The happening Korean fried chicken and fusion-friendly restaurant started in Midtown and expanded to the Heights in early 2020, but during Covid-19 the original closed permanently. Other flavors include red hot pepper, spicy garlic, and chicken topped with “snow” (raw onions covered in sweet aioli). Inside a relatively unassuming space in a Spring Branch strip mall, I tried the garlic soy and curry fried chicken both were deeply satisfying and served with a bowl of pickled daikon radish to cool down the numbing heat.

Choong Man does that seriously crispy, double-fried bird just right. Out in Spring Branch is the first Texas location of this wildly popular South Korean fried chicken chain (that also has locations in the Delaware-Maryland-Virginia corridor). For more fun, be sure to order kimchi pancakes and japchae (glass noodles with pork and vegetables) also, those forgoing the 'cue should look into the sunny-side egg-topped and surprisingly cheesy kimchi fried rice. While none of those things factor in if you're ordering takeout, take heart that a variety of well-sourced beef cuts like short rib, ribeye, a prime cut, and dry-aged ribeye doesn't hurt either. It's challenging for a Korean barbecue restaurant to stand out in bulgogi-rich Spring Branch, but relative newcomer Bori manages to be a cut above the rest because of its deep bar offerings including a fine roster of soju and Korean wine its efficient grilling system (vents are so close to the heat that the smoke never gets close to you) and its snappy and friendly service.

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