Ah Tan Wings

You can be certain that specialised stalls offering a few selective dishes, or even to the extent of a “phenomenon” by offering only one sole dish, excites me more than anything!

It is this amazing charm that ponders me to go on a search, questioning the sustainability & magical formula that they have as compared to your typical stalls.

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Given the logical thinking, most would agree by the rationale of putting all your eggs in different baskets as opposed to putting all your eggs in one basket. I was casually scrolling through my social media feed when I came across a happening buzz that features one such stall, Ah Tan Wings, which is this extraordinaire. If you have been actively following the hawker scene in Singapore, you would have known of this scrumptious fried chicken wing that everyone is talking about!

Not to be confused with your typical fried chicken wing, Ah Tan Wings features prawn paste chicken (aka better known as Har Cheong Gai) which is one of the comforting dishes that is usually offered only by Tze Char stalls.

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The brainchild of this astounding dish is actually a pair of young hawkerpreneur siblings – Tan Wee Yang & Tan Yu Yan – who are in their mid and late 20s respectively.​Given the strong fondness for this dish since young, the prawn paste chicken is always a mandatory dish to order for the Tan’s family. They are such dedicated fanatics that they would go out of their way to find the best prawn paste chicken in Singapore, only to realise that none could live up to the perfection that they were seeking for. It was then with this calling from their hearts that lead to the decision of pursuing the hawker’s dream.

Selling almost 900 chicken wings daily, there are a few different sets to choose from (rice set, type of chicken cut portion) but it all revolves around on their signature prawn paste chicken. We had a go at their Set A: Atas Wing Meal option & immediately I have to agree that their creation is a total genius. Presented in a myriad of colours, not only does it looks aesthetically pleasing but there is great rationale behind for the choice of ingredients used which I slowly understood upon digging in. Their prawn paste chicken is an absolute dish to die for as it consists of an extremely delicate crust on the outside which is so remarkably crispy!

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​Credited to their past experimentations of up to 800 variations of the recipe, the delightful fragrance of shrimpy batter immediately stood out which is complemented by the soft, tender & moist meat on the inside.​
Each chicken wing is marinated in their secret prawn paste recipe for 2 days before getting coated on with batter & sent for deep frying. ​

The side ingredients deserve a noteworthy mention too as one enjoys the rice, egg, cucumber, and chili that come along for Set A. Specially crafted for a fulfilling meal, the side ingredients help to create a well-balanced mix from the negative connotation of “sinfully” fried chicken. Most would agree/expect white rice as the bare minimum treat but I was stoked when they actually go beyond to introduce aromatic rice instead. The aromatic rice is similar to butter rice according to my tastebuds which has a very light buttery fragrance.
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I appreciate the meticulous touch of fresh cucumber slices, as well as the sunny side egg that have provided extra flavours to this overall goodness.​You would not want to miss out on the saucer of Cincalok chili (fermented small shrimp chili paste) that is the icing on the cake!

It is so brilliant of them to have included it as the kick of chili spices & shrimpy fragrance have created a blend of sweet & sourness.​

​To sum it up, all the basic & fine details from this entire dish have been well taken care of & it is truly a pleasure to savour in this remarkable dish from a diner’s perspective.

Not only are the colours well coordinated to create an aesthetic presentation, the plating of the different ingredients have also warmed my heart.
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Such efforts really show the amount of dedication & passion to one’s craft which deserve recognition! For some prawn paste chicken, it is fried with a thick layer of overly-battered crust that overlaps the true taste of the meat on the inside which is thankful not the case over here. I love my prawn paste chicken to be infused with moisture & flavour and I am glad that they have nailed it perfectly! If you are a fan of prawn paste chicken or simply put, a fan of fried chicken, you would totally be in favour with this dish!

​​Address: 51 Yishun Avenue 11 #01-40, 768867 (Yishun Park Hawker Centre​)

Opening Hours: Tue – Sun: 11:00 – 15:00  &  16:00 – 21:00 (Closed: Mon)
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Tel: +65 91734250

​Average Price:

• SGD $5.20 – Set A: Atas Wing Meal
• SGD $6.50 – Set B: Atas Cutlet Meal
• SGD $3.50 – Set C: 1 Whole Wing + Aromatic Rice