by Chua Wei Ling
With as many as 10 chains of Korean fried chicken stores having set up here in Singapore in the last 2 years, you can be sure to say that the craze has swept through Singapore in an almost tsunami manner! To add to that, several brands have now set up chains throughout Singapore as well, and the snaking queues at each outlet has been a testament that we Singaporeans truly love chicken wings.
Now, guess what? To add onto the list of names for those tasty wings, with no need to even queue for them, CP is spoiling us with the option to have them available as and when we like it – all in the comfort of our own home!
Pre-fried mid-joint wings are available in frozen packs, with a packet of sauce available for you to coat those delectable pieces as much as you like in. Available in 2 flavours of sauces – Honey Lemon and Hot & Spicy, it makes the wings rather versatile, as there’s a 3rd flavour to it too – original (sans sauce!)
The wings aren’t quite your usual supermarket frozen stringy wings that make your teeth feel like their in dire need of a good floss after. Relatively plump and crispy on the outside when heated up right, these go great with beer – or if it’s too early for beer, you can also opt for the choice of 0.00% alcohol ‘beers’.
After all, as the Koreans call it, “Chi-Maek!” (Chicken and Beer – the ultimate pairing!)
On its own, it looks pretty much like any deep-fried wings, but the magic truly happens when you toss the wings with the sauces – much like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The distinctively different flavours will change your thoughts on the mere wings, as the flavours pop on your tongue as you take your first bite.
For those with a sweet tooth, the Lemon Honey sauce would be a good choice to go for, as the sweetness is highly distinctive. A light hint of lemon, it tasted very much like the thick sweet honey lemon sauce that is drizzled onto fried chicken chops that you get at chicken rice stalls.
As for the Hot & Spicy, unlike buffalo wings’ chilli or the sichuan mala, the spiciness level stings, but isn’t to the point that it is choking or too unbearable. A slight dryish umami flavour, you can taste the beans present in this sauce – a sign that it is a good interpretation of the Korean chilli which is usually made using bean paste. Unfortunately, for those who are chilli cowards, do not attempt to coat the whole wing with the sauce – dip lightly.
We are warning you!
If you frequent Korea for chicken wings, or even the local chains for your fix, you will realise that the taste of the sauces seem more tailored to our local tastebuds instead of adhering to that of the Koreans’, which may or may not be to your liking. Nonetheless, priced at a recommended price of $6.95, it makes for great nibbles stocked up at home because after all – what happens if you have a Korean fried chicken craving at 2am?!
