This Muslim-Owned Korean Fried Chicken Stall In Tampines Is Clucking Good

Fried chicken, or more specifically Korean-style fried chicken, is one of those things that can get us excited in a heartbeat. The thought of that golden, crispy skin crackling under the weight of our teeth, all that delicious chicken juices spilling out all over our tongues and better yet, having it dipped in a variety of punchy sauces for an added kick—truly speaking, few come close to an experience like that.

A new contender in the Korean fried chicken race, dishing out their take on the iconic dish as well as a myriad of fusion-style dishes is Muslim-owned, Waker Chicken X Oppa Grill. Many praises have been sung about their Korean fried chicken, but more so, about their unusual-yet-delicious biryani rice dishes that are served with Korean fried chicken.

Is their esteemed Korean fried chicken one to make your jaw drop, or are they a flop? Read on to find out what we thought about new Muslim-owned Korean fried chicken stall, Waker Chicken X Oppa Grill in Tampines!

The Korean Fried Chicken (S$13 for half) is a must-get for first-timers, and so we did. Coated with a light batter, the chicken wings were deep-fried to golden perfection. Served straight out of the fryer, each piping hot piece promises a satisfying crunch and sheer juicy chicken goodness that explodes from underneath the crispy battered skin.

Despite what others may say about the fried chicken being “bland” and “tasteless”, we found no fault in the batter—it was crispy, and mildly flavoured just the way Korean-style fried chicken should be, but should you wish to enhance your fried chicken experience, feel free to help yourself to the stall’s sauce counter.

Boasting 11 different sauces from homemade ones to your typical chilli sauce, we felt that it was good that the fried chicken itself remained mildly flavoured so as to allow us to savour the different sauces with it. Our top picks include the sweet curry, Singapore sambal and lime citrus mayo.

An interesting combination of flavours, the Dak’s Cheese Cutlet (S$8) was a joy to eat from start to finish.

The main star here is the deep-fried chicken cutlet that is topped with torched cheese and a dollop of diced kimchi. The mixture of flavours at work here really impressed us. First, you get a hit of the succulent chicken followed by the cheesy flavour that just adds a layer of creaminess on the tongue. Then, the sharp acidity of the kimchi hits you and instantly it balances out the intense cheesiness altogether.

The mixture of brown and white basmati rice with curry that the dish comes served with is nothing much to shout, let alone talk about. The rice was bland and the curry felt a tad thin. At the heart of it all, both of those components lacked attitude and failed to stand up, let alone complement the chicken cutlet well enough.

All in all, we must say that given our expectations of Korean fried chicken, we were rather impressed by how nicely their version was executed. It struck all the right chords and the variety of homemade sauces they have to go along with it was a nice touch. Their menu is pretty extensive so perhaps we may decide to make another trip down to try some of their other dishes as well.

Waker Chicken X Oppa Grill
201C Tampines Street 21
Chang Cheng Mee Wah Coffee Shop
Singapore 523201
Daily: 10.30am – 9.45pm
Nearest Station: Tampines / Tampines East