Get messy with our guide to the best Korean fried chicken joints in Tanjong Pagar, Telok Ayer, and even the East and West of Singapore
Kentucky fried chicken? No thanks. These days, it’s all about fried chicken hailing from the opposite end of the world: Korea. While most might associate Korean cuisine with smoking Korean BBQ and hearty bowls of bibimbap, we can’t ignore these restaurants that cook up snacks that are this finger lickin’ good. We’ve rounded up our favourite Korean fried chicken joints to tuck into mounds of heavenly, sauce-slathered fried chicken. Clean hands? Not here.
Chicken Up
Marinated 12 hours and fried only to order, you can bet your last napkin you’ll get a piping-hot, freshly-made plate of fried chicken. You’ve got several flavours to choose from here, including the classic dry Spicy Up, the saucy soya chicken wings and the Yangnum Chicken (honey sauce with just a hint of spice). If you happen to be here with a group (the fried chicken experience is best shared with friends!), make sure you order the watermelon soju punchbowl: half a watermelon with its insides slushed up and mixed with a whole bottle of soju.
Chicken Up, full list of locations here.
Oven and Fried Chicken
Don’t get confused by the menu; the ‘fried chicken rice’ here is actually chicken pieces fried with rice flour for a decadent extra crispy crust. While you can simply dip the chicken into the sauce, a popular option is having the chicken pre-coated with the spicy, jambalaya, soy or padi garlic sauces.
Oven & Fried Chicken, 182 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 068630. p. 6222 5959. Open weekdays 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30pm-12am, weekends 4pm-12am.
Choo Choo Chicken
If the previous offering is a little too heavy for you, Choo Choo Chicken’s light, crispy batter might be what you’re looking for. Spicy Korean fried chicken gets a lot of love, but the less spicy offerings here, like the garlic sauce version, are well worth a try!
Choo Choo Chicken, 33 Bali Lane, Singapore 189869. p 6299 0980. Open daily 11.30am-11pm.
Ssiksin Chicken
Prefer crispier, crackly crusts? Ssiksin’s will satisfy with its tender, juicy pieces of fried chicken with thick, crunchy crusts. While the softer crusts tend to get soggy after the sauce soaks in, Ssiksin’s thick batter helps maintain its crispiness for a rather long time. So yes, you can take your time wolfing these down… unless your mate steals one while you’re not looking (likely to happen).
SsikSin Chicken, #02-04/06, Nex, 23 Serangoon Central, Singapore 556083.
Jinjja Chicken
If you like Korean culture as much as you like Korean fried chicken, you’ll feel right at home at this K-poppy resto, with its perpetual Korean playlist. We assure you your tum will be doing the Gangnam Style once you top up your chicken with the creamy melted cheese sauce – that’s a bunch of guilty pleasures rolled into one!
Jinjja Chicken, 249 Victoria Street, Singapore 188034. Open Sun-Thu 11am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11am-11.30pm.
Chicken Clinic
Sure, the stainless steel trays, forceps and hot sauce in a syringe might scream ‘gimmicky’, but Chicken Clinic’s seasoned spicy chicken is the perfect prescription for those who like it hot. Pick the level three spicieness rating, and you’ll be calling for 50ccs of watermelon soju, STAT!
Chicken Clinic, 11 Sin Ming Road, Singapore 575629. Open Tue-Sun 12am-10pm, Mon 4pm-9.30pm.
BonChon Chicken
BonChon keeps its modern Korean comfort food offerings simple: pick either drumsticks, wings & drumlets or a mix and select soy garlic, hot sauce of half-and-half. Then, pick a combo which includes a drink and sides like pickled radish, kimchi, edamame or fries. BonChon’s smaller combos are perfect for when you want to get your Korean fried chicken fix when you’re all by your lonesome.
BonChon, #01-11, 201 Victoria Street, Singapore 188067. p. 6884 4768.
Chir Chir
Unlike BonChon, Chire Chire is definitely aimed at group dining. The signature dish, the Nest Snow, strays away from the traditional. The dish is served in a pool of creamy, rich sauce, and the chicken tenders are piled over a sweet coleslaw-like salad. The oddest addition is the dollop of whipped cream on the top, but we salute its audacity! Of course, if all that is too edgy for your traditionalist sensibilities, you can always opt for the less adventurous options like the garlic chicken tenders.
Chir Chir, #02-05/06, 799 New Upper Changi Road, Singapore 467351. Open daily 11am-10pm.
Kko Kko Nara Restaurant
We love us a plate of KFC (Korean Fried Chicken, that is), and no one seems to do it better than Kko Kko Nara. Get the combo chicken set ($25 dinner; $20 lunch), which consists of nine chickens in four flavours: original, sweet and spicy, hot, and soy garlic.
Kko Kko Nara Restaurant, #01-01, 57 Tras Street, Singapore 078996, p. 6224 8186. Open daily 11am-4am.