Pochon Chicken Restaurant can easily be crowned the mother of all Korean street food restaurants on Guam. Pochon Chicken is not your regular chicken restaurant. It has a simple menu but delivers on taste and presentation.

My Pochon experience was a pleasant one, to say the least.

In an island where Western influence is salient, Pochon Chicken offers its customers a fresh take on traditional chicken wings with its own South Korean twist.

The restaurant is located in Mangilao, in the area right next to the American Passport Renewal Center.

Pochon Chicken in Mangilao is one of two locations on Guam. The other location is in upper Tumon.

The restaurant is a quaint space with an inviting aura. The aroma of the chicken hits your nose almost instantaneously. It’s a welcoming environment for many, myself included.

The owner, doubling as the host as well as the waiter manned the place himself.

Unfortunately, the service was not up to par with other restaurants that I’ve been to in Guam. The owner was not very friendly when we came in for a late lunch that day. We found a table for ourselves and were greeted by a nod and two menus laid out in front of us. The owner’s cold demeanor could be mistaken by other customers for being rude.

Leedia Imedchong is a frequent customer of Pochon Chicken.

“Eating at the dorm cafeteria day in and day out can get really tiring. So, whenever I get the opportunity, I get a half-box order of spicy wings at Pochon.,” Imedchong said. “It’s not your typical restaurant where customer service is a priority, but I really don’t mind.”

The menu was very limited in terms of choices, substitutions and accommodations, but was very straightforward.

Customers can choose between a full-box of 20 or half-box of 10 chicken wings as well as a mixed box of wings and several drums. They also provide three bento sets.

Customers can select either non-spicy, mild, medium spicy and very spicy chicken wings. The other side of the menu offered traditional Korean dishes such as spicy rice cakes, spicy ramen and udon. Pochon Chicken offers limited types of beverages, consisting only of bottled water, several bottled teas and a small variety of sodas and beers.

As a first-timer who had been warned about the extreme spiciness of the highest level of spicy wings, I opted to go for the medium spicy half-box. The basket of wings was accompanied by a separate order of rice and a side of pickled radish.

When the owner placed the basket of wings in front of me, I was in awe of its golden, crispy exterior. The inevitable wafting of the dish’s aroma was incredible and instantaneous.

The first bite was just magical. Although it was medium-spicy, it was still quite spicy.

The wings were marinated and fried to salty, sweet and crispy perfection. Each wing was juicy and flavorful, and with each bite I was looking forward to the next.

The wings go perfectly with a spoonful of steamed rice and their famous pickled radish. The pickled radish was especially delicious being sweet, flavorful and crunchy all at the same time.

By the end of the meal, I was left with a basket full of bones. The food was amazing and left a lasting impression on me. However, the poor service also left a lasting impression on me, which is not something an up-and-coming restaurant would want for themselves.

Simply put, Pochon Chicken takes the cake for the best tasting chicken on Guam.