At this point, Korean fried chicken, and Korean food in general, is pretty much an institution here in Singapore. The sheer number of restaurants popping up this year alone speaks for itself – think Daily Beer, Seoul Noodle Shop, Hansik Dining Collective, Na Oh, Gu:um, Cote, and many more. Adding to the roster is Doran Chicken, a fried chicken specialty shop hidden away on the fourth floor of Orchard Gateway, right next to Anytime Fitness.
Unlike your run-of-the-mill Korean fried chicken joint, Doran brings its recipes straight from Daegu, the ‘mecca’ of Korean fried chicken. To get a sense of how seriously fried chicken is taken there, we find out that the city even hosts an annual chimaek (chicken and beer) festival. Doran’s chef-founder, Shin, ran his own fried chicken business in Daegu for 12 years before moving to Singapore.
At Doran Chicken, whole chickens are aged minimally for one week with a mix of herbs in traditional Korean clay pots called onggi, before they’re fried. Even the sauces that coat each piece are aged, supposedly to coax out deeper and more complex flavours. Depending on your spice tolerance, you can choose between four options – original fried, 1978 Soy Sauce, Dalcom Spicy, and Volcano Spicy. Heads up: the Volcano Spicy sauce is not to be messed with.
As you sink your teeth into the original fried chicken, you’ll immediately notice that the batter is lighter and airier compared to other Korean fried chicken joints. This makes it ideal for soaking up sauces, though the crisp and fluffy exterior also means the chunks tend to turn soggy faster than usual.
For spice lovers, we recommend going for the Dalcom Spicy sauce, which is a mildly sweet glaze that layers on a good heat after a couple of bites. But if you’re up for a challenge, try the Volcano Spicy out for size. Playing it safe? Then the original fried and soy sauce glaze are your best bets. And like most fried chicken places, there’s the option to get a half-and-half ($20.80) for variety.
Apart from the signature fried chicken, Chef Shin also whips up plenty of other Daegu specialties rarely seen in Singapore. Must-tries include the flat, chive-stuffed dumplings ($17.80) which are meant to be used as a wrap for the sweet and spicy squid salad served on the side. There’s also the Sincheon Tteokbokki ($12.8) which is a soupier version of the popular street snack with slightly longer and thinner tteok (rice cakes). Instead of the usual thick gochujang-based sauce, Chef Shin’s version uses more anchovy broth so the spicy soup can be enjoyed on its own.
Most recently, the restaurant also introduced a nifty $14.80 lunch set where you’ll get a smaller serving of fried chicken, the joint’s special tuna rice balls, a side of coleslaw salad, and a drink. And if you order any alcoholic beverages on the menu, you’ll also get a side of handmade sweet potato chips on the house.
Find out more about Doran Chicken here.
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