Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken
24919 Pico Canyon Rd, Stevenson Ranch, CA 91381

We were on our way home from puppy yoga in Burbank.

Yes.

Puppy yoga.

We’ve done it a couple of times before, but this was probably the best session we’ve had.

The yoga was good.

The puppies behaved themselves.

And by the end of it, I was ready for fried chicken.

Bonchon had been sitting on the Secret Sauce list for a while.

This felt like the right moment to finally try it.

A morning of responsible exercise followed by a large order of Korean fried chicken.

Perfectly balanced.

There was a steady flow of customers coming through when we arrived.

Busy enough to feel promising.

Not so busy that it felt overcrowded.

We ordered everything to take away.

The mission was simple.

Try as much chicken as possible.

Compare the sauces.

And see whether the sides could keep up.

We ordered the Seoul Sampler for $34.99 and the Half & Half Chicken Strips for $11.99.

This was not a restrained order.

The Seoul Sampler came loaded with Yangnyeom chicken wings and legs, pork potstickers, Bulgogi Fries, Korean street corn, coleslaw and ranch.

Basically, enough food to turn a quick fried chicken stop into a serious commitment.

The chicken was really crispy and fried well.

That crunch was one of the strongest parts of the entire meal.

The coating held up.

The chicken delivered.

And then we found the leg.

One piece in the sampler was absolutely enormous.

This wasn’t a normal chicken leg.

It looked more like something removed from a dinosaur.

So naturally, my other half got that one.

Some decisions make themselves.

I wanted to try a few different sauces, which is why we added the Half & Half Chicken Strips.

Half Soy Garlic.

Half Korean BBQ.

The lady at the counter recommended the Soy Garlic.

She knew what she was doing.

If I had to rank the three sauces, it would be:

🥇Soy Garlic
🥈Yangnyeom
🥉Korean BBQ

There honestly wasn’t much separating them.

All three were good.

The Soy Garlic was the most balanced for me and narrowly took the top spot.

The Yangnyeom brought a little more sweetness and heat.

The Korean BBQ finished third, but this wasn’t a distant third.

More bronze medal than consolation prize.

The pork potstickers were really good.

Juicy inside.

Plenty of flavour in the filling.

And strong enough to feel like a proper part of the meal rather than something included simply to make the sampler look bigger.

I’d happily order them again.

No debate required.

Loaded fries can become soggy very quickly.

These didn’t.

The fries stayed crispy, and the Bulgogi made them feel far more substantial.

With the fried chicken and potstickers already involved, we didn’t exactly need another heavy item.

But need and want are very different things.

The Bulgogi Fries worked.

The Korean street corn was another good addition.

It gave the sampler another flavour and texture without feeling out of place among everything else.

By this point, Bonchon had successfully turned one takeaway order into a full table of food.

And we still weren’t finished.

The pickled radish came with the chicken strips.

It may not have been the most exciting item when the food arrived.

But once we started eating, it became one of the most useful.

Fresh.

Sharp.

Acidic.

Exactly what we needed between bites of fried chicken, potstickers and loaded fries.

It cut through the richer flavours and gave us a chance to reset before going back in.

The quiet hero of the order.

There was a lot of fried food.

By the end, we were completely full.

The meal was followed by a serious food coma.

And then a nap.

But I don’t think Bonchon can be blamed for that.

We ordered fried chicken.

Then more fried chicken.

Then potstickers.

Then fries covered with meat.

Complaining that the meal was heavy would be slightly unfair.

We knew what we were doing.

The food coma wasn’t a flaw.

It was evidence.

Bonchon delivered exactly what I wanted from Korean fried chicken.

The chicken was crisp.

The sauces were all strong.

The sides felt like genuine parts of the meal rather than filler.

Soy Garlic took the sauce crown, but only just.

Yangnyeom brought sweetness and heat.

Korean BBQ completed a very competitive lineup.

The pork potstickers were juicy.

The Bulgogi Fries remained crisp.

The Korean street corn was a good addition.

And the pickled radish provided exactly the contrast the order needed.

This is not a light lunch.

It is not pretending to be.

Bonchon is the kind of meal you go all-in on.

Just make sure there is room in the diary afterwards.

You may need a nap.

Best For: Crispy Korean fried chicken with enough sauces and sides to turn takeaway into a full event.

Order: The Seoul Sampler if you want to try a little of everything, plus the Soy Garlic chicken.

Standout: Soy Garlic narrowly wins the sauce ranking, with the juicy pork potstickers close behind.

Good to Know: The pickled radish is more important than it first appears. Save some for between bites.

The Damage: $46.98 before tax.

Return Visit: Yes. Preferably with no afternoon plans.

El Taco Llama
24374 Main Street, Santa Clarita, CA 91321

El Taco Llama was busy when I arrived.

Always a promising sign.

The burrito brought flavorful carne asada, evenly distributed rice and a price that made a strong first impression.

For a while, it looked like we might have a serious contender.

Then it reached one of the most important parts of the Burrito Belt scorecard.

Two salsas.

One crucial category.

And a result that could determine whether El Taco Llama challenged the leaders—or joined the crowded pack behind them.

Did the Sauce cost this burrito a place near the top?

Lady Di’s Cookies
26882 The Old Rd, Valencia, CA 91381

The plan was simple.

Visit two SCV cookie shops.

Order a mixed box from each.

Then let the cookies settle the argument.

But the first Cookie Run hit an unexpected obstacle before the second box had even been opened.

One shop was closed.

The other handed over six different flavors—and immediately set a very high bar.

Some were familiar.

Others sounded more like full desserts disguised as cookies.

And one thing stood out before we had even decided which flavor was best.

Has Lady Di’s already made this showdown difficult to beat?

Openings, events and things worth knowing.

Friday night has a soundtrack.

Hi Thai Street Food is back at Lucky Luke Brewing, serving from 4:30–9:30pm, while the taproom hosts its Bring Your Own Vinyl night from 6–10pm.

Bring a record. Grab some Thai food. Find something cold to drink.

Good food. Good music. Your playlist.

Not a bad way to start the weekend.

Pumpkin season is officially in full swing.

Gilchrist Farm is bringing back its Harvest Festival with a pumpkin patch, hayrides, corn maze, farm animals, pig races and food vendors.

There's plenty to keep the kids busy while you figure out which pumpkin is coming home.

It runs 9am–6pm at 30116 Bouquet Canyon Road, with free admission and parking. Activities may cost extra.

Pumpkins. Farm food. Fall weather.

October understood the assignment.

Sunday plans? Keep them simple.

Antojitos Azteca is pulling into Lucky Luke Brewing from 2–7pm, bringing Mexican street food to the taproom.

Grab something good to eat, settle in with a drink and give the weekend one last proper meal.

No big plans required.

Just a Sunday worth showing up hungry for.

Next week, we’re heading to Luna Grill.

A fresh restaurant review.

Plenty to order.

And one familiar question waiting at the end:

Is it worth the Sauce?

The competition rolls on.

Another carne asada burrito enters the Belt with the leading group still within reach.

Tortilla.

Carne.

Rice.

Sauce.

Can the next challenger shake up the leaderboard?

The smokers are firing up again.

Another contender enters the fight for the Pitmaster Cup—and every point matters.

The meat will be judged.

The sides will have their say.

Who will bring the smoke, and who will get burned?

SECRET SAUCE