their shells with a little friend named fried pork belly. A warm creamy broth will then be poured over the bowl from a pitcher. Totally creative.

Not-Your-Mother's Clam Chowda

Wood-Roasted Muscovy Duck – A solid classic bird paired with quinoa, wild mushrooms and thyme.

Order any of these dishes and your stomach will thank you like a pilgrim feasting on a freshly-cooked turkey.

A few words on a singular Puritan plate that, while risqué and interesting – misses the mark a bit. Lamb chop and lamb sausage. This ends up looking like a funny giant lamb lollipop. A bunch of ground lamb sausage is packed around the chop and just becomes overwhelming to eat (plus a little dry – it’s gotta be tough to cook right). If there is one dish on the menu I would replace – it would be this one. Instead – put a game bird, rabbit,  wild boar or some lobster on the table!

On the whole, Puritan & Company really nails it. The restaurant itself is beautiful and will surely be a success with an array of very well-executed dishes that are unrivaled elsewhere.

The first settlers of the new land knew that they were on to something when they laid the first foundations of a society free from sexual misconduct, blasphemous words, and witchcraft. I thank Chef Gilson for bringing a few spoonfuls of sin back onto New England soil.

The Hours

Location: Cambridge, MA

The Foodie: Strongly Recommends

If you’ve walked through Porter Square between the hours of 6 and 10pm recently, you may have noticed something different.

By day, an unassuming storefront with a foreign name – Yume Wo Katare lights up for a few hours five nights a week to shovel a delicacy beyond words into bowls for a line of hungry hungry hipsters that stretches to the door of Dunkin’ Donuts and can command over an hour long wait.

As you stand in said line, people will stop open-mouthed and stare at Yume not quite understanding what the hype is all about. They may even ask you what everyone is waiting for. You might say “Ramen” and receive a confused look.

Don’t worry – these misguided individuals just don’t understand.

During your experience in line – you are likely to bond with your fellow Ramenites, marvel at the popularity of Yume, and study the rulebook of eating here. A few tips for your first visit:

1. Come hungry, and arrive at the beginning of the night (15 minutes before opening recommended)
2. Bring no more than one other ravenous individual to ensure a small party
3. Do not plan on takeout, for this is not an option
4. Bring a wad of cash, for they do not take plastic
5. Enjoy pork. Liking pork belly is better. Loving noodle soup also imperative. There is only one variety of Ramen served here and it involves loving spoonfuls of both.
6. Read the helpful posters of information taped to the windows as you wait in line, for lots of useful information awaits you.
7. Be prepared for whether you want Ramen ($12) or Buta Ramen ($14). The difference is the number of pork slices you receive – the regular ramen gets you two slices and the buta gets you a whopping five.
8. Know the answer to the question: “Ninniku Iremasuka?” or “Do you want garlic?” This will be politely screamed at you after your order is taken at the register.
9. Know that every minute of your wait will be worth it, and that the idiosyncrasies are a fun part of the experience of eating here – in other words, pick up your britches and get ready to eat!

Do you want garlic?

RAMEN REVIEW: Yume’s bowl of Ramen is a tantalizing creation that will hook you at the first slurp. It starts with a broth that is one part abura (pork fat), one part soy, and one part ‼ “マジック“‼  I’ve read that this broth is lovingly cared for over the course of 24 hours and simmered with pork bones. Then you’ve got cabbage and bean sprouts. Next, there’s a heaping ladle of thick house-made noodles boiled quickly in a huge wok. Finally, there’s the most succulent and tender pork you’ve ever tasted. They use a fattier, thick, pork-belly-like cut. I’m not exactly sure how they do it, but it’s gotta be marinated and slow-cooked for several hours at the very least. The Jiro-style of ramen served at Yume is the first of its kind in the U.S.

At the first bite the world around me melted away, downtempo started playing in my head, my eyelids grew heavy, and I uttered a slow food moan. I tasted this Ramen in my soul.

Waaay Tastier Than It Looks - Trust Me.

Now mind you, I wasn’t able to make it into the wildly popular Guchi’s Midnight events that sold out quicker than a U2 concert. I also haven’t tried the ramen at Uni. Sadly, I’ve never been to Japan either. So don’t consider me a ramen connoisseur. But I’d venture to say that this will rank up there with some of the better ramen you’ve ever sampled. It’s also probably authentic stuff.

I will end this synopsis with a short story to illustrate the uniqueness of Yume:

When we were seated and our ramen orders were ready, a server gingerly carried a bowl over to my dining chum and murmured something quickly in Japanese that I would assume was something like bon appétit. We slid the bowl down to me before our second bowl arrived and our server looked let down by the switcheroo. We wondered why. At the end of the meal I asked why each bowl of ramen is destined for a single individual and our server translated my question for the chef. He said “I connect to you.”

You connected to me Yume. You tickled my food gland. You spoke to my sinews. I will return.

Other views and information on Yume:

Boston Globe

Boston Phoenix

Japanese American in Boston

Yume Wo Katare Kyoto (the other location in Japan)

http://www.cloverfoodlab.com

http://momogoose.com/

Location: Cambridge, MA

The Foodie: Strongly Recommends

Four wheels, cheap meals, innovative nom noms. What’s not to like about food trucks?

Inspired by my recent night of mobile gluttony at the Boston vs. NYC food truck throw down, I’ve been ardently seeking truckin’ munchies.

This quest most recently brought me to a quiet side street in Kendall Square here: http://goo.gl/maps/tJ9tc

Lured by the sound of revving engines, the queues of smart kids, and the clank of portable food stuffs – I stumbled upon a veritable cornucopia of food trucks. Here’s the lunchtime lineup in Kendall:

• Momogoose (M-F, 10:30AM-4:30PM)
• Clover(M-F, 8AM-8PM)
• Your mandatory halal truck
• José’s Tacos

Let’s start with Momogoose. These guys have several trucks posted up around the Boston area and sling some mean Asian dishes served in four formats:

1. Twelve inch baguette
2. Rice bowl
3. Noodle bowl
4. Salad bowl

Just choose your delivery mechanism and add proteins like Korean BBQ, bulgogi, spicy pork, chicken teriyaki, and more.

I tucked into a humungo spicy pork baguette sandwich (basically a banh mi) and enjoyed every bite. Observe:

Asian Hoagie

Now, on to Clover. If you haven’t heard of these guys yet, then you are not truly up on your local food game. Clover runs a few brick ‘n mortar locales in Harvard Square and Inman and have a small army of trucks serving up their ever-famous chickpea fritter and a host of other rotating inventive vegetarian health-conscious specialties.

Though I love their chickpea fritter, I branched out and tried their seasonal Fall sandwich of roasted turnip, fresh spinach, apple spread, and sharp cheddar in a wheat pita. Washed down with an iced sweet hibiscus drink in the late-day sun – I could have melted into the loving arms of motherhood and apple pie. Observe:

McTurnip With Cheese

I scoped out José’s Tacos and the Halal truck and was less impressed both by the lines and the look of their vehicles, but think they’re probably worth a shot at some point. It will be hard to pull myself away from Clover and Momogoose though.

So if you find yourself in Kendall for work, for school, or for play on a weekday, be sure to hit up one of these excellent meals on wheels and support your local truckers.

www.oleanarestaurant.com/

Location: Cambridge, MA

The Foodie: Strongly Recommends

If you’ve been a reader of the Foodie for long, you’ll know that I like to stay hip with the newest, swankiest grub parlors in town…but every once in a while I like to throw a shout-out to one of my long-time favorites.

That shout for this week is going out to Oleana.

This is an all-star restaurant with stats like [insert your favorite jock here]. Here is what the back of my “culinary card” would look like for Oleana:

• A.N.R. (Average Notice for Reservation) – 1 to 2 weeks advance call-ahead for party of two
• G.M.R. (Good Meal Ratio) – 100% (4 out of 4)
• All-Star Chef Award Winner – Ana Sortun has been one of my favorite local kitchen-wizards for years and deserves praise for legitimately expanding my palate as an eater.
• K.A.M.L. (Kick-Ass-Meals-Lineup):
  • Fish filet cooked sous-vide in paper with butter, truffle, and cauliflower.
  • Awesome little greek sausages
  • Delicate fish and chorizo in broth
  • Fresh burrata with zucchini fritters with greens and a spicy sauce
  • Filet of halibut in mild broth with crispy prosciutto and couscous “cubes”
  • Y.I.B.C.H.  (Years I’ve Been Coming Here) – 7
  • Gourmet Food Sourcing Award – Sortun owns a farm that supplies a good many ingredients incorporated into the meals here and at her bakery, Sofra.
  • A.P.E. (Awesome Patio Eatery) – Oleana’s outdoor eating area is spacious and beautiful – adorned with herbs, plants, and Mediterranean pieces of flair. Heck, they’ve even got a pear tree back there.
  • U.D.S.P.R. (Ubiquitous Dollar Sign Price Range) – $$$ (25-30 per entrée)

Beyond these key stats, I’ll throw in a lil’ narrative here as well to guide your next meal at Oleana. Looking at my patented “K.A.M.L.” metric above, I’ll say that these guys definitely know how to cook their fish. I have never gone wrong with a dish harkening to the sea here. Also, there are always a ton of well-appointed appetizers rich in exotic spices, purées, veggies, and cheeses. So, load up on the front end, order yourself a baller main plate, and sip a little vino from the always-excellent wine list. Finally – Oleana has some bench strength in the kitchen and always has a pimpin’ pastry and dessert lineup spearheaded by the pastry chef.

With stats like this – what’s not to like? So choose Oleana this winter sports season along with the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics, and Bruins (that is if they’re not extinct due to bickering between millionaires and billionaires)

www.parkcambridge.com/

Location: Cambridge, MA

The Foodie Say: Cosi-Cosi

Like a blind date, a cult, or that new sub-prime mortgage – Park was promising at first but ended in tears.

Little too dramatic? Let me walk you through my mixed experience at the reincarnation of Redline – now a restaurant and bar in the gastropub mold (hasn’t that model been tapped out yet?)

The signs all pointed towards culinary bliss:

• Positive reviews from the Globe
• 4-stars on Yelp
• Hip-looking location – the kind of place where you’d expect good food to live
• Decent crowd on a Friday night

Let’s start out with the positives of my dining experience here, shall we?

• Beer-snob worthy brew menu (think Pretty Things, Titan IPA from CO, Left Hand Milk Stout also from CO, and Spaten Lager)
• An entire page of whiskeys and other spirits
• A nice complimentary cheese and crispy flatbread cracker presentation at the start of the meal
• Salt and Pepper Shrimp. Holy shit. This was the best thing we ate at Park and had us riding high into the entrée round. Nicely-cooked shrimp atop Napa cabbage and bathed in a zingy jalapeno/salt/cilantro essence – had me wanting to sing “Shoop, shoop bay doop.”

Salt 'N Peppa

What happened between the four bullets above and our main plates I’ll never know…did the “A” team chef finish her shift? Did we just order WAY wrong? Was it something we said?

Here’s what went down:

• I ordered the grilled Lamb Belly over summer succotash and Madeira. Sounded a little risky but I thought the upside could be heavenly if Park brought their top game to the kitchen. My risky investment ultimately turned out like a Facebook share. They made a mockery of the succotash by overdoing the fennel, and managed to kill a nicely-grilled lamb belly with an overtly bitter sauce that lacked anything resembling good flavor. Nobody in the kitchen had ever tasted this dish.
• My dining chum ordered the Roasted Half Chicken – something a little easier for the kitchen to handle than lamb belly. Somehow our bird was a little overcooked, lacked flavor, and was perched atop an ill-conceived panzanella salad (cucumber/tomato/balsamic-soaked bread chunks).

The Suspect

My overall assessment is that you should gladly park yourself at Park for beers and maybe a few snacks – but find another lot before moving on to the main dishes. Sadly the fate of many other g-pubs in town (think Saloon, Foundry on Elm, etc).

Like that new sales job promising millions once you “move up the pyramid” – Park’s entrée menu might just have your friends laughing at you.

www.atwoodstavern.com

Location: Cambridge, MA

The Foodie: Recommends

That dimly-lit neighborhood bar that everyone loves now offers outdoor drinking. Game on.

This is just one of those local places where you’re likely to meet people from everywhere but wonder how people from everywhere end up there. Too far from any T-stop for citizens of SoChuck (South of the Charles) to venture – Atwood’s tends to be packed with drinkers from NoChuck and their associates from afar who own a car or walk from nearby.

After a few encounters with this approachable, chill, laid-back spot it has quickly risen to become one of my preferred places to meet-and-drink in town. They feature live bluegrass and Americana some nights, a spacious outdoor wood-toned patio, local brews and good cheer.

Things have seemed to “click” when I’ve been here. The right company, the right number of pints, the right conversations, people laugh at my jokes etc. You know – the right balance. Minimal social awkwardness and multiple good connections. Not too crowded and not crickets.

Atwood’s offers a modest yet respectable beer lineup – last time I was here they were pouring Pretty Things American Darling  and a zany green-tea-hefe-crossbreed concoction from the nocturnal brewing operation over at Night Shift Brewing

With the end of this scorching summer in sight and cooler weather on the horizon – I think I know where I’ll be spending my Saturday afternoons outside the next few weeks. See you there.

Location: Cambridge, MA

The Foodie: Strongly Recommends

Bon Chon is a Korean word that means “original village.”

It was a humid Monday night when I discovered an underground village in Harvard Square – a village of smiles, love, and a religious devotion to one singular  culinary specialty – the chicken wing.

The friendly people of wing-land presented us with a menu that – though clearly highlighting their chosen delicacy – also included Korean classics like kimchi, bulgogi, and pickled daikon.

But being a tribe that specializes in cooking a wing-ed fly-less bird that occasionally lays eggs – Bon Chon village gets straight to the point and offers the casual visitor a few different quantities and price points of buk buk bawk:

Choose your Flavor:

• Soy Garlic
• Hot Sauce
• Mix of Soy and Hot

Choose your Portion:

• Small 10pcs 9.95
• Medium 20pcs 18.95
• Large 30pcs 26.95
• X-Large 40pcs 33.95

We ordered a mixed medium (generous portion that is almost a struggle for two hungry people to eat), along with sides of rice, kimchi and pickled daikon.

The garlic soy variety was nicely balanced, whereas the hot sauce definitely hits you with a hot but very flavorful kick. We cooled our tongues with the daikon and rice between every few hot wings.

We passed our initiation into the Bon Chon village tribe by mercilessly devouring all twenty (20) wings and leaving the bones stacked in our scrap bucket.

Curious about the Bon Chon people, I visited their website and found that the village can be found in NYC, NJ, Cali, and all over Southeast Asia and Pacifica…

…but I’m glad that I’ve got a village right near my home.

As they say in BonChonese – cluck, ca-cluck, ba-bawk. Chicken is good. Yum.