[Interview] Not sold in Korea, these Bhc menu items become local favorite...

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Not sold in Korea, these Bhc menu items become local favorites abroad

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By

Ko Dong-hwan

Published

Apr 25, 2026 12:00 pm

KST

Failed menus among Koreans given second chance

Dining Brands Group's Menu Development Team 1 Leader Lee Seok-dong speaks with The Korea Times during an interview at the company's Bhc menu development lab in Seoul's Songpa District, Thursday. Courtesy of Dining Brands Group

Bhc's Mala Khan Fried Chicken

Fans of Bhc, a Korean fried chicken franchise, may think that its signature menu items sold here reflect the brand entirely. But beyond customer-favorites such as Kwassak King, Bburinkle and Soy Garlic King, there are menu items that, while unbeknownst to Korean consumers, are now thriving in the company’s global markets.

How did these menu options end up being more popular outside Korea when the company’s primary goal is to make them a hit at home? Lee Seok-dong, a menu development team leader at Bhc operator Dining Brands Group, pointed to cultural differences.

Bhc first introduced Mala Khan here in 2019, a spicy fried chicken soaked in malatang and spices used in Chinese hot pots. However, its appeal in the Korean market was short-lived. Instead, it opened the eyes of consumers in Malaysia and other Southeast Asian markets, where spices with a strong tang are common ingredients. Mala Khan remains one of the brand’s signature offerings in the region.

“Mala Khan failed to become a regular menu item here,” Lee told The Korea Times in an interview at the company’s menu development center in Seoul’s Songpa District. “But it clearly demonstrated that the same menu can generate completely opposite results in different gastronomic environments.”

Some menu items were not even introduced in Korea at all. Curly fries, a local favorite in Malaysia, were seasoned with Bhc’s bburinkle (Korean sweet cheese seasoning) and went viral among locals. Another menu item with sambal sauce, inspired by the country's traditional dish Nasi Lemak, has also become a local special.

Bhc restaurant in Sunway City, Malaysia, is crowded with patrons in this December 2023 photo. Courtesy of Dining Brands Group

In Thailand, the hot and humid climate prompted the brand to introduce Crispy Bburinkle, a menu item with a crisp texture that can withstand the local weather. Bburinkle-seasoned chicken skin and joint are also popular among patrons who rave local night bazaars.

Beyond chicken options, Bhc also offers the Bburinkle Sandwich and Crispy Bun, which gained traction in the United States and Canada, according to Lee. In the U.S., Bhc branches that introduced a wing and tender platter with four signature dipping sauces posted sales 280 percent higher than the country’s average. To cater to Canada's diverse ethnic groups, the brand also has a variation to pizza, lasagna, fried rice and poutine.

“For our American markets, we understood that local consumers rather consider chicken a meal than a side dish next to a pint of beer. As our Southeast Asian markets showed, local climates and flavors in highest demand determine our menus exclusive to certain countries,” Lee said.

“Some ingredients are banned from being imported or culturally boycotted. It forces us to develop menus using a limited range of ingredients. How patrons eat chickens, whether delivery, takeout or dine-in, also prompt us to develop menus that do not compromise their quality in relation to how long the foods should wait until they get to their customers.”

Conditions for failure

Lee revealed that there are menu items that failed to become a mainstay on the Bhc menu.

“The most important thing is reorder rate. It shouldn’t be a one-time seller but make customers keep coming back to join our regular menu,” Lee said.

“Operational feasibility for our franchisees is second-most important. Even if a menu draws massive consumer responses, we shut it down if that menu is hard to cook. Just like Poteking.”

A research staff member at Dining Brands Group's menu development center in Seoul's Songpo District tests a sauce for Bhc in this July 2025 photo. Courtesy of Dining Brands Group

Poteking Fried Chicken was launched in 2021 but was removed from the menu in 2024. Franchisees found it difficult to execute the recipe, which includes attaching potato pieces to chicken one by one.

Another dish, Roselle King, faced a dead end since its highlight ingredient — jelly — is sensitive to heat, affecting the product's visual appeal. A course menu comprising of chicken, ricotta cheese and cheese balls was also shoved aside with the increase of single-person households in Korea.

Whether a success or not, developing each menu item is a pricey but inevitable experiment that allows the company to discover its next hit. Without investment, it could not have come up with profit drivers like Bburinkle or Kwassak King.

“Developing a new menu item takes an average of six to seven months, sometimes a year,” Lee said. “During these periods, in‑house researchers test hundreds of different ingredient combinations. To find optimal balance of sauce and batter mix, they fry more than 1,000 chickens per menu item, conducting rigorous taste tests and repeated blind trials.”

“For our latest Soy Garlic King, the team devoted particular efforts to creating a new batter mix. They spent months adding minced garlic and sesame seeds to the coat of batter mix to find the perfect garlic aroma and rich nuttiness. Dozens of trials were also required to determine an ideal ratio for our specially formulated soy sauce‑based marinated sauce,” Lee explained.

Each development costs the company tens of millions of won for ingredients, manpower and arrangement of testing. But Lee said he cannot complain.

“A single megahit menu can have such a huge impact on the brand’s sales and image, this is an investment we must make. Bburinkle and Matcho King, our signature menus for over ten years, prove the point.”