Taiwanese fried chicken chain returns to Singapore with gua bao & bento sets

Who can resist the crowd-favourite fried chicken with its golden-brown crispy skin and tender, juicy meat? Let us rejoice as Taiwan‘s leading Halal fried chicken chain, Fried Chicken Master, makes a comeback to Singapore after its sudden departure a few years ago— yay to more fried chicken options!

Launching its first outlet at Suntec City on 2 Oct 2024, the ‘zha ji‘ joint will also be opening its second branch at Century Square on 4 Oct 2024, and a third one at Northpoint City by Dec 2024. Wow! 3 spots in 3 months; impressive!

So, obsessed fans of the sinful, lip-smacking crispy fried chicken, what can you expect on the menu?

For starters, the Jimbo Cutie comes as a bag of fried chicken thigh pieces. You can then choose from a variety of Sauces (S$5.80 for regular, S$8.80 for large) or Powders ($4.80 for regular, $7.80 for large), depending on whether you prefer it wet or dry.

We tried the Spicy powder, which had a mild lingering spice that doesn’t overwhelm your palate. Other options included: Pepper, Mala Spicy, Cheese and Seaweed.

Gua Bao is a popular Taiwanese street food that’s slowly losing its presence in Taiwan. Fried Chicken Master’s rendition puts its own unique spin with the Fried Boneless Chicken Thigh Gua Bao (S$4.80).

Instead of steamed, the bun here is fried slightly, giving it a unique textural bite. A thick fried chicken thigh is then stuffed within together with pickled sliced cucumbers.

For a quick lunch fix, you can pick from 12 different varieties of rice and noodle bento boxes, which also make for a super convenient option if you’d like to take them back to the office. We chose the Noodle with Jimbo Cutie (S$8.80) and opted for the Taiwanese Salt & Pepper sauce.

To us, the springy noodles tasted like any run-of-the-mill Indomie. They were topped with pieces of Jimbo Cutie, but I felt that the supposed salt and pepper sauce was insignificant. Along with that, there was a whole onsen egg and sliced pickled cucumbers.

Overall, it tasted decent but failed to blow me away. Perhaps they’re having teething issues, and hopefully, things will improve on my next visit.

You can also munch on snacks like Sweet Potato Fries (S$3.80), Fried Onion Rings (S$3.80) and Fried Cheese Sticks (S$4.80). If you’re feeling parched, I’ll highly recommend the Taiwan-style Milk Tea (S$3.80) and Winter Melon Tea with Lemon (S$3.80).

If you’re missing fried chicken or having a cheat day, swing by Fried Chicken Master to satisfy your cravings. Do note that they are on their way to attaining Halal-certification.

15 best “clucking good” chicken rice stalls in Singapore [2024]