Bonchon’s official nutrition guide lists items that its national menu does not. Fried pickles, miso soup, kimchi coleslaw and a legacy salad all real, all documented by Bonchon, none advertised.
Bonchon’s published nutrition guide includes four items that do not appear on its national menu: Fried Pickles, Miso Soup, Kimchi Coleslaw and the Sesame Ginger Salad.
This is not a secret menu in the usual sense. Nobody is hacking an order. These are items Bonchon documents in its own nutrition chart but no longer lists on bonchon.com regional offerings, franchise-level additions, and one recipe that was replaced.
Most “secret menu” articles for chain restaurants are invented. This one is not. Every item below appears in Bonchon’s official Nutritional Information guide, 2026 edition, with full calorie and sodium data — while being absent from the sides and appetizers menus published on bonchon.com.
What follows is what each one is, its nutrition, where it has actually been seen, and whether it is worth asking about.
The Four Items At A Glance
| Item | Calories | Sodium (mg) | Protein (g) | Status |
| Miso Soup | 20 | 290 | 2 | Bundled with rice bowls |
| Kimchi Coleslaw | 120 | 990 | 2 | Widely available, unlisted |
| Sesame Ginger Salad | 475 | — | — | Replaced by newer salad |
| Fried Pickles | 599 | 2,885 | 9 | Regional |
Nutrition from Bonchon’s official guide, 2026 edition. Availability varies — Bonchon’s 150+ US restaurants are independently franchised.
1. Kimchi Coleslaw : 120 calories
Kimchi coleslaw is Bonchon’s standard coleslaw crossed with kimchi shredded cabbage and carrots in a creamy, garlicky dressing, with chopped fermented kimchi worked through it.
Of the four items here, this is the one most likely to be available at your location. It has appeared on Bonchon menus in New York, Columbus and Stockton, has turned up as a combo side option, and is a fixture on Bonchon’s Philippines menu. It is simply not on the national US sides list.
The nutrition is the interesting part. Kimchi coleslaw carries 120 calories the same as regular Bonchon coleslaw. But sodium jumps from 125mg to 990mg, a nearly eightfold increase, because fermented kimchi is salt-cured.
So it is the same calorie cost for considerably more flavour, and a meaningful sodium penalty. If you are ordering Spicy chicken, which already carries over 1,000mg in a small portion, that matters.
Worth asking for? Yes. It solves the problem regular coleslaw has at Bonchon — it is bland against heavily sauced chicken — while keeping the dairy dressing that makes coleslaw effective against capsaicin. Ask by name; staff generally know it.
2. Miso Soup : 20 calories
Bonchon miso soup is a light dashi-and-miso broth, served hot, typically in a small bowl alongside rice dishes rather than ordered on its own.
At 20 calories and 290mg of sodium it is by a wide margin the lightest thing Bonchon serves — lighter even than pickled radish at 15 calories once you account for portion size, and the only hot non-fried item on the entire nutrition chart.
Where it shows up: bundled with bulgogi and other rice bowls at some locations, as a component rather than a standalone side. Whether you can order it separately depends entirely on the franchise.
Worth asking for? If you are eating something heavy — and at Bonchon you probably are — a 20-calorie hot broth is a genuinely useful counterweight. It is also the only option on this menu for someone who wants something warm that is not fried.
3. Fried Pickles : 599 calories
Fried pickles are battered and deep-fried pickle slices, an American bar-food staple that has appeared at some Bonchon locations as a regional addition.
The sodium figure is remarkable, and worth stating plainly: 2,885mg. That is 125% of the American Heart Association’s recommended daily limit of 2,300mg — in one side dish.
For scale, it is more than double Bonchon’s onion rings at 1,350mg, and more than the entire Seoul Sampler’s chicken portion. Brined cucumbers plus salted batter is a compounding problem.
At 599 calories it also sits between seasoned fried zucchini (532) and onion rings (680), so it is not a light order in any dimension.
Worth asking for? As a curiosity, once. As a regular order, the sodium makes it hard to recommend particularly alongside fried chicken that is already salted and sauced.
4. Sesame Ginger Salad : 475 calories
This one is a legacy item rather than a hidden one. The Sesame Ginger Salad was Bonchon’s previous salad — romaine, bell pepper, onions, carrots, mushrooms and cucumber with a sesame ginger dressing, with an optional protein.
It has been replaced on the national menu by the Signature Sesame Salad, which is a different dish: romaine with stir-fried kimchi, cabbage, red bell pepper, scallions and mozzarella in a sesame dressing, at 501 calories.
The old salad still appears on the nutrition guide at 475 calories. This matters for one specific reason: most third-party sites still quote the old salad’s numbers — including a 530–1,030 calorie range with protein added — as though they describe the current menu item. They do not. If you see those figures, you are reading pre-2026 data.
Worth asking for? Probably not available. But if your location still lists a “Sesame Ginger Salad” rather than “Signature Sesame Salad”, now you know why the nutrition looks different.
Why These Gaps Exist
Three things are happening at once, and they explain most menu confusion at Bonchon.
Franchising: Bonchon’s US restaurants are independently owned. Franchisees can add regional items — fried pickles being a clear example of an American bar-food addition that would never appear on a Korean-brand national menu.
Nutrition guides lag menus: Chains update allergen and nutrition documentation on a different schedule than marketing menus, and legacy items often stay in the chart after they leave the board. That is why the Sesame Ginger Salad is still documented.
Components versus items: Miso soup is listed because it needs nutrition disclosure as part of a rice bowl, not because it is sold separately everywhere.
The useful takeaway: Bonchon’s nutrition guide is a more complete record of what the company actually serves than its menu page is. If an item is not on bonchon.com, that does not mean your location does not have it.
How To Ask
Do not ask “do you have a secret menu” — the answer will be no, and it is the wrong question. Ask by name instead:
- “Do you have kimchi coleslaw?” — best odds of the four
- “Can I order a side of miso soup?” — likely if the location serves rice bowls
- “Do you carry fried pickles?” — regional, so genuinely varies
Delivery apps sometimes list items the in-store menu board does not, and vice versa. If an item is not on the app, it is worth calling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Bonchon have a secret menu?
Not in the usual sense there are no off-menu hacks or custom orders with names. But Bonchon’s official nutrition guide documents four items absent from its national menu: Fried Pickles, Miso Soup, Kimchi Coleslaw and the legacy Sesame Ginger Salad.
What is Bonchon kimchi coleslaw?
Kimchi coleslaw is Bonchon’s regular coleslaw with fermented kimchi mixed through it. It carries 120 calories — the same as standard coleslaw but 990mg of sodium against coleslaw’s 125mg. It is available at many US locations despite not appearing on the national menu.
How many calories are in Bonchon fried pickles?
599 calories, with 2,885mg of sodium and 9g of protein. The sodium figure is 125% of the American Heart Association’s recommended daily limit of 2,300mg, making it the highest-sodium single item documented in Bonchon’s nutrition guide.
Does Bonchon have miso soup?
Yes, at some locations. Bonchon’s nutrition guide lists miso soup at 20 calories with 290mg of sodium — the lightest item the company documents. It is usually served alongside rice bowls rather than sold separately, so availability as a standalone side varies by franchise.
Why is the Bonchon salad nutrition different on other sites?
Because most sites still quote the old Sesame Ginger Salad, which Bonchon replaced with the Signature Sesame Salad. The old one is 475 calories; the current one is 501 calories with 1,571mg of sodium. Figures quoting a 530–1,030 calorie range describe the discontinued version.
Why are these items not on Bonchon’s menu?
Bonchon’s US restaurants are independently franchised, so locations can add regional items. Legacy products also remain in nutrition documentation after leaving the menu board, and some items — like miso soup — are listed because they are components of larger dishes rather than standalone sides.
Can I order these items at any Bonchon?
No. Availability varies by location. Kimchi coleslaw has the widest reach and has appeared at locations in New York, Ohio and California. Fried pickles are genuinely regional. Ask by name rather than asking for a secret menu.
All nutrition figures on this page are taken from Bonchon’s official Nutritional Information guide, 2026 edition, available free at bonchon.com. Menu availability was checked against bonchon.com and location ordering systems in August 2026. Bonchon’s US restaurants are independently franchised availability and preparation vary by location.
Keep exploring
- Bonchon sides menu
- Bonchon appetizers
- Nutrition facts and calories
- Allergen guide
- What to order at Bonchon
- Korean fried chicken menu
Alex Kim is the pen name of the lead writer and editor at BonchonMenuPrice.com. Every guide is research-based — prices and nutrition details are compiled from official Bonchon menus and cross-checked across multiple US locations, with regular updates whenever the menu changes.
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