Two Wings in Bukit Merah: Fried Chicken That's Tasty and Stays Crispy!

We had a nice discovery last week in Bukit Merah - Two Wings serving deep-fried chicken wings that are gorgeously GBD (golden brown and deeelicious)! Superbly crispy and yet tenderly sweet and juicy inside...are they possibly the best? Pretty close.

These chicken wings are extra large and meaty (from Brazil). They are remarkably easy to eat because they aren't greasy - thanks to some nifty frying know-how. The wonderful batter stays crispy even hours after you take them home (yes, I tried).

Two Wings is named such because one wing is just not enough. And it's true. It's actually torture to eat just one, and be denied more. It's like crack. Legit crack. Mmmmh!




The Boss and the Blogger! That's stall owner Jeremy with Nicole of Pinkypiggu posing most happily with platter of wings (S$8.50 for 4pc, S$12.50 for 6pc, S$24 for 12pc). You can read her post here. You can also read Derrick's and Ian's posts.

Jeremy learned the trade from his 80+ year old granduncle who used to ply his trade at Toa Payoh. This granduncle also earlier taught his recipe to two relatives - one started Carona Chicken Wings (gosh, remember those?), and the other set up Victor Fried Chicken Rice.

It's a pity Carona went defunct after the owner sold off the chain to someone else who couldn't maintain the quality. But hey, now we have something in the same tradition of those gloriously crispy chicken wings, but Jeremy has made the recipe his with modern frying knowledge and recipe tweaks.



Jeremy will fry the chicken only upon order so it's all piping fresh and hot. He trained for six months perfecting his skills at a canteen in Kallang before opening in May at Bukit Merah. He found the optimum temperature and time for frying chicken. And a final step forces all the oil out leaving the chicken nicely crisp but not greasy.

Jeremy even perches the wings on the platter in a way that minimises contact with the board so that the wings stay crisp and not soggy.

The young boss also fine-tuned the marinade with his own spices. It does taste a bit different from the old Carona wings that I remember, and there is one familiar ingredient in there that stands out but I can't put my finger on what it is. It's driving me crazy. What is it? Nutmeg? Ground candlenut? Masala? Ras el hanout?? Jeremy won't tell.



The crunch satisfaction extends to other chicken items too. The Chicken Cutlet (S$8 with two sides, like the homestyle potato salad) is remarkably hearty. The meat is moist and well-marinated but not as salty as the wings because well, there's a lot more meat.



You can also get Chicken Parts (S$9 for 2pcs, S$12 for 3pcs) - breast, drumstick, thigh - and Spring Chicken (S$9.90 for half, S$15.90 for whole). They all come standard with two side dishes. Jeremy uses Sakura brand chicken from Malaysia for these.

I packed home a few pieces of the chicken parts on a humid rainy day, and was surprised to find that the batter still retained crunch three hours later.

Initially, Jeremy himself had no idea his batter had such crisp staying power, until a customer who packed 50 wings across the Causeway came back to tell him that the wings were still stunningly crispy even hours afterwards. Now it's such a bestselling feature.



There's also a Finger Food Platter (S$19.90) with three pieces chicken wings, nine pieces chicken tenders, spring rolls, onion rings, fries, plus cucumber and carrot crudite with homemade mayo. Personally, I think the chicken is the highlight. The rest just pale in comparison. It would be great if Jeremy could work his magic on fries too, make them more crisp and flavourful.



But one non-chicken item stands out - their homemade achar. Now this is not on the menu, but they are experimenting with this as an Asian-style side in place of coleslaw. The achar is seriously good, I think they should sell this separately to those who are interested. The heartlanders love it but the yuppie types don't quite take to it, so there's some wastage. I cannot imagine throwing this away. Gawd, what a travesty.




Have you tried this method before? It really works. Kinda fun but two chomps and the boneless wing is gone. I really don't mind slowly working the meat off the bones with my teeth. That way you kinda prolong the joy.

Nyum, nyum...now how best to eat this? You tell me.

I wonder if the Prime Minister will also come here and queue for 30 minutes...




TWO WINGS
Website is still a placeholder for now, so check their Facebook page for updates!
Block 119, Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01-40, Singapore 151119
Tel: +65 9667 0368
Opening Hours:

Tue-Sun 12pm-11pm (with break between 3-6pm, but Jeremy is usually around, so you might still be able to get something if you pop by)

Closed on Mon

By the way, this kopitiam is quite unusual too, serving only Western fare. You won't find bak chor mee or chicken rice here. There's Seasalt serving seafood, Stew Kuche with pork knuckles, Immanuel French Kitchen, MiAn by The Travelling C.O.W., and Brown Sugar for drinks.


Major thanks to Uncle Smart who brought us here, and to Jeremy and Samantha for hosting us!