Prolific South Korean Fried Chicken Chain Opens First U.S. Location in the South Bay

Star South Korean fried chicken chain Mom’s Touch is the latest busy chicken company to set up shop in greater Los Angeles, joining the ranks of notable places like Kyochon, Bonchon, and BBQ Chicken. The restaurant’s first stateside outlet landed in Gardena in late June.

Mom’s Touch quietly opened at the Gardena Plaza on the corner of Normandie Avenue and Redondo Beach Boulevard, and ownership already has plans for future spaces in Long Beach (slated for the fall) and in the City of Industry next year. The fast-casual restaurant already has 1,300 locations across Asia (South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore) and is expanding to the U.S. with financial backing from Waba Grill — the local rice bowl chain with 130 outlets of its own in Los Angeles and Orange County.

Fans will know Mom’s Touch from its menu of fried chicken sandwiches, chicken fingers, and chicken wings. All of the chicken is marinated for 24-hours in a Cajun spice blend that includes red pepper, cayenne pepper, and paprika before being hand-battered and deep-fried. The chain’s signature chicken sandwich gives diners a choice of skin-on thigh meat or breast meat, and comes with lettuce, onion, pickles, and sweet-savory “special” sauce on a brioche bun. The special sauce can be swapped out for a garlic sauce or a Sichuan-inspired “fuego pepper” sauce.

The chicken wings come in a half-dozen different flavors including a few wild cards, like the “cheesy onion” and “apple zing,” while the chicken fingers are served with a choice of sauce (barbecue, ranch, chipotle mayo, or a Louisiana-inspired one with cayenne pepper). Rounding out the menu are french fries, creamed corn, mashed potatoes, and coleslaw.

With one location open and two more in the works already, it seems to be only a matter of time before Mom’s Touch joins others like Bonchon as staple Korean fried chicken spots around Los Angeles — even if the city already is awash in fried chicken sandwiches, wing spots, and tender places. LA just can’t get enough chicken right now. The new Mom’s Touch in Gardena is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

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