South Korea’s hit NeNe Chicken chain is now at Genting Highlands

South Korea’s hallyu wave has left an interesting legacy among Malaysians with an appreciation for k-drama, k-pop girl bands and, tastiest of all, an obsession for beautifully fried, gloriously crispy, and melt-in-the-mouth tender South Korean-style fried chicken. While they have become popular of late in Malaysia, none of them are plonked 5,167 feet up a mountain. Enter South Korea’s cult fried chicken chain NeNe Chicken.

The South Korean restaurant chain was established in 1999 and has expanded to Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and, as of today, Malaysia with the launch of their first outlet in the country at Sky Avenue, Genting Highlands.

To date, there are over 1,200 NeNe Chicken stores in South Korea alone and more are in the pipeline especially in Malaysia with the next NeNe Chicken restaurant slated to open in Starling Mall, Damansara Uptown later in the first quarter of 2018. 20 more stores are slated to open in Malaysia including East Malaysia by 2020.

The new NeNe fried chicken restaurant at Sky Avenue occupies its own shoplot with seating located on a flight of stairs that winds its way to a separate area with bench-style seating as well as more desirable frontage outside on a balcony facing the mall promenade that allows diners to enjoy Genting’s cool weather.

Crispy, Juicy and Mouth-Watering Fried Chicken? Oh yeah!

NeNe Chicken in Malaysia follows their time-tested recipe from South Korea to the letter with the special breading and sauces shipped in regularly from the Land of the Morning Calm though the chickens are sourced locally. The restaurant is rated as pork-free, lard-free and alcohol free. A Halal certification is currently being sought and all their suppliers are Halal-compliant.

The local menu is comprehensive with a choice of four different flavours of fried chicken to choose though it lacks some of the more interesting options like the massive hot platter seen in Singapore. In Malaysia, you can have it served on its own, with fries and with a side of rice as a more filling option. There are also burgers as well including a variant with charcoal buns and kimchi slaw (RM20.90) as part of the condiments.
Currently available in Malaysia as part of their local menu is their original flavoured chicken, a slightly sweet soy-based Bulgogi flavour fried chicken, a Swicy variant that blends sweet and mildly spicy notes together and, especially for those with a penchant for spicy food – the aptly named Freaking Hot fried chicken. There’s also a variant with cheese that will be available later on though it was released for us to sample. We stepped up to the plate and tried all five.

The original flavour version had beautifully fried skin and tender meat that acted as the baseline for the rest. It came with a side of dijon mustard that helped add a slightly different note in between bites of the well fried fowl. To cleanse the palate, they also served cubes of pickled radish that had a refreshing, if somewhat vinegary taste. The Bulgogi variant was a personal favourite that seems akin to teriyaki sauce with a strong soy-based sauce coating the chicken along with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

As it says on the tin, the Freaking Hot Nene Chicken is incredibly spicy

We took a bite of the Freaking Hot chicken and, as expected, it was immensely spicy. The spicy sauce, which drenched every part of the chicken offered a tangy, slow burn with the spiciness kicking in after a few mouthfuls.

The Swicy Nene Chicken has a milder sweet and slightly spicy sauce coating it

Those with less tolerance for pain may opt for the Swicy variant that tastes somewhat like a combination of Sweet and Sour sauce mixed with a bit of chilli sauce that represents a happy blend for those who want something just a milder but still with a kick.

The original flavour variant of NeNe Fried Chicken is served with a side of mustard

The cheesy version had a rather interesting cheese-flavoured powder liberally coating each piece that gave it an interesting contrast in flavour though it maxes the satiety factor fast.

The cheese flavour variant had, as implied, a liberal cheese-flavoured powder coating the chicken

All this is washed down with all the usual sodas though they also issue calamansi lime drinks too. Across the board, the fried chickens at NeNe were very well made with a crispy batter and skin, tender meat and were served piping hot to order which makes it a delight in Genting Highland’s cool weather.

To wrap things up, the store also offers black sesame soft serve ice cream which was surprisingly flavourful though it’s a bit on the pricey side at RM6.90. All in, it was a delicious affair that’s well worth a look if you’re up in Genting Highlands. For more details swing by www.nenechicken.com.my