Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Recession Obsession: KyoChon Fried Chicken
Amazing Chicken, Lousy Salad
A Recession Obsession is, 1) a meal so great that it stays in your mind long after digestion's end, and, 2) plays nice with your sensitive wallet. Is there a better place than Los Angeles to eat a wide variety of amazing food that so happens to be inexpensive? Probably not. We're as lucky as we are well fed. We last obsessed over fan favorite, Bay Cities Italian Deli, and Thai Town's Ruen Pair. Today, we obsess...
Korean Fried Chicken results in tastebud confusion. Through delicious overload and a rarely-paralleled flavor density, KFC is a unique treat. (LAist has been a fan.) I’d say “move over Colonel, there’s a new feaux-military chicken-slinging hero in town,” but that’s just not the case. It’d be like alerting Italy to the mounting non-threat that is California Pizza Kitchen ("CPK," if you dine there on the regular.)
Find a friend who hates typical fried chicken, bring him/her/shim to KyoChon, and watch a conversion. The two of you can have this religious experience for about $10 each. That’s why it’s LA’s latest Recession Obsession.
Support for LAist comes from
Finger Licking Amazing
KyoChon’s chicken isn’t monstrously fried the great American way -- where one’s first bite in doesn’t include chicken flesh -- it’s crispy but its skin isn’t a chore. They have wings and “sticks,” a.k.a. chicken legs. While the sticks are meatier (and more expensive,) I find the wings to pack the right mixture of meat, skin, and fantasticness.
Their two flavors are terrific. The Garlic Soy Sauce features its titular ingredients, and seemingly dozens of other complimentary flavors which make these wings unforgettable. The Hot Sweet Sauce brings that taste and addictive mouth-fire. Some bites are so hot you’d swear the chicken was North Korean. Those keep me coming back, and awake some nights, my longing mind fixating over
These wings are made fresh, to order, for you, dear Recession Obsessionist. Whether you like it or not, you’re in no hurry. Hopefully your swelling hunger pangs don’t cause you to utter “another round” before your initial round arrives (I did once when the economy wasn’t in the crapper.) Next thing you know, your wallet is empty.
Garcon...
Like a lot of places in K-Town, KyoChon’s tables feature those cheap-looking plastic buttons. Press, and your server appears. Make sure you don’t use this waitress-summoning pleasure to order anything else off the menu. The rest of their offerings are surprisingly weak.
Support for LAist comes from
A self-serve ice cream machine spits out cold desert in shot glass-sized denominations. It’ll help your burning mouth, and won’t further lighten your wallet.
- KyoChon Chicken Koreatown | 3833 W 6th Street | Los Angeles 90020 | (213) 739-9292
- Other locations: Torrance, Garden Grove and Rowland Heights
Photos by Caleb Bacon (Twitter) for LAist
Where do you get your "KFC"? Comment Below (or else)!
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass suspended a state law allowing duplexes, calling more housing unsafe. But in Altadena, L.A. County leaders say these projects could be key for rebuilding. -
L.A. County investigators have launched a probe into allegations about Va Lecia Adams Kellum and people she hired at the L.A. Homeless Services Authority.
-
This measure on the Nov. 4, 2025, California ballot is part of a larger battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year.
-
After rising for years, the number of residential installations in the city of Los Angeles began to drop in 2023. The city isn’t subject to recent changes in state incentives, but other factors may be contributing to the decline.
-
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs.
-
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5425437/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3897+0+0/resize/640x396!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
Best of LAist