One year ago, in the shadows of the internet, a Reddit post featuring a sighting of the famous American fast food chain Chick-fil-A’s packaging in Singapore emerged, which got the rumour mill spinning. Was it wishful thinking? A cleverly staged prank? Or a breadcrumb leading to something more?
After sending Singapore’s food scene to a frenzy and months of agonising suspense, the speculation ends now. The countdown is over, and the truth is out — Chick-fil-A, best known for arguably having the best chicken sandwiches, is finally flying onto our shores for a three-day pop-up!
From 26 to 28 June 2024, Chick-fil-A is serving up smiles and tasty chicken in Singapore for the first time. And if you had hands fast enough to snag the highly coveted tickets to this exclusive pop-up, then getting a taste of their chicken sandwiches is no longer a distant dream!
If you’re dying to know what you can sink your teeth into at the pop-up, you’ve come to the right place! This is a complete guide to the pop-up’s full offerings and an honest review of the menu.
So get your tastebuds ready and allow me to give you the full scoop on Chick-fil-A’s pop-up!
The Pop-up
I’ll admit. I’m not good with directions, and the Chick-fil-A pop-up’s location stumped me a little before I found my way there. So let me tell you what to look out for so you know you’re in the right place!
The Chick-fil-A pop-up is located on the first floor of the Esplanade Mall, and since it’s a pop-up, it’s temporarily taking the space of one of the mall’s stores, Aniplus Cafe. Just look out for Aniplus Cafe’s signboard, and you’re good! If you’re still unsure, keep your eyes peeled for Chick-fil-A’s iconic red and white colours splashed onto the pop-up! A giant Chick-fil-A logo is also plastered across one wall of the pop-up. Hopefully, you won’t be like me and spend an embarrassing time hunting for the location.
Upon entering the place, you’ll be welcomed by a white wall where big-sized versions of Chick-fil-A’s dipping sauce packets, a staple on their menu, are attached to said wall. This is a fun spot to take photos with, so snap away! Also, did I mention that you can take the sauce packets off the wall and pose with them? How cool is that! I chose my favourite sauce as my photo prop and ended up looking comical, struggling to grip the mega packets as I posed for the camera.
The Menu
But back to what you came for — the food. If you don’t already know what you’ll be served, here’s a quick refresher. You’ll get to try the iconic Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich, the only sandwich they’ll serve during the pop-up. Why is that so? Because this is the original sandwich and is what the chain’s founder named his restaurants after.
Plus, since Chick-fil-A is known for its high-quality chicken, I would imagine that this sandwich is the perfect choice. With just a slab of chicken and a couple of pickles sandwiched between two buns, you’ll wholly taste the chickens for what they are.
I know your eyebrows are raised, and you’re scratching your head wondering: What’s so special about what essentially a basic chicken and pickle sandwich is? Full disclosure: even I was sceptical at first. But this has been the star of Chick-fil-A’s show since its founding, so there must be a good reason why this fact has remained unchanged for the last 57 years!
And boy, after one bite, I understood the hype.
When I sunk my teeth into the sandwich, the golden buns are soft, cloud-like pillows. Then came the chicken. Instantly, there was an audible crunch, and that’s when I knew Chick-fil-A doesn’t play when it comes to their chickens. Crispy, golden excellence on the outside and juicy meat on the inside — I had been won over.
And oh, if that wasn’t enough, did I mention it’s chicken breast? That’s right, imagine this resident chicken breast hater’s shock to know that real chicken breast was used! From a young age, my mom passed down the knowledge that the breast is the least appetising part of the chicken, due to it being the dryest section. But somehow, Chick-fil-A worked their magic and hit the mark on the perfect fried chicken. Paired with equally crunchy dill pickles, the sandwich interior is simply crunchy ASMR goodness all around.
However, if you’re the kind of person who needs sauce to go with your sandwiches, then Chick-fil-A dipping sauces come in. For this pop-up, I was spoilt for choice as I was given four different sauces with unique flavours: Honey Mustard sauce, Sweet & Spicy Sriracha sauce, Garden Herb Ranch sauce, and, of course, Chick-fil-A sauce.
The chain does have a total of 7 sauces, but they only brought over 4 of them for the pop-up. Despite this, I can’t complain as I had a hard time deciding which of the sauces I wanted to dip my waffle fries and sandwich in first. Oh, I almost forgot to mention, your chicken sandwich won’t be alone as you’ll be getting their iconic waffle fries too! Sprinkled with sea salt, these fries make for a symphony of crispy edges and fluffy centres!
The fries were just as good on their own, so it wasn’t long before they all disappeared into my stomach! But let me also share my review of each sauce, with my favourite of the four at the end.
First up, undoubtedly, I have to start with the Chick-fil-A sauce. With the sauce named after the establishment itself, it got me wondering what’s in it! So, after doing some research, it turns out that the prominent flavour you’ll be getting is notes of honey mustard and a smoky tang. And sure enough, my colleague and I could get the sweetness of the honey mustard, but we also found it similar to mayonnaise, which was familiar.
Then, we have the Honey Mustard sauce. It sounds a little funny and strange that right after the Chick-fil-A sauce, with its honey mustard notes, comes a sauce that sounds exactly the same but there’s a difference folks!
Unlike the Chick-fil-A sauce, this sauce reminded us of McDonald’s curry sauce but with extra tanginess. Sweet and mildly spicy, it was pretty decent, and I believe few will dislike it.
But if you want a little more kick to your sauce, try the Sweet & Spicy Sriracha sauce. As its name promises, it is equal parts sweet and spicy, making for a nice contrast.
Again, I can’t help but compare it to McDonald’s, but it did have some similarities to McDonald’s own chilli sauce. Of the four, this is the hottest, so those who like more heat in their meals will probably choose this as their favourite.
Last but certainly not least, my favourite is the Garden Herb Ranch sauce. As soon as my tongue was hit with the slightest taste of it, it went to my number one spot. Creamy, sour, savoury, and with subtle notes of herbs; I couldn’t stop myself from going back to the explosion of flavours that is the Garden Herb Ranch, as the flavours were most suited to my palate!
My colleague, however, found it a little too salty, so she suggested it’s mostly suitable for dipping into the fries and not the sandwich as it might overpower the sandwich’s flavour. I won’t say who’s right, but I will gladly dip both my sandwich and fries into this irresistible sauce!
After such a hearty meal, you can choose between refreshingly cold water, Coke Zero, or Coke to wash it all down. While having only one set meal you can try at the pop-up might sound lacklustre to hear, this set truly showcases the best of what Chick-fil-A has to offer.
It’s a sneak peek into what’s in store for the future, and with the short period the pop-up will be open, it’s probably impossible to try everything on the menu. Plus, I heard whispers on the street that Chick-fil-A is planning to enter the Asia market soon, so this is an excellent start to their first foray into Asia!
Other Activities at the Pop-up
Don’t leave just yet! To make your experience all the more rewarding, you can also try to complete the task card provided. Some tasks to complete include adding a sticker they will provide to the community mural, sharing a smile with your neighbour, and enjoying your meal! Sounds simple, right?
Once you’ve checked off every task, present the card to the staff, who will be giving out some exclusive gifts! These gifts are while stocks last, so if you’re like me, you’d want to quickly finish them to get your hands on these amazing gifts!
Also, if you’re wondering if you need to pay for the meal, the good news is that you don’t. The S$10 ticket entitles you to one free meal. Instead, Chick-fil-A is donating the S$10 to Community Chest, the philanthropy and engagement arm of the National Council of Social Service. One hundred per cent of the donations will go towards empowering the lives of adults with disabilities, children with special needs and youth-at-risk, families in need, persons with mental health conditions, and seniors needing support! So talk about doing good while eating well!
Chick-fil-A Pop-up Details
From scouring the internet to get to know the brand better, I learnt that the name Chick-fil-A is a fun play on words as the capital “A” stands for Grade A top quality, and truly, I could feel it when I ate the food and experienced the unparalleled hospitality of the staff. It’ll probably be a while before you can savour the taste of Chick-fil-A again so head down to the pop-up before it closes! I promise you won’t regret it.
For more information on the pop-up, you can check out their Instagram!
🗓️Date: 26 to 28 June 2024
📍Location: 8 Raffles Avenue, #01-13C, The Esplanade Mall, Singapore 039802
⏰Time: 11am to 2pm and 3pm to 7pm
Photos by Pauline Caoile of the DANAMIC Team.
