Two recently opened East Asian eateries are paired in the Crimson Galeria at 57 John F. Kennedy St., in Cambridge’s Harvard Square.
Bonchon, the Korean fried chicken chain, has reopened mainly for takeout and delivery – there’s also some fast-food-style seating – with a new owner after closing as a sit-down restaurant during the pandemic. An Nam, a Vietnamese restaurant with an outpost in Assembly Square, has also opened.
Bonchon offers fried chicken and other fusion items such as Korean tacos, as well as more distinctively Korean dishes including bibimbap, tteokbokki and buldak. Coleslaw and fries are available as sides alongside kimchi and pickled radish. A recent order suggested it’s smart to take note of the meat purchases and prices: Six wings for $10 are big, robust pieces, while the six boneless pieces for the same price might not all have enough meat inside to satisfy.
Mimi Tran, Bonchon’s franchise owner, said she’s received a positive reaction. “I’ve had so many fans come to see us during initial construction phases waiting for us to come back,” she said. There’s one other nearby location, in Allston, and some other Massachusetts locations further away. Cambridge has a bb.q Korean fried chicken restaurant in Central Square.
Tran isn’t Korean – she was raised in Boston by a Vietnamese family who had owned restaurants in Vietnam, and decided to get into the restaurant industry herself –but is a fan of Korean food in general and Bonchon specifically. “Cambridge is the perfect location for what I am looking for – the hustle and bustle, liveliness, filled with good vibes, and energy,” she said.
The return of students and workers since 2022 is a boost to Bonchon’s bottom line. “I wanted to bring back what everyone in Cambridge has grown to know and love, but better of course,” said Tran.
An Nam is a sit-down, fine-dining Vietnamese restaurant. Its menu offers food Americans have grown familiar with, such as banh mi and pho, as well as less-well-known items including conch salad and caramelized catfish bowls. The restaurant also serves cocktails, beer and wine. The restaurant shares ownership with Saigon Fusion, a Vietnamese fusion restaurant in Fenway, and with Menya Jiro, a ramen chain that had a now-closed location at the Crimson Galeria.
A stronger
Please consider making a financial contribution to maintain, expand and improve Cambridge Day.
We are now a 501(c)3 nonprofit and all donations are tax deductible.
Please consider a recurring contribution.