Try Daegu-Style Korean Fried Chicken, Legacy Sauces, and Daegu Specialties at This New Restaurant in Orchard

At this point, Korean fried chicken, and Korean food in general, is pretty much an institution in Singapore. The sheer number of restaurants popping up this year alone speaks for itself – I think Daily Beer, Seoul Noodle Shop, Hansik Food Collective, no oh, Gu:um, Ivoryand much more. Addition to the squad is as follows Doran ChickenFried chicken specialty store tucked away on the fourth floor of Orchard Gateway, right next to Anytime Fitness.

Unlike your average Korean fried chicken joint, Doran brings his recipes straight from Daegu, the ‘mecca’ of Korean fried chicken. To understand how seriously fried chicken is taken here, we learn that the city even hosts a chimaek (chicken and beer) festival every year. 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 for a minimum of a week with a mixture of herbs in traditional Korean clay pots called onggi before frying. Even the sauces that coat each piece are aged to supposedly bring out deeper, more complex flavors. Depending on your spice tolerance, you can choose from four options: original fried, 1978 Soy Sauce, Dalcom Spicy, and Volcano Spicy. Attention: Not to be confused with Volkan Spicy sauce.

When 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 pieces. This makes it ideal for soaking up sauces, but its crunchy, soft exterior also means the pieces tend to soak up quicker than usual.

For spice lovers, we recommend opting for the Dalcom Spicy sauce, a slightly sweet glaze that layers with good heat after a few bites. But if you’re up for a challenge, try the Volcano Spicy on for size. Playing it safe? Then original fried and soy sauce glazes are your best bets. And like most fried chicken joints, there’s the option to get half-and-half ($20.80) for variety.

Besides the signature fried chicken, Chef Shin also prepares many other Daegu specialties rarely seen in Singapore. Must-try items include chive-stuffed meatballs ($17.80), intended to be used as a wrap for the sweet and spicy calamari salad served on the side. There’s also Sincheon Tteokbokki ($12.8), a soupier version of the popular street snack with slightly longer and thinner tteok (rice cake). Chef Shin’s version uses more anchovy juice instead of the usual thick gochujang-based sauce, so you can enjoy the spicy soup on its own.

Recently, the restaurant also introduced a fancy lunch set for $14.80, where you’ll get a smaller portion of fried chicken, the joint’s signature tuna rice balls, coleslaw salad, and a beverage. If you order any alcoholic beverage on the menu, you’ll also receive sweet potato chips handmade in house.

Learn more about Doran Chicken Here.

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