Kyochon Chicken now open in Glendale

The Glendale Galleria has one of the better food courts in any ordinary, Hot Topic kind of mall. There's not just one but two stalls from perfectly respectable Massis Kebab, and a Brazilian place that has some of the best garlic collard greens around. Now there's another reason to not to fear the mall quite as much: Kyochon Chicken has opened a location in the mall, but it's substantially different from the 6th St. minimall location. The menu is both broader and narrower: there's several types of salads, chicken wraps and bowls and macaroni & cheese (huh?). But the chicken itself -- the centerpiece of this temple of Korean fried chicken worship -- is only available in wings, instead of the drumsticks, which are a superior crunch delivery system. The other fatal flaw, however necessary to operating in a mall food court, is that, judging from the speed with which my order was filled and the resulting lukewarm chicken, it must be cooked ahead of time in large batches. Now, as everyone who has been to Kyochon knows, it might take its own sweet time coming out but when it does you will be amply rewarded. The lukewarm wings still had a nice sweet and spicy flavor, and the broccoli salad with raisins and bacon wasn't half bad.
Verdict: If you desperately want to taste this stuff and you happen to be near the Galleria, it's not a bad lunch option. But if you want a real Korean fried chicken experience, go to the Sixth St. location, or to Bonchon, which is preferred by our fellow bloggers at Franklin Avenue.