KyoChon, Korean Chicken Joint, Coming to Koreatown

Korean chicken joints (whether they specialize in garlicky, spicy hot wings or crispy rotisseries) are popping up all over the city like the second coming of Pinkberry. Here in Koreatown where PAPER calls home, we have Bon Chon (garlicky, spicy hot wings) and Baden Baden (crispy rotisseries) where I saw David Chang chow down on their famous twice-cooked chicken and wash it down with OB beer on a Friday night (Whaaaat? A slow night at Ko?!) a while back. Now just down the block from us and a drumstick's throw from Bon Chon, on the corner of 5th and 32nd where Brooklyn Bagels used to be, a new chicken chain KyoChon -- originally from Korea and already insanely popular on the West Coast and in Flushing, Queens -- is poised to come in and reset the pecking order in the 'hood. The "Coming Soon" sign with a big questionable question mark has been in the windows for over a month now and there's no telling when it'll actually be open for business. But the moment it does, we'll call you!

While we are on the topic... have you noticed the sudden rise of Korean fast food franchises here in New York? Besides the aforementioned places, there's New York Hot Dog and Coffee where you can get bulgogi hot dog (pictured) -- I've tried it and it's pretty good -- on Bleecker St. in West Village and there's Bon Bon down on Chamber St. in Financial District which serves these ridiculously good fried shrimp coated with the most finger-lickingly delicious garlicky, spicy sauce and to speak nothing of their chicken. OK, so I can only think of these two right now -- not counting the two new Korean chicken spots that have sprung up recently on St. Mark's Place between 2nd and 3rd -- but the revolution, I feel, is just around the corner. Stay tuned!