These days in the restaurant business, every little bit helps in getting the word out. Take BB.Q, which opened at the beginning of the year within Chinatown’s Shanghai Plaza, right before COVID-19 upended our lives. Owner Emmy Praferosa says people sheltering at home heard of her restaurant by watching Korean soap operas on Netflix. Of course, it helps that BB.Q is a major brand in Korea and is thoroughly entrenched in popular culture there, endorsed by K-pop stars like BTS.
BB.Q’s specialty is fried chicken, and if you’d never had the Korean version of the comfort food, you’re in for a revelation. Forget what you know about its American counterpart—Korean fried chicken is a whole different bird. And just how seriously does Korea take its fried chicken? “There are 38,000 fried chicken places in South Korea alone,” Praferosa says, and BB.Q has more than 2,000 outlets there.
The secret’s in the sauce … and so much more. “Our chicken is hand-battered, and everything is cooked to order using olive oil. That’s why it’s really good,” Praferosa says. And there are no cutting corners in the process. The honey garlic wings alone take two days to marinade. After you order, prepare to wait patiently for 30 minutes to get your food, which speaks to the quality of the method.
Start with the Golden Original ($13 for a half chicken; $23 for a whole bird). The pieces are carefully trimmed, battered and fried to an unbelievable crisp, leaving the inside juicy and flavorful. Kick it up with the Secret Spicy ($14-$25), which tosses the Golden Original into a secret sauce made with tomato, garlic, onions and spices. One of the more unusual flavors is the Cheesling ($13), boneless pieces of chicken covered in cheddar and mascarpone cheese powder. Along with the Honey Garlic Wings ($14-$24), it’s perfect for table sharing. Pickled radishes come with each order to cleanse the palate.
There are other items on the menu beyond fried chicken, including bulgogi poutine ($13), an excellent japchae ($12), fried dumplings ($7) and the popular South Korean street food so ddeok so ddeok—rice cake and sausage—($7). A second location of BB.Q will open this month in Silverado Ranch, and while it’s a long way from 2,000 locations, it’s definitely a start.
BB.Q 4276 Spring Mountain Road #103a; 1110 E. Silverado Ranch Blvd. #120/130, 702-227-8646. Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday-Wednesday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
