Bon Chon Gluten Free Special Hidden Menu: 34 Options Ranked by Keto

Bon Chon gluten free choices may not be apparent at first, but anyone looking to spice up their lunch or dinner with a Korean twist can simply use their special hidden menu.¹

This menu allows anyone with celiac disease or gluten intolerances to sort through 34 GF options, ranked from the least amount of carbs to the most for anyone who is on a low carb diet and also needs to avoid gluten.

Does Bon Chon Have Gluten Free Food Items? Where Can I Find the Hidden Menu?

It is possible to enjoy gluten free food at Bon Chon but only if due diligence has been performed to locate the ideal menu items of meals. As most know, gluten is the protein found in wheat and other grains, such as barley and therefore, the first thing someone should do is establish if the meal contains wheat or any other grain that may include gluten.² Note, wheat remains the primary source of gluten in most restaurant foods.

Source: Mungkhoodstudio’s Images via Canva.com³

Of course, it’s always a good idea to check with the waiter and, if necessary, the manager on what goes into the food as well as the preparation methods—due to the risk of cross-contamination— if food is fried with the same oil which it usually is.

This precaution along with choosing one of the food items below will provide a good foundation to eat GF at Bon Chon.

Bon Chon Gluten Free Meal Menu

While Bon Chon does not market itself as having dedicated gluten-free options on its menu, gluten free meals and options can be found in their menu and associated nutrition facts guide.

All in all, there are 34 options ranked by keto on their menu and this includes GF soups, salads and side dishes.

Soups & Salads

The pleasant news is that there are a number of soups and salads that are keto friendly. However, they are all not gluten free. Two salads can be tweaked to make them gluten free by requesting the staff to remove certain ingredients, and these are:

• Caesar salad—the Caesar salad can be gluten free with a request of removing the sesame ginger dressing and croutons. Skipping on the croutons will also make it more keto friendly due to lower carbs.⁴
• Sesame ginger salad—this salad can also be gluten free by skipping the croutons and dressing.

When requesting to make these gluten-free, the servers should be asked to obtain ingredients from a fresh batch and use fresh gloves when preparing to minimize cross contamination.

The macros for the above are listed below as well as the flavor rank with 1 being the most popular and delicious.

• Caesar salad contains 280 kcal, 15 grams of carbohydrates, and is ranked 6 in flavor.
• Sesame ginger salad contains 475 kcal, 23 grams of carbohydrates and is ranked 7 in flavor.

Other Gluten-Free Options at Bon Chon

In addition to soups and salads, Bonchon offers various gluten-free options including appetizers, side dishes, and mochi. They are ranked from least carbs to most carbs and have a flavor ranking in popularity and taste as well.

Starters

All the starters at Bon Chon contain gluten except Edamame, which has neither wheat nor grains and has the lowest amount of carbohydrates—a great option for those after a calorie deficit without exercise. A majority of the starters are heavily loaded with carbohydrates.

Edamame contains 270 kcal and is ranked 10 in flavor.

Sides

A surprisingly large number of Bon Chon’s gluten free sides contain no wheat products— a few are also keto friendly. While these food items have no wheat products, patrons should confirm that they don’t get contaminated when prepared.

For example, if french fries are prepared in a separate fryer, they will be gluten free. Otherwise, they may have some gluten from using a shared fryer.

The macros for the above are listed below as well as the flavor rank.

• Miso soup contains 20 kcal and is ranked 9 in flavor
• Pickled radish contains 15 kcal and is ranked 4 in flavor
• Coleslaw contains 120 kcal and is ranked 8 in flavor
• Kimchi coleslaw contains 120 kcal and is ranked 2 in flavor
• Kimchi contains 67 kcal and is ranked 5 in flavor
• French fries contain 360 kcal and are ranked 3 in flavor
• Seasoned French fries contain 430 kcal and are ranked in 1 flavor
• Steamed rice contains 398 kcal and is ranked 11 in flavor

Source: Diana Craciun’s Images via Canva.com⁵

Bon Chon Gluten Free Mochi

Mochi is a Japanese delicacy prepared using glutinous rice flour (despite the name) that is typically gluten free and vegan.⁶

All the items on Mochi do contain wheat due to this flour, and patrons would be pleased to know these items are gluten free. It is advisable to confirm with the waiter and verify the preparation methods due to the danger of cross-contamination.

These are ranked by most carbs to least—their flavor ranking is separate from the other categories as these lean towards being deserts. Again, the ranking here starts with 1 being the most delicious and popular.

• Black sesame contains 120 kcal and is ranked 3 in flavor
• Cinnamon eggnog contains 120 kcal and is ranked 20 in flavor
• The double chocolate chip contains 130 kcal and is ranked 15 in flavor
• Frothy chocolate contains 110 kcal and is ranked 14 in flavor
• Ginger zing contains 120 kcal and is ranked 21 in flavor
• Hazelnut crunch contains 120 kcal and is ranked 13 in flavor
• Lychee colada contains 120 kcal and is ranked 22 in flavor
• Mandarin orange cream contains 110 kcal and is ranked 19 in flavor
• Mango Thai basil contains 120 kcal and is ranked 7 in flavor
• Matcha green tea contains 110 kcal and is ranked 2 in flavor
• Passion fruit contains 110 kcal and is ranked 17 in flavor
• Meyer lemon poppy seed contains 110 kcal and is 18 ranked in flavor
• Pumpkin cheesecake contains 120 kcal and is ranked 23 in flavor
• Salted caramel contains 110 kcal and is ranked 12 in flavor
• Thai ice tea contains 110 kcal and is ranked 11 in flavor
• Toasted coconut contains 120 kcal and is ranked 10 in flavor
• Yuzu mojito contains 110 kcal and is ranked 16 in flavor
• Mochaccino chip contains 110 kcal and is ranked 9 in flavor
• Raspberry white chocolate crunch contains 110 kcal and is ranked 8 in flavor
• Strawberry contains 110 kcal and is ranked 4 in flavor
• The vanilla chocolate chip contains 110 kcal and is ranked 6 in flavor
• Azuki red bean contains 110 kcal and is ranked 1 in flavor
• Matcha green tea chocolate chip contains 110 kcal and is ranked 5 in flavor

Avoid These Non Gluten Free Menu Items at Bon Chon

Bon Chon is not a restaurant catered to gluten free dieters, with most of the menu containing wheat in the ingredients. The main dishes, soups & salads, and signature fried chicken all contain gluten and should be steered away from.

Source: Oskanov via Canva.com⁷

Main Dishes— unfortunately, all the main dishes at Bon Chon are not gluten free as they contain wheat. They are also not keto-friendly, with many containing carbohydrates ranging in the hundreds of grams and not ideal for those planning on consuming 500 calories daily for a month. For a diet to be keto-friendly, the daily carbohydrate intake has to be between 20-50 grams. These main dishes are ranked from the highest carbohydrate content to the least.

• • Bonchon bulgogi wrap
  • Spicy bonchon chicken sandwich
  • Bonchon chicken wrap
  • Original bonchon
  • Chicken sandwich
  • House fried rice
  • Bibimbap

• Bulgogi
• Japchae
• Chicken katsu
• Tteokbokki
• Bull dak
• House fried rice with chicken
• House fried rice with kimchi bacon
• House fried rice with bulgogi
• House fried rice with seafood
• Bibimbap with bulgogi
• Bibimbap with seafood
• Bibimbap with tofu
• Bibimbap with soy chicken
• Bibimbap with spicy chicken

Signature Fried Chicken—the signature fried chicken at Bon Chon consists of chicken wings, chicken drumsticks, chicken strips, and chicken boneless wings. All contain wheat and are therefore not gluten free, but certain choices are keto friendly. The below menu items are ranked from most keto friendly to the ones most loaded with carbs.

• Spicy wings
• Spicy drumsticks
• Spicy strips
• Spicy boneless
• Spicy combo
• Soy garlic wings
• Soy garlic drumsticks
• Soy garlic strips
• Soy garlic boneless
• Soy garlic combo

Soups & Salads—other than the two mentioned salads that can be gluten free, the rest of the salads and soups are not gluten free and are listed below.

• Sesame ginger salad with tofu
• Sesame ginger salad with salmon
• Sesame ginger salad with chicken
• Caesar salad with chicken
• Udon noodle soup
• Udon noodle soup with egg
• Udon noodle soup with bulgogi
• Udon noodle soup with seafood

Starters—all the starters at Bon Chon except Edamame have gluten and are outlined below.

• Pork buns
• Takoyaki
• Steamed shrimp shumai
• Fried shrimp shumai
• Spicy vegetable potstickers
• Salmon avocado ball
• Bulgogi Korean taco
• Spicy pork potstickers
• Soy garlic vegetable potstickers
• Popcorn shrimp
• Chicken bulgogi
• Slider bulgogi
• Soy garlic pork potstickers

Sides—Bon Chon has a surprisingly large number of sides that are gluten free mentioned earlier. However, there are a number of sides that do contain wheat products and therefore not gluten free and these are listed below.

• Korean cheese corn
• Kimchi macaroni and cheese
• Korean cheese corn
• Seasoned zucchini fries
• Zucchini fries
• Fried pickles
• Onion rings

Our Favorite Gluten Free (GF) Meal at Bon Chon

To satisfy those Korean cravings and get those taste buds tingling with authentic, flavorful, and wholesome food that is gluten free, the following meal plan is highly recommended.

Edamame—for a starter, Edamame would be the first choice primarily because it is the only starter that is gluten free and is also low in carbohydrates. Edamame is a popular meal at Bon Chon prepared from immature soybeans still in the pod.⁸ They are prepared by steaming and sprinkled with salt, and the serving is fairly small but is well prepared. It is fairly on the high side at $5.95.

Caesar Salad—as mentioned before, the ginger dressing and croutons must be removed to make this salad gluten-free. It is prepared using fresh lettuce and parmesan cheese.

Pickled Radishes—the radishes would be a great addition to the meal. They are crisp and revitalizing, complementing the other components of this savory meal. These pickled radishes are juicy and are a perfect balance of both sweet and tangy flavors.

Seasoned French Fries—the seasoned french fries are one of the most popular sides at Bon Chon and are laced with parmesan cheese, garlic seasoning, and parsley. They can be served with ketchup as it is naturally gluten free. It is possible to eat french fries and still lose weight. Patrons should take advantage of these delicious gluten-free snacks.

Kimchi Coleslaw— Bon Chon has regular coleslaw, but the Kimchi coleslaw would go well with the fries while providing the Korean hint. Kimchi is a side dish consisting of salted and fermented vegetables in most Korean meals.⁹ It is enriched with spicy Korean kimchi and is a fusion of red cabbage with seasonings and mayonnaise—it is a very popular and tasty side dish at Bon Chon.

Mochi—for dessert, patrons have a wide variety of heavenly mochi. The recommendation here would be the double Azuki red bean which is quite delicious. The red bean paste is soft and unique in its taste, with a nutty and earthy flavor complemented by a twist of mild sweetness from sugar. The shell and the filling are sweet, with both textures being soft, complementing one another.

With this information in hand, those with gluten intolerances don’t have to be left out because now they can pick foods off of the Bon Chon gluten free menu curated above that includes, salads, soups, and some tasty side dishes too.