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Have you ever wondered about crazy food pairings? Like peanut butter and cheese, or toast with mayo? Well, we might just have stumbled across a pairing that made it to the top of my list — look out for Fried Chicken Caramel Ice Cream (S$5.90), available at Tenderbest’s MakCik Tuckshop in Woodlands.
Confused? Well, so was I. But apparently Tenderbest is no stranger with experimental and outlandish foods. Gimmicky foods are usually a hit-or-miss affair, with most sorely disappointing me. So I decided to drop by the nearest Tenderbest outlet to give the dessert a shot!
On first glance, the Fried Chicken Caramel Ice Cream (S$5.90) seems like your regular dessert, with vanilla ice cream drenched in a generous serving of caramel. However, the star of the show is the addition of two pieces of deep-fried chicken skin.
I’m not sure as to whether it’s intentional, but the chicken skin was shaped like a wafer slice that accompanies some ice creams. A pretty nice touch, if you ask me.
Taste-wise, the Fried Chicken Caramel Ice Cream was actually pretty palatable. The ice cream had a smooth and consistent texture. Even the mellow sweetness from the vanilla flavouring could actually hold its ground against high-end vanilla ice creams.
The fried chicken skin was super crispy, to the point that I could easily snap off a little piece. Besides the delightful crunch, the fried chicken skin was lightly seasoned with salt and pepper. While chicken skin usually is quite oily, the ice cream combination helped to negate the oiliness, so I felt a little less guilty when eating it.
The caramel is prepared with an infusion of chicken stock and spices, used by Tenderbest when preparing their fried chicken. Apart from the characteristic gooey, earthy sweetness, the caramel sauce was also savoury. I felt that it really helped to bring together the contrasting sweet and savoury flavours of ice cream and fried chicken.
Overall, the combination of fried chicken and caramel ice cream was pretty good! While not particularly tantalizing, nor something I would have on a regular basis, I would eat it again if I’m struck with cravings for fried chicken. I can see this dessert rounding off a hearty spring chicken meal nicely.
It was a strange combination, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it works. Who knew? Drop by Tenderbest and try out the Fried Chicken Caramel Ice Cream (S$5.90) today!
Dates & Times: Now available at Tenderbest MakCik Tuckshop, 11am – 10pm (Sun – Thu), 11am – 11pm (Fri & Sat)
Prices: S$5.90
