This new ‘KFC’ restaurant in Meridian? ‘Amazing’ food. It’s not what you think

If you’re a sucker for a plate of fried chicken, there’s a different kind of “KFC” calling your name from a Meridian strip mall.

A ridiculously tasty one.

Vons Chicken opened earlier this month at 950 E. Fairview Ave. A franchise chain, Vons serves Korean fried chicken — what aficionados sometimes call “KFC.” Double-fried, flavorful and delicious, it’s a potentially shareable meal generating excitement among local Google reviewers — who are rating the new Vons at 5 stars.

“We love the food. ... The spice level is just right,” wrote one.

“Honey butter chicken wings were amazing!” added another.

“This is what I tasted in Korea,” said one more, “even better.”

In South Korea, fried chicken and beer is known as “chimaek” — a combination of the words “chicken” (chi) and “beer” (maekju). Thousands of restaurants there specialize in the pairing. The only Korean fried chicken restaurant in Boise is Han’s Chimaek, 1716 S. Broadway Ave.

Local franchisees

The Vons Chicken franchise in Meridian is owned by Paul and Vivian Kim. Born in Korea, they moved to Boise from California several years ago. In 2019, the couple debuted Idaho’s first Vons inside their Mr. Wok restaurant in Boise. But they shuttered those operations last year.

When I ate at that Vons, I ordered Crispy Yang-Nyeom (pronounced “yahng-nyum”) Chicken, which is slathered in rich, mouthwatering sauce. At the new Meridian restaurant, it costs $15.99 for half a chicken or $30.99 for a full bird.

That’s pricier than the poultry served by Colonel Sanders. But this isn’t fast food. Vons Chicken is served either fried or oven-roasted. After ordering, it can take 15 or 20 minutes for crispy fried chicken to arrive at your table. Oven chicken might take a little longer.

When ordering, you choose between all wings, all drums, boneless or a combo of drums and wings. Chicken comes with sides of coleslaw and pickled radish, the latter of which complements “KFC” nicely.

Fried chicken varieties range from Crunch Fried Chicken ($14.99 half/$28.99 full) made with five-grain powder to Crispy Fried Chicken with Honey Butter or Cheddar ($15.99/$30.99). Want to heat things up? Order the spicy version of Crispy Fried Chicken ($14.99/$28.99). It has a “light, flaky texture with a garlic sauce glaze,” according to the menu. (There’s also a mild version.)

Choosing “spicy” is no joke. After I bit into Crispy Yang-Nyeom Chicken for the first time, the heat sneaked up on me. But it’s sooo good. Sweet, kickin’ sauce covers moist, decadent drumsticks and wings. Every battered piece will have a satisfying, soft crunch.

Prepare to politely wipe your nose if you’re eating a “spicy” meal at Vons. You’ll be wiping your hands on lots of napkins, anyway. Cool off by sipping a cold beer.

Korean favorites

Half of a chicken is beyond filling. Especially if you crush an order of Honey Butter Fries ($5.99) while you’re waiting for the bird. The hot, soft, sweet-yet-salty fries are almost like a dessert. (Or maybe you’d prefer Cheddar French Fries, also $5.99.)

Several of the menu staples from the closed Mr. Wok in Boise made the jump to Vons in Meridian. They’re in a separate menu section. Hot Stone Bibimbap is $14.99. Chicken Teriyaki is $13.99. Ramen is $9.99.

But the focus at Vons definitely is the chicken.

Customers from the former location might notice a new item on the menu: Cheese Buldak, an oven-chicken dish priced at $14.99/$28.99. It’s “spicy boneless chicken topped with melted cheese, rice cake and on a bed of onions,” the menu says.

“Koreans, they have this obsession with cheese,” explained Joseph Kim, Paul and Vivian’s son, in a telephone interview. “It’s been a new thing in Korea, kind of. Anything with cheese on top.”

Sounds like a must-try.

Vons Chicken, which offers full-service dining and takeout, is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays. It’s closed Sundays. The restaurant also offers a variety of lunch specials. Phone: (208) 888-3581.

Be warned, though. One bite will forever change the meaning of “KFC.”

This story was originally published September 27, 2022 at 4:00 AM.