With the recent opening of fast food chain Popeyes in Mong Kok, fried chicken is enjoying an even greater level of popularity in Hong Kong than usual. In fact, the problem now is that Hongkongers are spoilt for choice. How do we know which fried chicken is most worth our time and cash?
Young Post tasted fried chicken from five of Hong Kong’s best-known outlets: McDonald’s, KFC, Popeyes, Hot Star, and Jollibee. We pitted them against one another in a test of flavour, texture, oiliness, and cost, and gave each an overall rating out of 10. Which fried chicken will be victorious?
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McDonald’s
McDonald’s set of four chicken wings is by far the cheapest on this list at HK$22, but then again, it offers the smallest part of the chicken – the wings. McWings are the epitome of low-cost convenience, but ours were nothing special. They weren’t particularly crispy or salted, and the seasoning was too overpowering. However, if you’re in desperate need of a quick and cheap chicken fix, McDonald’s is your best bet – especially because there is a chain on virtually every street in the city.
4/10 stars
KFC
We were hoping KFC would serve up some traditional southern goodness, but we were disappointed. The chicken skin looked too dark, making us worried it would give our portion a charred taste. In fact, it wouldn’t have mattered one way or another, because all we could taste was salt and MSG. We could also see the grease oozing out from the white meat. While this could have just been a bad day for KFC, the fact remains that we were served bad chicken.
One thigh and drumstick here will cost you HK$39, which is around average, if a tad on the pricier side. Overall, KFC was not worth it, and we would not recommend it.
4/10 stars
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Popeyes
We went into Popeyes with high hopes, but left with empty wallets and a bad taste in our mouths. Popeyes only recently opened its second Hong Kong branch in Mong Kok, and has been met with rave reviews.
You can expect to pay HK$36 for one thigh and one drumstick, a price we felt was pretty reasonable. The chicken itself, however, was underwhelming. It had no significant “it-factor” that could justify its mass popularity. Overall, Popeyes is a rather unremarkable bird.
4.5/10 stars
Hot Star
Unlike the other restaurants on this list, Hot Star serves chicken breast, breaded and smothered with flavoured salt. We found it to be well cooked and juicy, with a real “wow” taste. The sauce the chicken is cooked in was delightfully spicy and even citrus-like; it had us eating more just to figure out exactly what it was. And the reasonable price tag – HK$32 for a massive chunk of chicken breast – made the whole thing even better! If you’re looking for your typical fried chicken fare (eg wings or drumsticks), this might not quite hit the spot. But if you’re willing to try a slightly new twist on a classic, we promise this is worth your while.
6/10 stars
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Jollibee
We definitely saved the best for last; the chicken at Jollibee was tender and perfectly seasoned – just enough to give it flavour, but not enough to leave an unpleasant MSG taste on the tongue. It also came with a small cup of Jollibee’s classic gravy sauce, which was the perfect accompaniment to the chicken – but would have been even better if mixed with a serving of Jollibee rice, which we recommend getting if you do decide to visit.
The crispiness of the chicken was such that it would make excellent ASMR content. It was also oily enough to be satisfyingly messy, but not to the point where we were drowning in grease. A thigh and drumstick will set you back HK$35. If there is a Jollibee branch near you (and if there isn’t, there probably soon will be), we recommend heading straight down there.
8.5/10 stars