We Tried The New Raising Cane’s Dupe At This Viral American-Style Fast Food Spot

Planet Melmac Chick ‘N Chips is a new fried chicken spot at Haji Lane

If you’re a fan of Raising Cane’s fried chicken or any of the popular dupes, then you’ll want to check out Planet Melmac Chick ‘N Chips. Located along Haji Lane, this new spot opened late last year with branding and a menu similar to Raising Cane’s. The cosmic-themed restaurant promises “outta this world” fried chicken, and based on the rave reviews and viral videos it has received, we decided to head down and give it a try.

FYI: Planet Melmec is in the midst of obtaining its halal certification.

The space is compact but lively, decked out in bold red and yellow with space-themed posters and astronaut cutouts plastered across the walls—very much in line with the brand’s cosmic theme. Seating is limited, so it’s best suited for a quick meal.

For a meal, choose between the Solo Orbit Meal ($9.90), Double Orbit Meal ($13.50), and Galactic Feast ($15.90), which offer one-piece, two-piece, and three-piece chicken meals, respectively. For those looking to feast in a group, consider the Melmac Bucket (from $22.90++), which gets you either six or eight pieces of fried chicken in a bucket.

Other mains on the menu include the Melmac Chicken Burger (from $8.50), Little Astro (from $8.10), and Melmac Strips ($10.85) for bite-sized chicken cuts with fries and toast. We ordered the Little Astro, which came with two crispy chicken fingers, thick-cut fries, buttered toast, coleslaw, your choice of sauce, and a drink.

Do note that the spicy option comes with just a sprinkle of chilli powder, so don’t expect much heat. We were slightly disappointed that the chicken fingers were rather small, but they did impress us with how tender they were on the inside. We also appreciated that the chicken was lightly battered with a thin crust that didn’t feel too heavy on the palate.

You can also top up $0.50 to $1.20 for sauces such as Milky Way Garlic, Cheese Cosmos, or the classic Gravy—we went with the Melmac Sauce, which was a tangy blend of Japanese mayo and ketchup.

If you’re craving something more substantial, the Melmac Chicken Burger is worth a try. The burger comes stacked with two boneless fried chicken thighs, fresh lettuce, tomato, BBQ sauce, and spicy garlic mayo. You can also top up $0.50 for a slice of cheese. A full meal with fries and a drink comes to just $9.90, which is pretty value-for-money in this economy.

The fried chicken was tender, and the spicy garlic mayo added a nice savouriness, though it wasn’t as spicy as we had hoped. The cheese slice, instead of melting over the chicken patty, sat against the top bun, so don’t expect that gooey pull.

My colleague thoroughly enjoyed the Power Mac & Cheese ($13.20). The dish featured a bed of soft mac and cheese topped generously with fried chicken bits. The sauce leaned sweet and reminded us a little of KFC’s version, and we liked how the pasta was thoroughly coated in the cheesy sauce.

The fried chicken bites were also not dry despite sitting out for a while during our meal, which was a solid plus.

Planet Melmac isn’t going to blow your mind, but it delivers decent, accessible fried chicken at wallet-friendly prices in a fun setting. Fried chicken fans, especially those who wish Raising Cane’s would open an outlet in Singapore, will enjoy this new restaurant.

For a look at exclusive bulgogi burger, Korean fried chicken and more, read our Lotteria coverage. For more Korean fried chicken, read our Daily Chicken coverage.

Address: 23 Arab Street, Singapore 199722
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 10pm
Tel: 8220 3459
Website
Planet Melmac is in the process of getting halal-certified.

Photos Taken by Nivian Chiang.