Chick-N-Ken Brings Korean Finger Lickin’ Chicken To the CBD

About Chick-N-Ken

Korean fried chicken joints are a dime a dozen these days. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some fried chicken no matter where it’s from. Besides, I don’t think this trend is too overdone just yet. 

Chick-N-Ken is the latest to ride the K-wave. 

It’s run by the same trio who brought you the hipster heaven Stateland and Honeycomb in Bali Lane, a regular hangout for breakfast obsessed hipsters. Will their latest venture do as well?

The Food At Chick-N-Ken

Dak-Galbi ($19.90)

Dak-Galbi is a relatively modern Korean invention. It was actually made as pub food and it’s easy to see why. It’s hot, pungent savoury, and so fulfilling to eat! Chick-N-Ken’s take on it doesn’t disappoint. It’s hard to go wrong with Gochujang (fermented red chilli paste) being so naturally delicious, but everything on the plate was cooked well. 

The chicken was tender and juicy, it was spicy without being too overpowering and the poached egg on top gave the dish a little zing. 

Chicken ($15.90 for 8 or $29.90 for 16)

Salted Egg

We had the Salted Egg flavour as well as the Yangnyeom, which is a sauce derived from gochujang, garlic and rice syrup. It tastes as delicious as it sounds. 

The problem with fried chicken is that it tends to be dry, but I liked what I had here and the chicken was cooked well. 

I wish the salted egg had more flavour though, it felt a little bland when I bit into it and I was really hoping for more salty, eggy goodness. 

Yangnyeom

The Yangnyeom was great though, it was pungent and flavourful, but a little too thin. It was a little over-sauced which took away some of the crunch you would expect from fried chicken, but it was still a pleasant dish.  

Desserts

Bing-su

Bing-su is Korean shaved ice, and Chick-N-Ken serves them in heaps. They have plenty of flavours and all look great, but we only managed to try the matcha and classic injeolmi (Korean rice cake) flavours.

The Bing-su portions are pretty big, I’d say they could easily feed two – three people, and it’s a great way to end off a fried chicken meal. 

Injeolmi Bing-su($12.90)

Injeolmi is the original version of Bing-su, which is served with red beans, homemade rice cakes and soybean powder. The syringes are filled with condensed milk, which is a pretty smart move on their part. Not only does it add novelty to the dish, but it also allows diners to control how sweet they want their dessert to be. Each flavour of Bing-Su is accompanied by a sweet sauce in a syringe. 

The ice itself is really well done, it’s extremely fine which lends it an instant melt in your mouth quality. 

Matcha Bing-su ($13.90)

Matcha isn’t my favourite flavour when it comes to desserts because I find it a little too bitter most of the time. But the ability to control the sweetness of the dish helps to balance the whole thing out. It’s also topped with homemade granola for extra sweetness and texture. At the end of the day I enjoyed the Bing-su a lot more than I thought I would.

Get Some Chicken Goodness!

Truth be told, I am surprised at the offerings here, everything is made in-house and the food really stands out with the exception of the salted egg yolk chicken. I wasn’t expecting much and was pleasantly surprised. 

The prices are reasonable as well, and it’s close vicinity to clarke quay and drinking holes make it a great option after happy hour at your favourite bar. It’s definitely worth a visit for fans of Korean cuisine and lovers of fried chicken.

Verdict: 8/10

Reccomended Dishes:
Dak-Galbi ($19.90)
Yangnyeom ($15.90 for 8 or $29.90 for 16)
Injeolmi ($12.90)

Opening Hours:
Monday – Saturday 12pm-10pm

Address:
21 Lorong Telok

Getting To Chick-N-Ken

Exit Raffles Place MRT at UOB plaza, make a left at The Penny Black to Circular Road, and straight down till you hit Lorong Telok. Also check out our Boat Quay guide for more recommendations in the area.

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This post was brought to you by Chick-N-Ken.