Ultimate Chicken Bistro, Multi-Ethnic Chicken from the Owners of Cheogajip - Loehmann's Plaza in West Falls Church - Closed,

[Escoffier]

Grover and I decided it would be a good idea to end 2011 with an over-indulgence in chicken, after all, what could be a better way to finish up the year? We headed out to Loehmann's Plaza in beautiful West Falls Church to explore Ultimate Chicken Bistro (from now on, UCB). The bright red banner announcing UCB and Grand Opening made it pretty easy to spot. UCB has only been open about a month but seems to have settled into a easy pattern of getting you seated, getting menus and taking drink orders. The menu features Chicken. Chicken Italian Style, Chicken Japanese Style, Chicken Chinese Style and (for us, the best) Chicken Korean Style. We ordered Korean style (naturally). A large serving of Popcorn Chicken and a small Fried Chicken. For sides, we had french fries (not known as a Korean side dish), pickled radish, and fried rice. Service is done in typical Korean style. Whatever cooks first gets served first. The fries were first. While they weren't hand cut and quintuple fried and dipped in ice water and all the other things that people do to tart up potatoes, they were decent. A nice firm outer, potatoey, flavorful interior. Next came the popcorn chicken. If you've been to Cheogajip, you are probably familiar with the popcorn chicken concept. Small, boneless pieces of breaded chicken, fried Korean style. The popcorn chicken comes with two dipping sauces, one mild and one spicy. Both of these are apparently aimed at Mee-Guks (non-Koreans). Both sauces were flavorful but the spicy wasn't spicy in the normal Korean sense. The chicken was very nice and moist and had a almost crunchy coating. The large was large, the plate was piled high. Next came the fried chicken. There were about six pieces and it was HOT (heat, not spicy) and it was extraordinary. A golden brown crunchy covering (it's not breaded, it's Korean chicken after all) over some of the nicest, moist, flavorful chicken I've had in a long time. If you expect to find those distinct pieces of chicken (legs, thighs, you know, the stuff they sell in Giant) you're going to be disappointed. The chicken is cut in the distinct Asian way. Lot's of meat and almost no bone on some pieces, other pieces with some bone. This requires a bit of caution while eating but nothing that can't be handled with a bit of care.

The takeout service seems to be really popular. There must have been 10 takeout orders that were picked up while we were there.
We left stuffed and with a bag of left-overs that consisted of one piece of chicken and the fried rice which we never even touched. Grover paid the bill (she's such a sweetheart ), so I have no idea what the final cost was but here's the menu. You can get an idea from that. We both enjoyed the food very much.

[catharine]

I noticed the signs for this place last night in Cheogajip. It must be the same owners. This morning I saw a Living Social deal to Ultimate Chicken Bistro. Sounds like it is worth checking out.

[agm]

Tasty, tasty Korean fried chicken. Not quite as crispy as Bonchon, or as hot (spicy), but the meat had better flavor, and for us it's a pretty good second choice. Overall, the concept of the restaurant is mildly bizarre, but the Korean chicken is good enough that we'll be back to try the rest. And if the rest sucks, we'll still come back.

This place really needs to deliver.

[Escoffier]

I noticed the signs for this place last night in Cheogajip. It must be the same owners. This morning I saw a Living Social deal to Ultimate Chicken Bistro. Sounds like it is worth checking out.

Same owner as Cheogajip. The man loves chicken.

I have a coupon for this place. Do they fry everything or can I order grilled chicken?

I posted the menu (first post, underlined). There are a number of options.

[Kibbee Nayee]

I had a Groupon and was in the area, so....

Immediate turn-off was the sticky laminate floor. They probably need to change the mop juice. Then I sat at a table that had a terminal wobble. Two packs of sugar only helped a little. Then they didn't have club soda....three strikes before the food came out?

I asked about the bento box but was told it would take 10-15 minutes because they had to cook the sushi rice. So I ordered the firecracker chicken and the teryaki chicken. The portions were smallish -- midway through the meal, I noticed a bento box going to a nearby table, and it looked substantially larger. I should have waited.

The firecraker chicken was nicely flavored, sort of wanting to be satay but not quite. The teryaki chicken was worthy of a Benihana, which brings up another point. I noticed no woks in the open kitchen, just flattop gridles. Maybe that's what they need for the French and Italian offerings, but I would think a proper wok is needed for a proper Asian char-sear....I would put the two dishes I tasted today in the OK category, maybe what Sietsema would give 1.5* or so....

I have another Groupon so I'll be back for a taste of something else on the menu at some point....maybe that bento box, or maybe the Korean fried chicken.

But that Celebrity deli a few doors down sure looked tempting....

[Sundae in the Park]

I had a Groupon and was in the area, so....

Immediate turn-off was the sticky laminate floor. They probably need to change the mop juice. Then I sat at a table that had a terminal wobble. Two packs of sugar only helped a little. Then they didn't have club soda....three strikes before the food came out?

We had a similar experience, with the soup being unavailable. The popcorn Korean chicken is the right texture, but the soy-garlic glaze is SWEET!, as are the dipping sauces. The spicy sauce was a teeny bit spicy and not quite as sweet as the mild sauce. The basalmic reduction on the salad is nice for a few bites, but becomes cloyingly sweet after a while. The prices feel gentler than Bon Chon ($13 for a heaping large plate of popcorn chix, $16 for a whole fried chix, but at $16 for 15 wings, isn't actually cheaper, though they all do come with a side) and its nice to have the popcorn/whole options. Nix the glaze and with a spicier dipping sauce, this place could be very tempting for the Korean fried chicken. We also tried the chicken cordon bleu, which took me straight back to the grade-school lunch room - stick with the Korean chicken, and get it with the fried rice. Everything was nicely plated and the wait staff could not have been more welcoming. I have mixed feelings about this place and their odd chicken concept but I do want them to succeed, based on their niceness factor alone..

[weezy]

Met a couple of friends for dinner tonight. Very welcoming atmosphere, very clean -- no sticky floors. The service was a little slow at times but only one guy was working the whole FOH, and we weren't in any hurry so it wasn't a problem for us. Shared the sushi roll appetizer with crab, avocado and..cuke? -- and fried dumplings and both were pleasant, solid dishes and nicely plated. I got the Korean fried chicken (half) with the spicy sauce and it was a ssweet-ish, not very spicey sauce but it was tasty and the chicken was beautifully cooked, nice and moist and tender with a good crunchy skin. Had a side of mac & cheese and it was definitely homemade, a drier style. It came with a side salad that was nice and fresh. My friends each had the teppanyaki steak and veg, and theirs were also cooked very well, nice and tender, with a slightly spice creamy sauce on the side. The servings were very generous. We each took enough food home for another meal tomorrow . So overall, none of the particular dishes was a wow!, but all of them were tasty enough and well cooked and very generous portions. 2 apps, 2 glasses of wine and 3 entrees for a total of $63 including tax.

[hopsing]

My new guilty pleasure is Korean fried chicken. Came here a couple of weeks ago for carryout and I have to say, my husband and I really loved the chicken (we got a whole chicken), especially the soy/garlic glaze. Even as a leftover, it was till crunchy. My drive back from the place was about 15 minutes, but the chicken was still really hot (maybe the summer temps had something to do with that too). They ingeniously cut a couple of strategic holes in the styrofoam so it doesn't get all soggy, plus they line the styrofoam box with aluminum foil.

After a few weeks of fortifying myself with whole grains and quinoa, I'll be ready to tackle the chicken again!

[weezy]

Went here with friends last night. 3 of us ordered 2 apps and 2 whole chickens and each got a different side. Ended up with a whole chicken leftover to split between us because we were too full to eat it. Apps were the California roll and the fried dumplings, both decent, typical renditions. Sides were cole slaw, nicely shredded and not too finely chopped, and not overdressed; mac & cheese, which was average flavor but the elbows were a bit overcooked; and veg of the day, which was julienned yellow & green squash and carrots, steamed with butter and sprinkled with sesame seeds, which tasted mostly of butter. The chicken itself was very good, and they have kicked up the heat in the spicy dipping sauce since the last time I was there. Service was very friendly but a bit disjointed -- three servers would stop by the table in a 2-minute time frame and you wouldn't know who was taking care of what, and apparently they weren't quite sure, either.

[DrXmus]

We went on a Saturday night at about 7:30 and were one of about 3-4 covers for the entire time we were there. Along with us, at least two other tables were using Groupons.

The fried chicken was crunchy and hot as was the "popcorn chicken". We've only experienced Korean fried chicken at Bon Chon in Fairfax, so we were disappointed in two things. One is that there's no spicy glaze option. Sure there's the sweet/spicy dipping sauce, but it's not that hot and dipping isn't the same a lacquering. Two is that it was hard for Mrs DrX to find the white meat in the popcorn version or the whole chicken version. At Bon Chon, it's obvious. The little salad that comes with both dishes was nice, with plenty of vinegar to cut the meal.

The frozen yogurt joint next door had people pouring through our entire visit, while Ultimate Chicken Bistro was pretty quiet. I have a bad feeling the Bistro isn't long for this world. After our trial Groupon meal, we won't be back.

[hopsing]

I only went once but I loved it. However, I've never been to Bonchon as it is not near me. I better hurry over to UCB to get my final chickens!

[DrXmus]

We've only experienced Korean fried chicken at Bon Chon in Fairfax, so we were disappointed in two things.

After writing this review, we got a major jones for Bon Chon and ended up there for dinner after we found Four Sister's was closed due to lack of power after the storm. Bon Chon wins by a landslide!

[Escoffier]

After writing this review, we got a major jones for Bon Chon and ended up there for dinner after we found Four Sister's was closed due to lack of power after the storm. Bon Chon wins by a landslide!

The people who own UCB also own Cheogajip. You might want to try their chicken as well.

[hoosiereph]

Has anyone been in recently? At Cheogajip, they are now distributing a menu for UCB labeled "Ultimate Chicken Bistro: Season 2" and looks a little different than the old ones. Not so much that there seem to be new offerings, but the menu seems to emphasize the Korean Fried Chicken much more heavily, with the "Western" dishes relegated to an afterthought. The bento, Teppannyaki, and western-style dessert options all remain.

We might give it one more try to see if they've brought some of the Cheogajip magic to their Korean chicken.

[DrXmus]

We went on a Saturday night at about 7:30 and were one of about 3-4 covers for the entire time we were there. Along with us, at least two other tables were using Groupons.

The fried chicken was crunchy and hot as was the "popcorn chicken". We've only experienced Korean fried chicken at Bon Chon in Fairfax, so we were disappointed in two things. One is that there's no spicy glaze option. Sure there's the sweet/spicy dipping sauce, but it's not that hot and dipping isn't the same a lacquering. Two is that it was hard for Mrs DrX to find the white meat in the popcorn version or the whole chicken version. At Bon Chon, it's obvious. The little salad that comes with both dishes was nice, with plenty of vinegar to cut the meal.

The frozen yogurt joint next door had people pouring through our entire visit, while Ultimate Chicken Bistro was pretty quiet. I have a bad feeling the Bistro isn't long for this world. After our trial Groupon meal, we won't be back.

Never say "never", right? Well, we went back last night because some friends wanted to try it. The more things change, the more they stay the same. We were still mostly alone in the restaurant. Admittedly, we were there at 6:30 or so, but we were there until about 8 and I think there were only 3-4 tables filled, and one was the chef's wife and son.

Still there's no "white meat" option like at Bon Chon (my closest comparison) and what chopped up white meat breasts were in the 1/2 chicken option were unpleasant for my bone-hating wife to pick through.

Has anyone been in recently? At Cheogajip, they are now distributing a menu for UCB labeled "Ultimate Chicken Bistro: Season 2" and looks a little different than the old ones. Not so much that there seem to be new offerings, but the menu seems to emphasize the Korean Fried Chicken much more heavily, with the "Western" dishes relegated to an afterthought. The bento, Teppannyaki, and western-style dessert options all remain.

We might give it one more try to see if they've brought some of the Cheogajip magic to their Korean chicken.

The changed menu was a shocker to me! Ultimate Chicken Bistro should now be called "Some Chicken and lots of Beef". I don't remember all the allusions to "UCB" when we were there before, so they may be rebranding the Bistro. All the specials were Korean beef options and a fair bit of the much shorter menu was non-chicken (beef only, IIRC). The menu is 1/8 of what it was last year. Gone are the Italian chicken dishes. Mostly gone are the Japanese chicken dishes. I don't remember the other types of ethnic chicken dishes that used to be on the menu, but if they're not Korean fried chicken, assume they're gone.

Now, getting to the KFC. I think none of the four of us were excited about the chicken we got. None of us have been to Cheogajip, so I can't say if their KFC is like UCB's or not. We essentially got 1.5 chickens and an order of popcorn chicken. On the plus side, the chicken is coated with a sauce now, which, upon reading my previous review, i realized wasn't the case before. We had a split of soy/ginger and hot/spicy sauces. The soy/ginger was tasty and was sort-of glazy like Bon Chon. The hot/spicy was spicy, but contained tons of 5-spice and was twice the amount of sauce needed to gently coat the chicken pieces. I'm thinking they have a generic fried chicken that they then sauce like Buffalo wings before plating. The heat in the sauce is a very different heat than Bon Chon. It dissipated much more quickly and while did have a kick, wasn't as pleasant, in my humble opinion, as Bon Chon.

We were next to a table with the chef's wife and son, I'm assuming. He brought them a couple of beef dishes that she made into lettuce wraps. I'm thinking, if you like beef, then Ultimate Chicken Bistro may be the place to go.

[DonRocks]

This is now called "Latino Chicken Place," and has a Grand Opening sign up - I don't know if it's under new ownership or not (hence, I don't know whether to start a new thread or re-title this one).

[DonRocks]

This is now called "Latino Chicken Place," and has a Grand Opening sign up - I don't know if it's under new ownership or not (hence, I don't know whether to start a new thread or re-title this one).

Does anyone know if Latino Chicken Place is under the same ownership as Ultimate Chicken Bistro was?

The previous owners were the owners of Cheogajip, so my guess is "no," but I want to make sure before I close this thread instead of merely retitling it.

Can someone help a home boy out?

[Escoffier]

Does anyone know if Latino Chicken Place is under the same ownership as Ultimate Chicken Bistro was?

The previous owners were the owners of Cheogajip, so my guess is "no," but I want to make sure before I close this thread instead of merely retitling it.

Can someone help a home boy out?

Sold.  Talked to the former owner last week at Cheogajip.  While business was good, it was taking him away from family (they have a one year old daughter).

[DonRocks]

Sold.  Talked to the former owner last week at Cheogajip.  While business was good, it was taking him away from family (they have a one year old daughter). 

Thank you, sir!

[Escoffier]

mon plaisir.

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Et voilí¡.