Dip Fried Chicken: A hawker stall reimagining fried chicken with Singaporean-style dips

How it all started

Before starting out on his own, Darryl first trained at At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy. He then spent the last decade as a chef specialising in Italian and western cuisine across multiple hotel chains in Singapore, including Marina Bay Sands.

Before launching Dip Fried Chicken, he started a culinary R&D consultancy that bridges food innovation and the restaurant world. His consultancy work involves recipe development and food innovation for restaurants and food companies.

As an experienced chef, stepping away from the restaurant scene was an intentional decision for Darryl. “I always found it more rewarding to be building from the ground up,” he reflects.

Instead of recreating his past cuisine in a hawker setting, Darryl chose a more universal comfort dish.

“Fried chicken is well-loved and understood by almost everyone,” he explains. “We wanted to create a brand that is easily accessible for Singaporeans.”

But he didn’t want to simply replicate the American-style fried chicken you see at popular chains. He asked himself a different question: What does Singaporean fried chicken taste like?

“When one thinks of the words ‘Singaporean’ and ‘chicken’, you think of our Singaporean favourite — Hainanese chicken rice,” says Darryl.

He adds: “We wanted to recreate the experience of having Hainanese chicken rice, but this time, while enjoying fried chicken. Hence, we created our proprietary marinade for the chicken, paired with our signature Hainanese chilli dip.”

What makes a good fried chicken?

Of course, we had to ask Darryl what makes a good fried chicken — given that it’s his signature product.

“My idea of a good fried chicken is one that is hot (straight out of the fryer), crunchy and juicy,” he says.

When asked about his favourite fried chicken, he doesn’t name a fast-food chain. 

“My favourite is still the one that my grandmother used to cook,” he shares, with a smile.

He recalls how she would marinate the chicken with “a lot of nice aromatics before frying”. These flavours lingered in memory long after the meal ended. Achieving that aromatic depth is what he strives to do at Dip Fried Chicken. 

Darryl’s inspiration, Hainanese chicken rice, is also anchored in aromatics. Darryl describes the aromatics used in chicken rice — ginger, garlic and other mellow, yet flavourful elements — as something that would resonate well with Singaporeans.

Nailing the cooking technique

Darryl emphasises that a good piece of fried chicken needs to stand on its own. That meant perfecting the marinade before developing any sauces.

The R&D process took three to four months, with many rounds of refinement, before he felt confident launching. According to Darryl, the base marinade itself contains more than 20 ingredients, including black pepper powder, garlic, ginger, thyme and five-spice.

Adjustments were also made based on customer feedback. Early versions of the fried chicken featured a denser batter, but he’s since refined it to make it lighter. 

The chicken is brined and marinated for almost 48 hours, then double-fried.

For Darryl, the biggest challenge is temperature control. The chicken must be cooked “just nice and ripe” so it is not overcooked.

“At the same time, we have to control the temperature so that the skin gets really crispy,” he says.

While the chicken is well-marinated, it’s the dipping sauces that truly complete the experience.

The signature Hainanese chilli dip is inspired by the typical chicken-rice chilli. Darryl describes it as “not overly spicy, and with a nice balance of creaminess and tang to accompany the fried chicken”.

“We wanted a flavour that was very familiar to Singaporeans — you can’t have Hainanese chicken rice without the chilli,” says Darryl.

There are two other dipping sauces: Salted egg yolk and sour cream & onion. Both were inspired by Darryl’s favourite potato chip flavours. Through the same R&D discipline he applied in consultancy work, he translated those snack flavours into house-made sauces.

The salted egg dip uses ingredients such as garlic, chilli padi and curry leaves to bring out its aroma, while the sour cream & onion option offers a comforting, nostalgic note.

And if you look at Dip Fried Chicken’s set-up, you might notice something else — the stall feels extremely organised.

“Some customers have joked that we’ve miniaturised a professional kitchen into a hawker stall,” says Darryl, laughing. “The fact is, they are not wrong. We’ve indeed brought the same level of organisation and attention to detail into our food.”

That influence is visible in the stainless steel surfaces, clearly labelled ingredients, and the neat, methodical arrangement of every component. The kitchen is washed down thoroughly every single day, maintaining the same standards Darryl was used to in hotels and restaurants.

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What we tried

We first tried Dip Fried Chicken’s Set A (S$9.80), a three-piece chicken set that comes with fried chicken, fries or rice, coleslaw and a dip of your choice. If you want to purchase additional dipping sauces, each is priced at S$1.20. 

The chicken arrived piping hot, with an audible crunch on the first bite. True to Darryl’s vision, it was crunchy and juicy, with tender meat. We tried all the different parts — the wing, breast and drumstick — and found each equally delicious.

Paired with the Hainanese chilli dip, the meal felt instantly familiar, yet refreshingly different. The chilli was well-balanced — not aggressively spicy, but layered enough to keep you dipping.

If you want to truly feel like you are eating chicken rice, we recommend opting for the rice instead of fries. We enjoyed the fries, but the rice was something special.

Instead of plain rice, Darryl renders his own chicken fat and cooks it with ginger, garlic and shallots, creating rice that is well-seasoned, but not overly oily. Limited portions are available daily.

We chose to pair rice with Set D (S$6.80), a karaage set with the choice of one dip and coleslaw.

We were fans of the other two dips as well. The salted egg yolk dip was my favourite, offering fragrant richness with a pleasant sweetness. The sour cream & onion dip delivered an addictive, snack-like flavour — something you’d want to dip your chicken into, over and over again.

We also tried the trio crunch (S$11.80) as a side, which included fries, tater tots and nuggets. If you’re coming with a group of friends, we recommend getting this to fill your bellies to the brim, as the portion is extremely generous. 

From high-end kitchens to the heartlands

Darryl is part of a growing movement of chefs trained in high-end kitchens moving into hawker concepts. He believes Singapore’s definition of hawker food is evolving, and in the right direction.

Traditionally, hawker centres were associated with heritage staples such as chicken rice, laksa and bak chor mee. But in recent years, the lines have blurred. Today, it’s not unusual to find handmade pasta — and now, chef-driven fried chicken — alongside time-honoured classics.

Darryl points to legacy preservation with a twist.

“As much as we see first-gen hawkers closing down, we also have many second-gen hawkers continuing their legacy,” he observes. “Not only do they take on the sacred task of preserving a traditional recipe, some add their own touch and take the dish to a whole new level.”

He adds that good food remains good, whether you have it at a restaurant or hawker centre. And good food at affordable prices maximises consumer value.

“That’s cultural change at its finest,” he says. “I’m more than excited to see what is to come for the hawker scene in the next decade.”

So far, the response to his food has been encouraging. About 80% of his customers are regulars, and they come from all walks of life.

Looking ahead, Darryl hopes to bring Dip Fried Chicken to all corners of Singapore, so more people will have a chance to try the chicken. 

For now, you’ll find him in the heartlands — double-frying chicken, refining sauces, and proving that fried chicken, when infused with Singaporean flavours, can feel both nostalgic and entirely new.

For more ideas on what to eat, check out our Alexandra Village Food Centre guide and Cafe Dough by hawker concept That’s My Pizza in the Alexandra ‘hood.