Korean Fried Chicken Crawl in Allston

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Part of Food and Drink Crawls Through Boston and Beyond

Welcome back to Food Crawls, a series in which Eater Boston staffers guide you on food and booze crawls in the Boston area. When we go out, we often want to try more than one restaurant or bar at a time — a drink and a snack here, another drink and dessert there. Eater Boston crawls are meant to be relatively walkable, and the amount of food and drink is meant to correspond roughly to a couple of average appetites — so bring a friend. Email us if there’s a particular theme, dish, drink, or neighborhood you’d like to see covered in a future installment.

Folks: Allston’s got some fried chicken. No, the KFC on North Beacon Street doesn’t count, although it’ll do the trick in moments of desperation — and fine, sure, some less-than-desperate moments too. The scene here does involve a couple chains, but it doesn’t involve a cartoon colonel.

There’s a bit of Korean fried chicken in this previous Allston food crawl, but the scene demands a more in-depth exploration. Next time you’re in Allston, pop around from spot to spot and sample its various versions of Korean fried chicken. Make sure you’re with your crew, because it’s for sure too much fried chicken for one person to consume on his own. (Like, medically speaking.)

Stats for this food crawl:

Total stops: 5
Chickens eaten: Parts of at least half a dozen, probably
Streets traveled: 2

Gangnam-Style Wings at BB.Q Chicken

182 Harvard Ave., Boston, MA 02134

bb.q chicken allston — Sweet and spicy and all things good

Yes, “Gangnam Style” is a song. Gangnam is also one of the most culturally influential — and opulent — districts in Seoul, South Korea. The wings at BB.Q in Allston (the first New England location of the chain) match the flash of the music video (and the neighborhood) — sweet and spicy and garlicky, dressed with bright green and red chilis and scallions. Start here with a small order.

Crispy Chicken Bites at K-Town Chicken

136 Harvard Ave., Allston, MA 02134

K-Town Chicken serves a variety of fried chicken — the fried half chicken is worth your time if you’re not already eating at four other fried chicken joints — but the best is the crispy chicken bites. Boneless bits of chicken — nugget-like in appearance but not texture or taste — are fried and served with a choice of sweet or spicy sauces.

Fried Chicken at Bonchon

123 Brighton Ave., Boston, MA 02134

Bonchon is a chain, but unlike KFC, its fried chicken is reliably good. There are two options: soy garlic and spicy. You let your mouth cool down at the last spot, so go with the spicy this time.

Kimchipapi Fried Chicken at Kimchipapi Kitchen

81 Harvard Ave., Boston, MA 02134

A spread at Kimchipapi Kitchen, featuring “KFC”

Okay, there is some KFC on this list. Kimchipapi Kitchen recently began offering Kimchipapi fried chicken — or, KFC — on its “kravings” menu. Pop into the shop for a poke bowl or some noodles, and stay for the Sriracha barbecue fried chicken strips.

Yang-Nyum Fried Chicken at Coreanos

172 Brighton Ave., Boston, MA 02134

coreanos fried chicken — Coreanos is constantly on point

The yang-nyum fried chicken at Coreanos is sweet and spicy and has a shatteringly crispy exterior. It didn’t get named the best Korean restaurant in the city in 2017 for nothing — these wings probably played a big part. Get a large, and eat the leftovers for breakfast.

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