Boongs Chicken: Where a Love Story Meets a Korean Fried Chicken Dream
Fresh halal chicken, handmade dumplings, and over 25 flavors of Korean ramen. Boongs Korean Fried Chicken is redefining what fast-casual Korean comfort food can look like, and they’re just getting started.
“Boongs” comes from a song they both loved, capturing that heart-fluttering feeling they now pour into every crispy bite and detail of the space.
From Marketing Meetings to Marinades
Before Boongs Chicken served a single customer, Mario and his partner Candice were running a marketing company and building relationships with small business owners across the city. What they didn’t know was that he had a Korean fried chicken recipe he’d been perfecting for years, along with hands-on kitchen experience that taught him the discipline behind great food. Eventually, the pull toward the kitchen became stronger than the one to the conference room.
At Boongs, everything starts from scratch. They use fresh halal chicken, cure it overnight in a specialty machine imported from Korea, and double-fry it just before serving. There are no warmers in sight, because Mario believes the wait is worth it. When the chicken hits the table, it’s crisp, hot, juicy, and full of intention.
Comfort Food with a Kick of Creativity
The menu at Boongs is bold, playful, and full of personality. The sweet and spicy boneless chicken leads the pack, balanced between a sticky glaze and a satisfying crunch. Mario constantly fine-tunes his sauces, blending traditional Korean ingredients with flavors that speak to New York’s diverse palate. His personal favorite is the soy garlic, lightly sweetened, savory, and endlessly craveable. But the offerings go well beyond chicken. Shrimp and pork dumplings come from a trusted, small-batch factory in New Jersey. There’s even a wall of more than 25 Korean instant ramen flavors, turning the store into a visual playground that doubles as a nostalgic food stop.
The same philosophy carries into Boongs Cafe, where even the strawberry jam in the drinks is homemade. The waffles are made with fresh batter each morning, topped with whipped cream they make in-house. Never from a can. Every detail feels lovingly chosen, crafted not just to feed but to surprise and delight.
A Love Story Written in Chicken
What makes Boongs feel different isn’t just the food. It’s the love energy behind it. Mario built the brand alongside his wife Candice, a designer who shaped everything from the logo to the interiors. If you pay attention, you’ll notice the logo of Boongs Chicken is a boy—Mario—wearing a chicken hat and eating ramen. Boongs Cafe features the same character, this time sipping boba, most likely taro.
Together, they created a space that feels thoughtful and personal, like an elevated take on Korea’s vibrant street food culture. One wall is stacked floor to ceiling with colorful ramen packs, turning into a spontaneous photo backdrop that draws phones and smiles in equal measure. Every visual detail was designed in-house with Candice’s eye and heart guiding the way, including the walls, menus, logos, stickers, packaging, entrance sign, and every single small detail. The warmth in the space comes not just from the fryers, but from the story and love woven into every inch.
Small Stores, Big Dreams
Mario’s vision for Boongs goes far beyond his current storefronts. He’s aiming to open more locations over the next few years, and he’s doing it with a uniquely strategic mindset. Each store is part of a larger system he’s building, a network that includes a cafe business, a marketing firm, and a shared supply chain that keeps quality consistent and operations lean. The East Village and Midtown East locations already reflect this synergy, where everything from flavor testing to menu development is guided by data, observation, and instinct.
But no matter how much Boongs grows, the core never changes. Mario leads with heart. He trains his staff to serve with genuine smiles and welcomes customers the way he would welcome friends and family. The hospitality here isn’t performative. For him, it’s not just about scale. It’s about doing things with heart, building something that lasts, and creating a place where people don’t just eat. They come back. Because that, to him, is the best measure of success.