Winging It: Bon Chon. Wings n Things. Don Henrico's

Wings n Things have been the fail safe wing craving place for me and my friends for a while now. It's convenient location and affordable price (195 Php can get you 4 pieces of wings and rice) makes it a no-brainer for us. 

However, just recently, Manila got hyped up about the opening of Bon Chon in Ayala Triangle. The one in Greenbelt just recently opened too.

So, I decided to put the two to test :)

WINGS N THINGS

Location: Food Street, Ortigas Center Julia Vargas Ave., near cor Meralco Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City


Contact no: (63 2) 994 - 8887


Claim to fame: Voted Best Wings in Buffalo, NY

New York's Finest

This is, by my standards, the just-right-spicy flavor but I most often order the Firehouse for that little kick. Their chicken is quite small by Western standards but a little something in between small and medium for Filipinos. I always order this with Blue Cheese because it really is such a great complement to the spiciness of the chicken. It sort of cools down your mouth while providing moderate saltiness. I find that the chicken is more spicy than salty or sweet. It's a straight up buffalo wing flavor. Nothing fancy. Nothing extraordinary. Like a 90's film on a stay at home Friday night. It just really tastes good.

Garlic Parmesan

For those who don't like spicy food, the Garlic Parmesan is a great alternative. However, the butter is really rich so it's really quite oily. I like it that way but I know most people won't appreciate the oily feel in their mouth. It's really just a hint of garlic and more on the cheesy side of the taste. It's good to have this on the side, just to mix the flavors a little bit.

Chicken Fingers

The truth of the matter is, I am a white meat eater. I don't like dark meat. I don't really understand the concept of eating chicken wings or legs to the bones. I could finish it but I could never clean the bones. That said, I had to try the Chicken fingers which is basically chicken fillet. It was quite disappointing because the chicken was dry. The coating was very blase which made it even more unimpressive. I would not even eat it with rice as a The good part though was the fries were really good. Crunchy and tasty. 

BON CHON

Location: Ayala Triangle Gardens and Greenbelt 1

Claim to fame: Voted the Best Chicken in America

Bon Chon uses the double fry technique from Korea. The first fry is supposed to dry out the chicken fat and make it "paper-fried" crispy while the second fry includes their secret sauce. There always a line here so the place feels really cramped. It was also kind of gross cos when we sat got a table, the family before us left a pile of chicken bones on a tissue paper! They did not even put it in the box. Really people. 

There was no exaggeration in that "paper fry crisp." Even though the chicken was really saucy, a bite is bound to pop some crispy cracks in your mouth. As I am not a fan of dark meat, the crispy chicken skin is a really big deal for me. I love crispy chicken skin :) I ate more that I usually would because of it. The sauce was not really that spicy but it had a good feel in the mouth to it. It had a taste to it that I couldn't quite put my finger to but not in a bad way, just different.

I like the wings more because the skin was crispier there. However, it's really a matter of personal preference since both are cooked the same way with the same sauce.

DON HENRICO'S

Location: Tomas Morato cor Sct. Limbaga, Greenhills, SM Mall of Asia, etc

Contact No: Tomas Morato - 332-2201; 332-2254

Before all this imported chicken came to Manila and all we had were beepers, the best and only go-to chicken wings was from Don Henrico's. I had a chance to eat there last year again and we got pizza and the wings of course.

 Their buffalo wings comes with ranch sauce already and their portions are bigger. The sauce is tastier and sweeter. It's drenched in sauce like Bon Chon's but unlike Wings n Things. Parts of the chicken are also quite crispy.

The meaty part of the chicken is not at all dry and it's very soft. Just talking about it makes me want it right now! However, the chicken is more expensive here but it's a lot bigger too.

VERDICT: 

I like the taste of Wings n Things more because it does taste like the way buffalo wings should. However, the manner of cooking by Bon Chon is really satisfying even if its taste has a little bit of Asian in it. Wings n Things is the cheapest and most convenient for me. There are no long lines, no long wait. The place is hardly every cramped and you don't need to spend on other things. I'd go to Bon Chon if I was craving for crispy chicken wings but otherwise, I think I'd like to avoid the cramped and not so clean place. The pile of bones on our table left such a mark on me. I feel like the whole place is just dirty and they give you like 5 pieces of tissue. Seriously, how are you supposed to eat the wings with that? You have an entire box of tissue for Wings n Things and since Don Henrico is more properly a real restaurant, there's no shortage of utensils and tissue there either. 


Overall, I'd still go for Don Henrico's buffalo wings for the taste and the manner of cooking. After all, good food is still good food. For those of you who haven't tried it yet. It's a must try!!!! 

I want to try Charlie Chan though!! It's supposedly as crispy as Bon Chon and cheaper! That's next on the list :)