Denise SongThe brainchild of Jimmy Hsiao (who previously ran Bobby Rubino’s and California Bistro) that opened late last year, Wings World is the third F&B venture the American-raised Taiwanese has ventured into after marrying a local and settling down here.
This authentic American chicken wings store offers 13 flavours with 2 different types of seasoning, wet and dry. Its 5 dry seasonings includes Italian Herb, Rajin Cajun, Citrus Pepper, Taiwan Twister and Vurry Curry, while its 6 wet seasonings include BBQ, Teriyaki, Sweet Chili Thai, Asian Zing, Mango Habanero, and the ever popular Buffalo. The last comes in 4 levels of spiciness (mild, medium, hot, and blazin’).
While doing market research, Hsiao found that almost everyone had a preferred part of the wing, so he lets his customers customize, offering a choice of a basket of all winglets, all drumlets, or a mix of both.
The wings are sold in sets of 6 ($5.75) and 10 ($8.95) for a la carte, with a complimentary side of carrot and celery sticks and blue cheese dip. For those whose appetites can’t be satisfied with just protein, the wings are also sold in sets at $7.95 for 6 and $11.15 for 10, with a side of choice and a 16oz drink.
All 13 sauces are made in-house from scratch using 75 ingredients, some of which are fairly hard to come by. The habanero used in the buffalo sauce is sourced from Holland, while the dry mango habanero, comes directly from Mexico.
The wings are the smaller bite-sized parts that look more like the barbequed ones found in hawker centers than the larger pieces you’d find in restaurants, but the skin has a crispiness that rivals fast food chain Popeye’s, thanks to the double fry method they use to cook their poultry.
Of all the flavours, Mango Habanero was the standout, with a fruity sweetness that lingered but didn’t overpower because of the chilli pepper spiciness that cut across. Compared to the Mango habanero, the Asian Zing tasted like any Sweet and Sour dish you’d find around, which didn’t make it very special.
The Buffalo had a strong vinegary taste from the Frank’s RedHot hotsauce that was used, but it was just the right amount to balance out the sweetness of the sauce.
For the dry seasoning, the extra crispy skin of the chicken really worked with the herbs that were tossed together as there wasn’t any sauce to soften the crunch. UrbanWire found that the Cajun was the best, as it had more of a bite to it than the Italian herb, which was slightly more salty than flavourful.
While many of the wet seasonings are popular choices, many may gravitate to the dry seasoning as it’s less messy to eat. You don’t have to compromise if you like your wings covered in sauce, though, because the restaurant has a sink for you to wash your hands.
Located along the food paradise around Katong, the shop is situated between the iconic Chin Mei Chin Confectionery and the famous Katong laksa. Its regulars are expats, and those who studied in America for some time, who hanker for the authentic American cuisine they left behind.
A number of enamel signs hanging from the walls also reinforced that sense of Americana and gave the place a nice 50’s touch without going overboard with the old school diner feel of glossy red and white vinyl seats that many others tend to do.
Overall, Wings World is a great place to go for a large variety of authentic American wings with a reasonable price point that’s not out of reach even for students.
Additional Information
Price Rating: $6 to $12
Rating: ★★★★✩
Address:
214 East Coast Road
Opening Hours:
Sat-Thurs: noon – 10pm
Fri-Sat: noon – 11pm
Contact Info:
6247 7477