Okkudak & Ssaldak: Baked Chicken vs Fried Chicken?
Before you get thrown into a state of confusion, let's put it all out on the table.
Oven Baked Chicken, houses two Korean franchises under one roof, Okkudak that specializes in oven baked chicken and Ssaldak who wields a magical hand over the fried chicken territory. Combining the likes of both under one establishment builds a powerhouse of sorts... set at capturing the likes of the health conscious, kfc fanatics and beer chugging fools alike.
Fortunately for them, I was all of the above. Sold on the concept, there was only the food left to judge.
To cool off, in-lieu of the smoldering heat outside, get the Hoegaarden Beer Tower ($70), the perfect tool to get the party started.
Navigating the menu may be a tad daunting given the overwhelming choices provided for purely the fried chicken section alone. The Sauced Original ($35/whole, $20/half) may be a good place to start. we pussied out and ordered the mild in contrary to the spicy edition, but on hindsight, given the Korean's usual heavy handed-ness with sugar, the spicy option would be a better fit with our spice-acclimatized palates.
The Crunch Original ($33/whole, $18/half), battered with their secret coating consisting of rice flour sets it above the crowd. The golden brown and delicious crust reveals deliciously rich and salty flesh below. Simple fare executed well, perfect with the array of dipping sauces such as honey mustard, sweet chili, spicy and mild sauces.
Apart from the hot chicks, the rest of the menu didn't succeed in charming us. The Assorted fish cake soup ($30) lacked any flavor at all. Seemingly as if someone put a whole bunch of yong tau fu ingredients in water and thrown chicken stock cubes in, pardon my bluntness I wouldn't be rushing to order this item on my next visit.
When someone promises me something would be very spicy, I expect no less than to have beads of sweat running down my forehead and the slight lip-tingling effect, unfortunately, the Top Shell Salad ($30) didn't deliver on that level. In fact, it didn't even come close to that effect. A huge platter of rice vermicelli noodles, pickled vegetables and top shell greets the eye; not a very appetizing sight to be honest. Flavor-wise, it flat-lined with the sauce that bordered on diabetic intent.
Moving on the other spectrum of things, we explored the oven baked chicken options. The Roasted Original ($33/whole, $18/half) rose to the occasion, offering our palates a refreshing respite from the heatiness of the fried chicken onslaught. What took me by surprise was the tender and juicy flesh, perfumed with aromatics. This definitely gives the evil twin a good run for its money.
The Welsh Onion Chicken ($38/whole, $22/half) steals the limelight with its attractive color palate of glistening golden brown flesh snuggled beside a nest of lightly pickled spring onions. I warmed up to this dish like a fat kid to cake. Definitely a must order if you're making the trip down!
We ran the night with the final course of Yogurt Salad Chicken ($40/whole, $23/half) which involved a queer practice of finishing the plate with a teensie scoop of vanilla ice cream over the salad to create some sort of ambrosial temperature differential effect. Technically the inclusion of ice cream in the equation makes it a dessert! HEY.. fried chicken and ice cream anybody? That aside, the strips of fried chicken were divine and really benefited from the drizzle of spicy sauce over the top. Opt to have this without the ice cream should you find it too strange to embrace.
Okkudak
182 Telok Ayer Street
w: https://www.facebook.com/ofcsingapore
Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 11 30am - 2 30pm; 5 30pm - 1am
Sat-Sun: 4pm - 2am
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