Jos Loves Food: [Singapore Restaurant] A Korean Style Chicken Restaurant : Chicken Up (한국 치킨 전문점)

Friday, October 04, 2013

[Singapore Restaurant] A Korean Style Chicken Restaurant : Chicken Up (한국 치킨 전문점)

As I walk along the stretch of Tanjong Pagar Road starting from Orchid Hotel toward Maxwell Market, I realise that many new Korean restaurants have joined in the wave of hallyu in Singapore. Other than what we normally get ie. BBQ, stews and rice, one shop stood out from the rest. They serve mainly chicken dishes, and Korean Fried Chicken (KFC) is their specialty which is why they are also known as 한국 치킨 전문점, meaning Korean Chicken Specialty Shop. This shop is Chicken Up. This new KFC is totally different from the usual KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) and it is worth a try. Best part of it is that you can opt for ala carte or chicken buffet!

The main entrance

The front façade

Chicken Up has been around for about 3 years. The main restaurant can take up to about 40 guests indoor. There are also some outdoor seats. Chicken Up has recently taken over the space next door and expanded its seating capacity. It is generally an ideal place for gatherings with friends and colleagues, especially if they are K-pop fans. Immerse in an evening of continuous latest hits which savouring the chicken dishes.

On each table is a small thrash can and it is meant for the chicken bones. Truly, that's how the Koreans eat fried chicken in Korea!!

There are also some secluded seats behind the main counter which has more privacy.

The newly acquired restaurant uses open concept although it is also air-conditioned.

All-You-Can-Eat Chicken Buffet costs $25 (before tax) per person. Go for this option if variety is something that you like to have. Comparing the cost of Korean Fried Chicken against other Korean restaurants, the price is reasonable. To get into the real mood of eating Korean Fried Chicken, you can top it up with some beer. 치맥 (chicken & beer) is really really popular in Korea. Note that on Fridays and eves of public holiday, there is a $5 surcharge for the buffet.

Chicken Up has several fried chicken options including Curry Up, Spicy Up, Mild Up, YangNyeom, Soya Chicken and Popcorn Chicken. The other options include Andong Chicken Stew, truffle fries and salad.

Soya Chicken (간장치킨) comes in chicken wings and this is my favourite. The savoury and slightly sweet crispy wings are really delicious. The wings are quite big, tender and juicy.

The Yangnyeom chicken (양념치킨) is 2nd on my favourite list. Chunky pieces of chicken were deep-fried before coated with a layer of sweet, sticky and slightly spicy sauce. These are delicious but perhaps the pieces were way too chunky.

Other than the 2 fried chicken dishes, I personally like the Andong Stew Chicken which isn't commonly found in Singapore. As the name implies, this dish originates from the city of Andong in the Gyeongsang province in Korea. Other ingredients used in this dish include mainly glass noodle, potato, carrot and onion and together with spicy soy-based sauce and dried chilli. In Chicken Up's version, rice cakes and lots of sesame are also added!

Spicy Up is the signature dish at Chicken Up! The pieces, a mix of breast and thigh pieces, are big as well and very crispy. However, the taste is a tad ordinary which can be found in some other Korean fried chicken stalls/restaurants in Singapore.

The waiting time for the fried chicken generally takes about 15 to 20 mins. The chicken dishes aren't pre-cooked and heated up upon order. I guess that is a little price to pay for freshly cooked food. In the meantime, salad is also available on the buffet list. The fresh veggies mixed with thousand island salad offers a refreshing taste to the sinful fried dishes and provides some balance to the diet. =)

Chicken Up

48 Tanjong Pagar Road #01-01, Singapore 088469

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/ChickenUp

Tel: 6327 1203

Opening Hours: 5.30pm to 2am daily.

Getting there: Take the mrt to Tanjong Pagar Station. At Exit A, walk towards Peck Seah Street, then Tras Street and finally Tanjong Pagar Rd in the direction towards Maxwell Market. It is diagonally across Fairfield Methodist Church.