Giving You Wings!

Chanced upon the social media pages of the new My Chicken Castle 炸鸡王国 — a relatively new stall that has just recently opened at 3838 Eating Place at Blk 269B Queen Street (i.e. the coffeeshop where New Rong Liang Ge Cantonese Roast Duck Double Boiled Soup is located; not to be confused with the one where King of Pao Fan is) serving up what they dubbed as Malaysian Homemade Fried Chicken. Patrons can order their fried chicken in ala-carte form by choosing the chicken parts of their choice, or opt for a “meal” which is a standard combination of chicken parts; they also do offer half/whole spring chicken here, and the fries come as a top-up at $1 extra for the meals here. Apart from fried chicken, they also do offer skewers of fried items such as cheesy chicken ball and fish balls as well.

Truth to be told, the Malaysian friends I have consulted seem to be quite as clueless as me about what Malaysian Homemade Fried Chicken is supposed to mean. Regardless, the fried chicken here is exactly the sort I love — the type where it comes with a thin, golden brown fried batter that is more tuned towards the style of home-cooked fried chicken than that which is usually served at fast food joints; and that is how the fried chicken here feels especially comforting to me. I do suppose that they probably use frozen chicken here (it’s just a guess), but I did enjoy how the fried chicken here comes with a crisp and light batter that is just lightly seasoned with salt and pepper for flavour; all that without being particularly greasy — in fact, it’s difficult to find traces of oil sitting on the plate as we lift up the pieces of fried chicken. Within, the meat is relatively tender and succulent, but it is especially juicy and also free from grease; sufficiently brined for flavour as well. The top-up of $1 for fries is also pretty decent — the portion is just right for a single diner without trying to be overwhelm here; the crinkle-cut fries here kinda bringing back the nostalgia of coffeeshop western cuisine of the yesteryear. They are crisp, free from grease, and simply seasoned with an apt amount of salt — nothing too over-the-top.

Meals involving fried chicken with fries has always been a treat for me since my days as a child; more of something my parents will only buy for an occasional basis — there is nothing short of that nostalgic flavour that I yearn for in this one, especially comparing this against the Tenderfresh ones that I grew up with; perhaps this one being even a better rendition of that. Feeling like a kid again as I peel through the piping hot chicken that are too hot for my fingers even as an adult, and stupidly only opening up the chili packets halfway through the meal so it is always a wrestle of opening them up with greasy hands. Needless to say, I enjoyed the fried chicken here at My Chicken Castle — definitely hits the spot for me, and one that I would be looking forward to revisit for some simple yet comforting dinner when I return to the office.

Had been wanting to give ANL Makan and Colonel Wings a try ever since I had passed by them whilst being in Simei — the stall is conveniently located within the Kopitiam coffeeshop at Blk 248 Simei Street 3, and are concepts that are by the folks behind Dynasty Group that also operates brands such as Thai Dynasty, Golden Thai Village and Bowl & Grill (the latter two also operating a stall of their own in the same coffeeshop).

Between ANL Nasi Lemak and Colonel Wings, we found Colonel Wing’s offerings to be a little bit more outstanding than that of ANL Nasi Lemak’s in terms of execution. We opted for the 3 pieces Wingettes and 3 pieces Drumlets (there is also a bigger set that comprises of 5 pieces of each available) — there is a myriad of sauces and powders to choose from though we found ourselves opting for the Tom Yum instead. The fried chicken pieces are freshly fried upon order so they actually arrived the table being piping hot; the golden brown batter being immensely crispy while the flesh within is juicy and tender — noticed how they also didn’t brine the chicken too much here considering how they were supposed to either come with sauce or powder. Whilst we opted for Tom Yum, we found the sauce tasting nothing quite close to it; instead the flavours seem rather reminiscent of another sauce that is listed on the menu but not the one that we opted for — Curry Cheese, for how it carried a note similar to Thai Red Curry but with cheesy touch akin to that of powdered cheese. Those who do not prefer the sauce that they have opted for can also dip the fried chicken in the Thai Sweet Chili sauce that they have thoughtfully included with every order.

Probably wouldn’t make the special trip down to Simei for ANL Nasi Lemak but Colonel Wings does seem like a pretty decent dining option in the neighbourhood — perhaps even good to pair with beer as a bar bite for those looking to just settle for an alcoholic session with fried food in the heartlands …

East Asia Shishito Pepper Chicken Drumsticks (2 pcs), Garlic Potato Buns, Yoghurt Dip. From the new Apollo Coffee Bar; the latest concept by the same folks behind Atlas Coffeehouse, Lunar Coffee Brewers and Colombus Coffee Co. which had taken up one of the two units previously taken up by Pow Sing Restaurant at Serangoon Gardens.

Open all day, Apollo Coffee Bar's menu features brunch dishes, as well as small and large sharing plates; some dishes being favourites brought over from Atlas Coffeehouse, though there are quite a number of new items on the menu as well. Seemingly taking inspiration from the classic Nashville Hot Chicken, the Shishito Chili Chicken here is their own twist with an Asian fusion. Instead of featuring fried chicken drenched in a spicy hot sauce, the variant here features what seemed to be roast chicken with a East Asia Shishito Pepper spice rub; the result is a moderately spicy, savoury flavour that provides much of the flavours of the entire dish — the chicken coming with a slightly crusty skin whilst being juicy, tender and succulent. Those who are not so tolerant to spiciness can consider dipping the chicken into the yoghurt dip; more like a sour cream in terms of flavour, it helps to neutralise the spiciness and add a creaminess to the chicken — eliminating the heat from the spice rub itself. While Nashville Hot Chicken usually comes with sliced commercially-produced bread, this came with Garlic Potato Buns; almost akin to that of those local bakery buns served with Hainanese Western cuisine, the buns were toasted for a slight crusiness on the outside, but still soft, fluffy and pillowy within; very light and perfumes of garlicky fragrance. Pretty heartening to see how Atlas Coffeehouse (or even to a degree, Assembly Coffee) had grown over the years, becoming the multi-concept name that still constantly delivers over the years — pretty much explains why it had, and still is drawing crowds into their cafes all the while. A spot for avid cafe-hoppers to check out, and certainly a convenient location for Serangoon Garden residents to go for a delightful cup of coffee and quality brunch offerings.

From #6 Letter Coffee, a new cafe cum nail parlour cum event space concept situated along Tanjong Katong Road at where now-defunct Burp Kitchen + Bar used to be.

Essentially soy-sauce mid-wings topped with cashew nuts, the mid-wings work crisp on the exterior, whilst being juicy and tender within; the exterior well-drenched in a thick and sticky soy-sauce that is both sweet as well as savoury, with the cashew nuts helping to add a bit of crunch and nuttiness to cut through the heaviness of the sauce. An item that is worthy of the signature title here, and certainly something we just cannot get enough of.

From Whale La La Cafe, a new cafe within The Commerz which replaces now-defunct Photosynthesis Cafe. Whale La La Cafe serves up pretty much standard cafe grub such as burgers, pasta and rice bowls which works well for the office folks around the neighbourhood.

Featuring fried chicken wings tossed in Paprika and Honey drizzle, the chicken wings still maintained crispness on the exterior whilst being juicy within; all that despite being drenched with honey for sweetness to provide that sweet-savoury note while paprika gives it a slight hint of spiciness.

Tried out Brawn & Brains’ (East Coast Road) very first weekend dinner service last night. Probably our favourite dish from the menu yesterday — these extremely addictive chunks of fried chicken with skin still on and Quinoa being included in its batter. The chunks of chicken so tender, juicy and savoury from the skin whilst being crisp and with a bit of crunch from the Quinoa — helps to add a bit more texture and simply more fun to eat. While the Curried Chicken Wrap from their Guillemard space is an icon on its own, the B&B Curry Sauce isn’t the same yogurt-based, tangy and spicy sauce — instead, it carries a hint of sweetness like a more refined version of McDonald’s Curry Sauce; not a bad thing for how we endlessly dipped the chunks of chicken into the sauce — pretty addictive I would say!

Usually I would give 百年 a pass — sure, they are known for serving up very good bowls of Yong Tau Foo but Yong Tau Foo isn’t quite something I will order on my own initiative. That was until I came across this outlet of 百年 at Centuries Foodcourt in Viva Business Park noticing the Fried Chicken Wing Set. Coming in portions of four wings, the fried chicken wing comes all crisp on the exterior and immensely juicy and succulent within — there is a very slight hint of prawn paste lingering around that gives it a bit of umami-ness as well. The wings are a wee bit greasy, meaning they can get a little jelak; that being said, I don’t quite mind having this again another time.

From Bok's Kitchen at Blk 216 Boon Lay Avenue; Bok's Kitchen is a family-run cafe serving up cafe-esque grub as well as local fare such as breakfast bee-hoon and Nasi Lemak; the menu also carries a few sides and desserts as well.

Despite not being quite as garlicky as what I have expected, the winglets were actually pretty delicious with flesh that comes off the bones easily and with a crisp exterior. The wings somehow carried a Thai-inspired flavour, with clear notes of lemongrass and possibly fish sauce (?) for an umami flavour. The only gripe would be the slight greasiness; could be fixed if they were able to drain off the excess oil before serving them up.

Headed back to Yishun Park Hawker Centre for my Har Jeong Kai fix and it seems that Ah Tan Wings now serves their Har Jeong Kai Cutlet with fragrant rice instead of fries during dinner hours as well. That crisp, fried shrimp paste chicken that carries a umami flavour from the marination goes extremely well with their fragrant rice; it being almost similar to the local chicken rice with so much flavour without being too moist nor too dry. The sunny side-up also has that flowy egg yolk that everyone loves — a plate of perfection that you are looking at here; definitely something that fried chicken/Har Jeong Kai lovers should really make a trip down for!

Always liked it when I see chicken wings on the menu as a side, especially if they come with Paprika Honey (which they also have) or some sort of marinade or dusting of powder. Really enjoyed the crispy wings with juicy flesh that came off the bones easily, though thought that the Parmesan can get a little jelak after while — almost akin to the same sort of Parmesan powder one gets to use at casual pizza places; could do with a bit more garlic to counter off the cheesiness. That being said, I do feel that the Honey Paprika Wings would have suited my taste buds better.

From Kara Cafe & Dessert Bar, a new concept by Sogurt occupying the space of Sogurt's Bukit Timah location. It serves primarily Grain Bowls and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with desserts as well as Sogurt's range of Yogurt at the back of the store. Currently in soft launch stage, some items such as the Grain Bowls are unavailable till a later date.

The Korean Wings were actually pretty impressive here, recommended to us by the staff. Crisp, fried chicken lathered with a sweet soy sauce; while it isn't one that is smothered in excessive amounts of sauce, it was adequately flavoured being of a good sweet and savoury balance. The flesh within was juicy and tender, but it was the crunchy crust that makes it truly satisfying.

When one thinks of Southern American fare, Buttermilk Fried Chicken is a must; the one here comes with 3 chicken parts (2 drumsticks, 1 breast) and an option of two sides which I opted for the Coleslaw and Mac & Cheese. The menu here also includes DIY all-day breakfast platters (breakfast also includes Buttermilk Pancakes, Maple Bacon Pancakes and a French Toast dish) while there are also beef sandwiches and a few lobster dishes for mains as well.

The Buttermilk Fried Chicken was actually pretty delightful; sure, they will a wee bit greasy especially the chicken breast, but I feel it's pretty acceptable given this is a fried chicken dish and a little oil doesn't really hurt. The chicken were actually pretty tender, succulent and juicy; there was a point of time the juices splattered onto my spectacles and I had to actually eat with them off just in case it happens again. The crust was pretty crispy; think of a firmer, crustier version of Burger King's onion rings with more spices and black pepper within; its biscuity and slightly peppery which makes it all appealing. Both sides were done quite well too; the Mac & Cheese was well-mixed; the macaroni giving a bit of chew with the creamy cheese sauce for that sinful yet comforting flavour which was not overwhelming, while the coleslaw is crunchy and served cold, rather refreshing in between bites of the fried chicken. Quite decent although some may not be willing to part with $19.50 for fried chicken; but hey, this isn't fast food but a bistro after all and it's certainly better than fast food anyway!