Crispy, sticky, and ever-so-moist, Korean fried chicken (known endearing also as ‘KFC’) is a medley of textures that gets me every time. There’s no glamorous way to eat it — the messier, the better! Quite frankly, there's nothing better than chimaek, or chicken and beer, with a group of friends! Having taken it upon myself to uncover the best Korean fried chicken in Singapore, here’s the lowdown on what I've tasted so far.
Chir Chir Chicken
The first Korean fried chicken I tried was from Chir Chir Chicken, and it was one of the places which I’ve returned to whenever a Korean fried chicken craving came in. However, throughout the years, the quality has dropped. I found that the skin as crispy as it used to be, and it runs on the oilier side. That said, they still serve up a decent Korean fried chicken which I wouldn’t mind whipping my wallet out for. They are also one of the most easily accessible on this list, with multiple outlets throughout Singapore. Though on the sweeter side, I do enjoy their honey butter chicken. Their prices run around $30 for a whole chicken.
Rating: 6.5/10
Address: 4 outlets, including one at 313@Somerset, 313 Orchard Rd, #B3 - 04/05/06, Singapore 238895
Opening hours: Monday–Friday, 11am–9.30pm
Contact: 6509 8364
Waker Chicken
Hidden in the confines of Toa Payoh, Waker Chicken serves up a mean plate of Korean fried chicken at coffee shop-friendly prices. A Korean fried chicken stall located in a coffee shop? You heard that right. Perhaps it is for this reason that Waker Chicken is one of the most affordable on this list, with a whole chicken costing a mere $27. Yet, you ain’t getting no substandard chicken here. The skin was among the crispiest out of all the Korean fried chicken I had eaten, and held up well even though I bought it on takeaway. If only you could hear that satisfying C-R-U-N-C-H when I tore the chicken apart. So good, I ate it on the car ride home. I felt the sauce of the soy garlic chicken was a bit flat in terms of the other Korean fried chickens I had tried, but the crisp? Definitely one of the top runners. They have another outlet in Hougang, but the Toa Payoh outlet is the original one.
Rating: 8.5/10
Address: Two outlets, including one at 125 Lor 1 Toa Payoh, Singapore 310125
Opening hours: Monday–Friday, 12–3pm, 4:30–9pm, Closed on Tuesdays
Contact: 9777 4879
Oven and Fried Chicken
Oven and Fried Chicken had long been on my radar. I used to walk past the outlet in Telok Ayer, often with queues forming outside. Needless to say, I had to try it. You know Singaporeans — if there’s a queue, we want to join it! It is one of the most expensive on this list, with a whole chicken coming up to $36. Perhaps it had been because this was bought on takeaway, but the chicken lost its crispiness real fast, which was a bummer given all the good things I’ve heard about their chicken. Points for flavour, though. The soy garlic sauce was extremely flavourful, and packed a real punch. For those who want to lean to the healthier side of things, they have roasted chicken as well.
Rating: 7/10
Address: 3 outlets, including one at 182 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 068630
Opening hours: Monday–Friday, 11:30am–2:30pm, 5:30pm–12am, Saturday–Sunday, 4pm–12am
Contact: 6222 5959
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Nene Chicken
With over 1,000 outlets in South Korea, Nene Chicken was an established brand, and must be doing something right. Or so, I thought. I found the fried chicken here to be extremely disappointing. The chicken wasn’t crispy at all, and the skin had absorbed all the sauce, resulting in a wet, oily mess. The sauce was also overly sweet and a bit too cloying for my tastes. Yeah...just not my cup of tea.
Rating: 4/10
Address: 5 outlets, including one at Star Vista, 1 Vista Exchange Green, #01-24 The Star Vista, Singapore 138617
Opening hours: Monday–Sunday, 11am–9.15pm
Contact: 6222 6363
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Seoul Kitchen
Located in the depths of Sembawang, Seoul Kitchen was originally named Seoul Chicken as they used to specialise in, well, chicken. They’ve since expanded their menu and are focusing on other things such as Korean BBQ, but the chicken is still the main attraction. They aren’t the cheapest, with a whole chicken coming up to $35, but eh. The chicken is pretty good, with a satisfying crunch and addictive sauce. They are (occasionally) on the greasy side, though. If you’ve got an appetite (like me), come for their fried chicken buffet, an absolute steal at just $19.90!
Rating: 7.5/10
Address: 435 Sembawang Road, Singapore 758398
Opening hours: Monday–Sunday, 11.30am–11pm (Buffet is available until 4pm)
Contact: 6483 0818
Jjinja Chicken
Jjinja Chicken is easily found in most shopping malls. Great news for Muslims — this place is halal-certified! The fried chicken is available in either wings or drumsticks, with 9 drumsticks costing about $24.90. Moving on to the chicken, I found it a little dry and lacking in the crisp department. The sauce was okay, but I wouldn’t find myself returning anytime soon given the better options out there. Makes a quick fix if you’re near one, though.
Rating: 5.5/10
Address: 5 outlets, including one at Bugis Junction, 249 Victoria Street, Singapore 188034
Opening hours: Monday–Sunday, 11am–9.30pm
Contact: 6837 0937
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Chicken Up
Chicken Up used to have outlets all across Singapore, however, it seems the F&B industry hasn’t been kind to them. Chicken here is available either as serving of 4 wings ($12) or half a chicken ($20), so it definitely is on the higher side. Portions were fair. Taste wise, it fared pretty well! The chicken had a nice crunch to it, though if I was being petty, it could do with a tad more sauce. I hate to say the forbidden word, but the chicken here was moist. Forget the beer - their watermelon soju pairs with the Korean fried chicken like a damn dream (the good kind, of course). Although they have two outlets, it seems that the Tanjong Pagar outlet is more consistent in terms of food and has much better service, so you have been warned!
Rating: 7.5/10
Address: 2 outlets, including one at 48 Tanjong Pagar Road, #01-01, Singapore 088469
Opening hours: Monday–Sunday, 3pm–12am
Contact: 6327 1203
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Though the hunt is far from over, to date, Waker Chicken has definitely got the best chicken. Not only does it have the most satisfying crunch out of the rest, it is also one of the most affordable. If they could tweak their sauce to get it more syrupy, thick, and flavourful — that Korean fried chicken would truly be a force to be reckoned with.
