HELLO everyone!
Time for another food review post that probably isn't food review-ish because I'm probably the worst person to review food.
Anyway, here's the story.
Yours truly found out about the chicken buffet a few weeks ago and has been dying to go and get sum chicken up fix because although I am not a fan of chicken (wow rly) I AM OBSESSED with the soy fried chicken at Chieeeeken up because it's salty crunchy and just the flavour really wows me speechless. I've eaten at chicken up tampines before but I've never gone all the way down to the Tajong Pagar side for the buffet so hey why not try because free flow chicken, come'on.
Headed down on a Tuesday evening only to realize after booking seats and settling down that there is no more buffet (even though the bloody toilet door states there is lah) and four poor chaps that came down for freeflow chicken had none afterall. The end.
Moral of the story? Don't count your chickens before they hatch ahahhahahaha fuck me sorry.
Okay, okay in the end we still ate there because we were there. we were hungry and it's chicken.
Chicken up has a few chains around Singapore and I've heard that the Tajong side one has more variety which includes salads and rice. True enough, the variety was a tad bit more than the Tampines branch but our poor sad hearts were mooning over the loss of buffet. (I think actually just Joy and me)
Located at a little corner around Duxton Hill stands a rather small size store painted in red; Chicken Up has split in two tiny stores and is still very much crowded even at 8pm at night. Mind you, it was a weekday and still quite crowded so be forewarned those who want to eat here, either make a reservation or come earlier.
Even with the bustle of the crowd, the night atmosphere was quiet and quaint - maybe it's a weekday after all, making the place seem more quiet than usual. Chicken up here opens only at 5:30pm till 2:00am so night owls if you feel for chicken here's your place to feast on.
Any case, we had arrived fashionably late (shut up evelyn) and thanks to Joy and her plus one, we had a place booked and could wander around a little. I wanted to go to the little bookstore nearby but it was closed, and heck, I thought, what rotten luck, at least we still have the buffet to look forward to since none of us really ate at all and were preparing for a freeflow of food (told you i was heartbroken).
Waited for a bit before Chicken up called to tell us our seats are ready for sitting and if you don't come in 5 minutes we'll give it away because they are that busy even at this late hour. Rushed back down and happily asked for buffet to only get slapped by reality.
"WE DON'T SERVE BUFFET ANYMORE"
OKay.jpg
Bad luck day also includes being unable to use Chicken up coupons here, only at Tampines. Evelyn's tiny bitter heart shrunk 20 times that day. WELL, rotten luck, let's just bloody order and have dinner anyway since we are here. Ordered up and waited for the chicken - Chicken Up freshly fries their chicken so it tastes super damn crunchy and hot but you have to wait for perfection. Give or take a few minutes but it's sooooo worth I tell you.
Funny enough the soju came first.
WATERMELON SOJU for two (because Sam doesn't drink and I can't) $25, so far watermelon seems to be a pretty hot choice for most people because you can barely taste any soju inside. It's so refreshing, tasting only of watermelon juice. Keep drinking until you drunk also won't know because the soju is so subtle.
Starring two people who won't be in the same frame together.
Photogenic or what?
Next came the fries!
We ordered truffle fries ($8) and kimchi fries ($10). Let me tell you my LOVE for the truffle fries - it's so salty and the truffle mushroom flavour just hits the damn spot. It's so sad that the Tajong Pagar branch serves like lesser fries; sorry to be picky just my observation, but still tastes bloody brilliant. The kimchi fries tasted a little funny though, a huge flavour burst of sour, sweet, salty and spicy but I didn't taste much of the kimchi flavour; i'd pick the truffles over the kimchi, son.
After gobbling almost half of the fries, THE CHICKEN ARRIVED. Hot chicks treading along the red carpet smelling absolutely enticing. I LOVE the soy chicken so much I have yet to try the rest (would have if there was a BUFFET). We ordered 3 sets of the soya chicken ($12 each).
The crunchy chicken dipped in generous amount of soya sauce making it very flavourful and delicious, just look at the way it glistens under the lamp light lol. Ignore the half eaten sad fries, told you we were hungry. It's super delicious and it's salty - I have a problem with salt - with the subtle hint of garlic that just brings the entire flavour together. Yummmmmmm.
Filling meal, I would say but I wouldn't recommend coming all the damn time because it's a bit pricey for $3 chicken even though it's really good. Overall I would prefer the Tampines branch even though the menu is slightly different, their atmosphere seems a little quieter compared to the Tajong Pagar branch, also their fries seem better lol idk don't ask me.
Damage done was about $103 for the four of us so don't be too surprised with the bill even though it's just chickens! Worth it though, every single cent: for chicken lovers you have to at least give this place a shot.
Come here for the soju though, it's really good haha.
xoxo
evelyn
