If you’re a fan of grilled chicken, listen up: Chickita, a popular flame-grilled chicken chain from Vietnam, has opened its first outlet here at City Square Mall! Aside from its four outlets in its home country, the brand also has outposts in Australia and Malaysia, with Singapore being its latest stop.
Chickita’s flame-grilling technique is said to produce some remarkable results: the chicken tends to be succulent, with a remarkably smoky aroma and flavour on top of it all. And so when it finally opened here in Singapore, we knew we had to stop by to see if it lived up to the hype.
Chickita’s menu is pretty extensive, with a wide range of appetisers, mains, and desserts to choose from. But we had to start with the brand’s claim to fame: their flame-grilled chicken. There are a few cuts you can get, with the smallest being either the 1/4 Chicken Leg ($10.90++) or 1/4 Chicken Breast ($10.90++), and the largest being the Whole Chicken ($37.90++).
After choosing a cut, you can choose from one of the six unique sauces that Chickita offers. These can be sorted on a spiciness scale—the Original, made with lemongrass lime leaves, is the least spicy, while the Dynamite, packed with chilli and other spices, is the most fiery.
We were served the Half Chicken ($19.90++) with the Original sauce. The flame-grilled marks were apparent on the skin of the chicken, seemingly promising a smokiness in each bite.
And smoky it was—we could hardly resist the irresistible aroma and flavour of this grilled chicken. The tangy Original sauce complemented the charred notes beautifully, and perhaps most importantly, the entire half chicken was juicy and succulent. That included the leg, thigh, and breast; the latter of which is often prone to being too dry, but remained perfectly moist here.
We reckon this chicken is good enough to eat without additional sauces, but we decided to try them all to see if any stood out. We found the spicy-and-sour Red Dragon, as well as the mango citrus-infused Tropical, to be our favourites of the lot. Strangely, however, even the most fiery pick wasn’t too challenging to eat, so spice fiends may be disappointed with the sauce options.
You can add on a bowl of Signature Rice ($4.90++) for a heartier meal. But if you’d like to enjoy grilled chicken in a wholesome rice bow dish, we recommend getting the Tropical Rice Bowl ($14.90++). This sizeable concoction features a pile of fragrant rice, spiced green dragon sauce, charred corn, crispy corn tortillas, mango tomato onion salsa, and pickled cucumber, with a boneless chicken leg to top it all off.
This rice bowl delivered a good mix of flavours and textures. The spiced green dragon sauce added a zesty kick, while the charred corn and crispy tortillas provided crunch. Meanwhile, the mango tomato salsa paired well with the tangy pickled cucumber, and the tender, well-seasoned, and smoky boneless chicken leg completed this feast.
Aside from the aforementioned mains, we tried some appetisers including the Signature Hot Prawn Dip ($9.90++), Flamingo Tacos ($14.90++), and Sticky Chicken Ribs ($10.90++). All three were decent enough, with the prawn dip standing out for its creamy, umami-rich flavour, and the chicken ribs offering a sweeter and leaner alternative to the grilled chicken options.
As for drinks, we had the Chickita Iced Milk Tea ($5.90++), but unfortunately, it was overly sweet. Those who prefer less sugar might want to opt for their unsweetened tea options instead.
Much like its brand identity, Chickita’s interiors are bright and colourful, with plenty of natural light streaming in from outside the mall. There are enough seats to accommodate a good number of customers, and there’s even a sink for you to wash your hands after a messy feast. In short, this is a pretty comfortable eatery to dine at.
Chickita is a five-minute walk from Farrer Park MRT Station.
Chickita offers some excellent flame-grilled chicken that’s smoky and succulent, pairing well with their signature sauces. It’s a solid pick for anyone who loves a good chicken dish.
For juicy charcoal-grilled chicken with 18 sauces and more in Tampines, check out our S.O.S Chicken review. For a 24/7 stall with $1 chicken wings, rosti and more in Kovan, read our Star Western coverage.
Address: 180 Kitchener Road, #04-33, City Square Mall, Singapore 208539
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 10pm
Tel: 6531 0567
Website
Chickita is in the process of getting halal-certified.
Photos taken by Paula Formantes.
This was a media tasting at Chickita.
Summary
Pros
– Succulent, well-grilled chicken
– Variety of interesting sauces
– Extensive menu
Cons
– Sauces may not be fiery enough for spice fiends
– Drinks were too sweet
Recommended dishes: Half Chicken ($19.90++), Tropical Rice Bowl ($14.90++)
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 10pm
Address: 80 Kitchener Road, #04-33, City Square Mall, Singapore 208539
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