Our recent story about the city’s best chicken wings created (perhaps predictably) some furore when some beloved joints were omitted. In response, we took the most popular suggestions, whittled away everything that wasn’t deep-fried (controlling variable and all, very scientific), and put the remaining to the test. We ate-in (instead of delivery, for maximum freshness) and ordered anonymously. Here are the results.
4 Fingers Crispy Chicken
The place: Technically a chain, with two outlets. The ION Orchard branch looks like a fast food joint with ordering counters and lots of customers.
The wings: The classic 4 Fingers Fried Chicken is Korean-style and double-fried and comes in two flavors: soy garlic and hot, though you can get a mix. Choose a set of six ($9.95), 12 or 18 pieces.
The verdict: They do this funky thing where they glaze the wing before batter-frying it the second time, encasing a layer of sauce inside the wing. Despite that, we felt that the chicken can be dry and the batter dampened by the inner layer of sauce. The soy garlic sauce has ample amounts of umami and garlic, so it’s better to just better to lick it off and leave the chicken hanging.
Kko Kko Nara
The place: Cool Tras Street has space for this no-frills mom and pop restaurant. Even though they have other Korean classics like ramyun and bibimbap, most people come here for their signature fried chicken. It’s also a great late night haunt.
The wings: The four choices are hot & spicy (bool dak), sweet & spicy, garlic wings and original, for $15 for half a portion and $25 for a whole portion.
The verdict: The hot & spicy wings are hands down the best of the lot. The sauce is reminiscent of traditional Korean spicy sauce found in bibimbap bowls. They’ve gotten the double-fried technique all figured out, and the golden brown crispy exterior held up nicely despite being drenched in sauce and despite the Arctic conditions of the restaurant.
NeNe Chicken
The place: Ne Ne means “yes yes” in Korean, but though there are other options on the menu, we’d only say yes to their range of fried chicken. It’s a step up from a fast food place but still has those order counters that remind us of a more basic Nando’s.
The wings: For glazed options, choose from Swicy (a portmanteau of sweet and spicy) or Freakin’ Hot. They come either in a set of two pieces ($8.90) or a nine-piece whole chicken ($25.90). It’s not the cheapest bet of the lot.
The verdict: The Swicy option is deceptively light, though it’s glossy beyond belief. The meat is juicy and the exterior crispy. They provide plastic gloves for dainty types, though we like licking our fingers. The joy marred a bit when sweetness skews the balance of the garlicky glaze. Still, it’s a pretty solid bet, even though their service can be a little lackluster.
Wings World Singapore
The place: Specializing in Buffalo wings (the glaze being a concoction of vinegar-based cayenne pepper hot sauce and butter), the American-owned place knows how to handle this Superbowl staple.
The wings: Choose your size (six or 10 pieces), then choose your cuts (wings, drumsticks or both) and then choose your glaze: buffalo with varying spiciness, BBQ, honey BBQ, chipotle BBQ, teriyaki, sweet Thai chilli, Asian zing and mango habañero.
Our verdict: We opted for the classic buffalo with medium heat ($5.75/ six pieces, $8.95/ 10 pieces). It came well glazed but not to the point that it dripped everywhere. Although glazed wings don’t have the same crispiness as their plain counterparts, this version was freshly-fried and amply crispy. We were hoping for a bit more of a kick, so if you’re into spice, opt for the blazin’ instead.
[HONORABLE MENTION] Whampoa BBQ Seafood & Chicken Wing
These wings are not deep-fried, so we can’t technically include them in the taste test, but we still think you should try them. The setting is a typical heartland hawker center with zero frills, self-service and not much choice no frills (wings or seafood only). Still, there are crazy long queues during meal times, and at $1.20 a piece, these juicy barbequed glazed wings are a steal. They have a crisp skin from the caramelization of barbecue sauce and a slightly charred flavor from the charcoal grill, offset by the sweet and sour chilli sauce. Don’t forget to squeeze the calamansi over these babies.
Whampoa Makan Place, #01-83 90 Whampoa Drive. Open daily from 4-11pm.
