Popular Seoul-based restaurant chain BongChu Braised Chicken recently opened in Koreatown. It is, like many other specialists in this part of town, a one-trick pony. And in this case, the specialty dish is delicious. Andong jjim-dak is a slow-braised chicken dish, with hints of sweetness and yet with a spicy counterpoint. Glass noodles, rice cakes, and whole potatoes are added for starch, all of which soak up that great au jus. Yum! The whole thing is served family-style (for 2 people $28, for 4 people $38; sorry - no smaller portions). One can request it tailored to āno spiceā, āless spiceā or āmore spiceā (the āless spiceā option is plenty spicy for most people). The dish comes with a refreshing bowl of pickled white turnip soup with ice.
The jjim-dak reminds me of the great Chinese braised chicken and chestnut dish at the now-defunct Giang Nan in Monterey Park (except BongChu adds some spiciness to the mix). I did not regret ordering a side of their great scorched rice (basically white rice socarrat, with dollops of seaweed and kimchee on top) to soak up all that great soup underneath.
RECOMMENDED.
BongChu Braised Chicken
3377 Wilshire Bl., Ste. 100
Los Angeles, CA 90010
213.263.2316
bongchuglobal.com