Hailing all the way from Taiwan is Hot Star Chicken, think of it as a giant popcorn chicken but flat…and as big as your face!
They recently opened up in Richmond and we just had to go check it out.
They’ve been open for about a month now but it seems like only half their menu items are available still. Nevertheless, we tried the Original Large Fried Chicken and Crispy Large Fried Chicken (both $10.99), along with some of their sides.
We tried the Pepper Salt, Seaweed, Plum and the Original Fried Chicken.
The Seaweed and Plum had the most flavour, but I did enjoy the Original Fried Chicken as well. The Original Chicken is breaded similarly to Taiwanese popcorn chicken – it’s crispy and the inside is juicy. I found the Pepper Salt was a bit on the dry side.
For sides, we ordered Popcorn Chicken, Plum Sweet Potato, Fried King Oyster Mushroom and Taipei 101 Corn.
The Popcorn Chicken ($7.99) was ok in terms of flavour (we ordered the Spicy version), it was a medium heat level but I think it’s a bit on the pricey side for the amount we were given.
The Plum Sweet Potato ($4.99) was a highlight of the meal, the sweet and salty flavours and generous portions were worth the order.
The Fried King Oyster Mushroom ($5.49) fell a bit flat, again, it felt like the amount of mushrooms in the order didnt justify the price.
Finally, the Taipei 101 Corn ($3.99). It was juicy and sweet and not bad for a side.
For dessert, we had their fried buns with custard. These felt a little underwhelming, but maybe because we had the flavour explosion with the sweet potatoes and chicken.
Overall, Hot Star Chicken has some good options on the menu, but I’d wait until all the flavours and options are on the menu. I hope to visit again when it is to do a proper review!
Food: 3.5
Service: 4
Value: 3
Ambiance: 5
OVERALL: 3.5
For more information and their menu, check out: http://www.hot-star.ca/