S.O.S Chicken Review: Juicy Charcoal-Grilled Chicken With 18 Sauces And More In Tampines

S.O.S Chicken has charcoal-grilled chicken in Tampines

The East side seems to be where it’s at for food, especially with its recent influx of new restaurant and cafe openings. Adding to this list is S.O.S Chicken, a brand new concept that’s just arrived at Tampines 1! Launched by the same team behind Wine Connection, this casual restaurant specialises in charcoal-grilled chicken, complemented by a wide range of house-made sauces and sides.

Food at S.O.S Chicken

Here’s what makes their chicken special: each bird is brined for over 12 hours with 16 fresh herbs and spices, then slow-roasted over a charcoal grill on-site, before it’s served to your table. You can even watch the roasting process at their counter!

Solo diners can go for the Half Chicken ($13.50++). If you’re dining in a group of two to three, order the Whole Chicken ($25.50++) instead. Both options come with the chicken alone.

I found the meat incredibly juicy and savoury, with a deliciously charred, slightly smoky exterior. Even the chicken breast on my plate remained tender, though my colleague commented that his could be a tad softer. The cherry on top was the mild sweetness imparted during the roasting process, thanks to the addition of apple wood chips.

S.O.S Chicken stands for “Stand Out Sauce”, so you can look forward to a huge lineup of sauces to choose from, curated to pair excellently with their signature chicken. There’s a whopping total of 18 sauces to try, priced at $2++ each if you’re ordering a la carte.

Out of the 18, my top three favourites were the Mushroom Cream, Charred Ginger Scallion, and Mojo Verde: a Spanish-inspired green sauce loaded with cilantro and garlic. Other crowd favourites are Sambal Ijo, Butter Chicken, and Spicy Mala.

Besides grilled chicken, there’s also a great range of savoury sides to complete your meal. We recommend the mildly spicy Fried Padron Peppers ($7.50++), which were cooked till crispy and blistered.

The Fried Sambal Tempeh ($7.50++) were equally yummy. These thin tempeh slices were coated in a sticky-sweet sauce that reminded me of my favourite childhood snack: chilli tapioca chips!

You won’t go wrong with the Sriracha Onion Rings ($6.50++) too; these lightly battered onion rings came with a creamy sriracha mayo dip for dunking. They were crispy upon arriving at our table, but became soggy rather quickly, so make sure you tuck in stat.

Alternatively, get the Chicken Loaded Fries ($12.90++), starring S.O.S’ grilled chicken with shoestring fries, garlic aioli sauce, and sriracha mayo. Unfortunately, this was the letdown of our meal as the fries were over-fried and greasy. Additionally, the flavour of the chicken was lost in the mishmash of sauces.

Those who want some greens in their meal can order a side of S.O.S Brussel Sprouts ($5.50++) to share. The veggies were decently seasoned, though I wished the edges were crispier.

Ambience at S.O.S Chicken

S.O.S Chicken sits on the first floor of Tampines 1, directly next to the Green Line exit of Tampines MRT Station. The entrance to the restaurant is located outside, opposite 7-Eleven, so there’s no need to enter the mall.

The casual eatery is minimally decorated, with matte black seats and dark wood tables for a simple yet classy look. It’s rather spacious indoors, though there’s also the option of dining outside if the weather is forgiving!

The verdict

There aren’t many grilled chicken specialty shops in Singapore, so S.O.S Chicken is a welcome addition to the food scene.  I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the grilled chicken and sauces here, though prices are not exactly cheap, especially for the heartlands. Nonetheless, their convenient location makes up for it, so I’ll be back to try more of their offerings.

Don’t miss this promotion if you’re visiting soon: from now till 31 August 2024, dine in  from 11am to 6pm and enjoy 1-for-1 Half S.O.S Chicken (U.P. $13.50++)!

In related Tampines news, the popular Taiwanese cafe Abundance has opened at Century Square! You can expect the same menu, starring signatures such as gua bao and lu rou fan.

If you’re looking for another new restaurant to try this weekend, read our Daily Chicken review instead, for famous Korean fried chicken in Bugis.

Address: 10 Tampines Central 1, #01-21/22/23, Tampines 1, Singapore 529536
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 11pm
Tel: 6258 1836
Website
S.O.S Chicken is not a halal-certified eatery. 

Photos taken by John Lery Villanueva.
This was a media tasting at S.O.S Chicken.