Touted as the best Korean fried chicken in town (good enough to give BonChon Chicken a run for its money), 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken sure has a lot to live up to.

But – surprise, surprise – this is no franchise hailing from Korea. It’s actually the brain child of four good friends (hence the name!) who wanted to bring the awesomeness of Korean fried chicken from New York City to our sunny island. And with long queues snaking outside both outlets at ION Orchard and Plaza Singapura, there’s no denying that they’ve nailed it! 😉

The menu is split into five mouth-watering categories: Rice Boxes, Seafood and Sandwiches , Chopped Salads for diners watching their waistline, Sides which include Kimchi Coleslaw and Skinny Fries, and last but not least, the Speciality, which dishes up a mean serving of Wings or Drumlets with Soy Garlic or Hot Sauce! Yum yum! 

On my first visit to its Plaza Singapura outlet, I went straight for the Speciality, which consisted of three Soy Garlic Drumlets and a side of Seaweed Skinny Fries. And, oh, those are definitely drumlets to die for! 😀

Unlike the typical American style fast food fried chicken, the Korean recipe involves covering ‘em wings and drumlets in a layer of sauce and spices, before frying it twice to lock in the flavour.

The result? A trio to a dozen of tender, succulent wings or drumlets, fried to perfection in a mess tin, another unique factor in 4 Fingers’ presentation!

My drumlets arrived piping hot, with steam literally rising from it. I’m quite impressed with how 4 Fingers manages to serve up freshly cooked specialities, especially when other fast food joints resort to just frying up large batches and leaving them under the warmer. The flesh was perfectly tender and succulent, and bursting with flavours from the sauce, while the skin was crisp and savoury, and didn’t crumble off the flesh.

I can safely say that I will only be eating drumlets from 4 Fingers for a very long time. 😉

If you’re looking for something with a little more greens, 4 Fingers has a pretty decent selection of salads for a fast food joint. But with something as outstanding as the speciality drumsticks, there’s a definite benchmark for the other menu items to live up to which, unfortunately, was not quite the case for the Tonkatsu Chicken Salad I had for my second meal.

There was a generous amount of lettuce and tomatoes, but that’s it. The chicken looked little more than a handful of crispy batter that had been fished out from the fryer used for the speciality, with the meaty bits far and few between.

Still, it might have been one of those times when you just get the less choicy pick of the lot. Besides, it makes a healthy side dish to share with your friends! 😀

With the mains tried and tested, it’s time for the most important verdict of the night: Seaweed or Kimchi Skinny Fries?

4 Fingers’ Skinny Fries might look like another regular fries from a run-of-the-mill fast food restaurant, but it certainly doesn’t taste like it. Thin, crisp, and not verging on overly oily, they remained that way throughout my meal.

The Seaweed seasoning is definitely in a league of its own. Generously sprinkled over my fries in sizable chunks, it beats the powder-like sachets from Mc Donald’s. It also added a crispy bite to my fries! 😀

The Kimchi topping, on the other hand, is more powdery. It reminded me of the warm soups I used to have during my stay in Korea. It wasn’t overly spicy, either; there was a distinct sour tang to it, which added an interesting dimension to the savoury, buttery taste of the fries.

Aesthetically and gastronomically speaking, 4 Fingers is an edgy place to be if you’re in the mood for some deep fried goodness. Don’t be daunted by the snaking queues; it actually moves pretty fast despite how notoriously short-handed it is at the front counter, and unlike other recent food fads, this one is absolutely worth the wait. 😛

Address: Orchard Rd, Unit 01-3268

Website/ Facebook: http://www.gimme4fingers.com/ https://www.facebook.com/gimme4fingers

Menu: http://www.gimme4fingers.com/crispy/menu-sg.html

Opening Hours: Daily: 8am – 10pm 

chueonit.