Hot Star Large Fried Chicken

Tastes horrible, nothing like real taiwanese chicken. We had the spicy chicken and it just consisted of the fried «chicken» covered with red chili powder which ended up being the only discernible flavor.
I also had the curly fries which had a seasoning that I personally didn’t like, but to each their own.

If size is your thing you will love the huge servings at Hotstar. Personally I would have been happy with something half the size but twice as juicy.

Good chicken, but damn that is expensive. It’s similar enough to the original Taiwanese Hot Star that I do like it, and I appreciate that the chicken was treated better in its lifetime than the chickens served in Taiwan, but for $ 8???
But if you’ve decided you want this chicken and the price won’t stop you, you’ll probably want to share it with a friend. This chicken is BIG.

Terrible taste. I could barely figure out the true taste of the chicken!!! Only salt or the smell of fry, and I can’t even finish eating it.
I understand that this brand is famous in Taiwan, and I tried it in Taipei once as well, and the taste was absolutely better than that in Sydney (although there are still a loads of tasty fried chick which are way much better than this brand in Taiwan).
My boyfriend is a Taiwanese, and he knows what a true Taiwanese fried chicken should smell like. After he tried this fried chicken, he said it’s terrible and would not try it again. And I agree with him.
Sometimes we feel unbelievable that there are always many people standing in front of the store and waiting to be served. I think this is because they don’t know the original taste of Taiwanese fried chicken?

Hot Star is possibly one of the most flocked to fast food joints in Taipei. I first came across it at Taipei’s famous Shilin night market a few years ago.
The speciality is fried chicken steak or XXL chicken, is a flattened chicken breast coated in a mixture of tapioca flour and spices and then deep-​fried. I have read that Hot Star in Australia uses locally-​sourced chickens with all of its other ingredients (like flour and spices) imported from Taiwan in order to replicate the flavours of its famous product sold in Taiwan.
I didn’t want to venture to Sydney’s Hot Star alone so I enlisted The Apprentice to make the sojourn with me for lunch. The Apprentice knows his fried chicken. He used to live on the American fried chicken stuff so much so that he was once the splitting image of Meatloaf. After some hard yakka (and cold turkey resisting The Colonel’s eerie smile), he now has the figure of the Statute of David. Dragging him along took some coaxing because he thought that one whiff may lead to a fried chicken bender where there would be no escape.
Sydney’s Hot Star Chicken is set in a small street front space with just enough room for staff to cook, season and bag, and when we arrived at its Liverpool Street store there was already a queue along the street. The menu features the Large Fried Chicken but also some sides (for smaller appetites who don’t want to go XXL or those who want to really increase their cholesterol levels and have then as an accompaniment). These sides are curly fries; chicken bites; fried sweet potato and fried mushrooms. You can get even get a XXL chicken and a soft drink combo for around 10 bucks.
I ordered the large fried chicken (spicy) while The Apprentice ordered a combo — a drink and a large fried chicken (original flavour). Within about five minutes our numbers were called and the flattened 250g chook breasts were put into a paper bag and then placed in a carry bag for us to take away.
The Apprentice went into a cold sweat as soon as he saw the enormity of the task he was to undertake — I forgot to tell him that Hot Star Chicken is about the size of your face (it’s at least 30 cm long).
He attempted it and left half. He also can’t believe the Taiwanese don’t have the physiques of Samoan rugby players.
I, on the other hand, managed to get through mine (just). It was true to form — the batter was crispy and well seasoned and succulent and juicy inside. The spicy powder gave it a good hit — but I think I prefer having the original as the chilli can be a bit overwhelming when indulging in such a large piece of fried chicken. It would be ideal if you could get a half and half.
So, was it true to Taiwanese form? Yes, it brought back memories of the original experience at Shilin, but after such a feat I will need to wait at least six months for my cholesterol to lower before undertaking the task. As for The Apprentice, he has just gone into rehab.

On a local Sydney tour we met a woman from Taiwan that was telling us about this Hot Star chain that comes from her country and is worth trying. We had one near our hotel and for a quick snack we order the chicken bites in a bag with is like nuggets for the most part. They take your order at the counter and then hand you a bag that you wait with. Then when ready, you pass them the bag and the drop in your chicken. I saw some various sauces they were squirting with bottles and I asked for some medium but ended up getting a little baggie of red powder instead. Which guess you shake in a bag with the chicken. Overall we liked it as it had a very different sorta crunch and taste to it and we thought it was pretty good.

You can never reject fried chicken! Depending on the time there are sometimes a line up at this place… The chicken is fried right in front of you! They will pass you a bag so when they hang over the food… You can catch it directly into the bag.
Taste — ⁵⁄₅ it’s fried chicken!
Service — ⁵⁄₅ nothing to complain. It’s grab and go!
Speed −4÷5 my only comment is it takes a while for them to deep fried it. I guess that’s how you know it fresh :)

«Excuse me, but I’m feeling both quite hungry and quite naughty. I’d like to order a flattened, battered, deep-​fried chicken breast that’s as big as my head. I’d like it fried fresh while I wait on the pavement. When it’s done I’d like it covered in spicy powder according to my taste, put in a foil-​lined bag to keep warm, and placed in a plastic bag to hold and carry the whole thing somewhere else to be eaten. I’d like it to be so delicious and juicy and decadent that I cannot help but burn my tongue as I jam the entire succulent, flavourful thing in my gob, getting spice powder all over my face. Afterwards I’d like to feel a simultaneous sense of guilt and an immediate need to return.»
«Done.»

Massive chicken schnitzel with bone in it — and you can add chili powder. Yep that’s what you are getting here. For $ 7.50 you are going to get the largest piece of chicken that you have ever seen! They literally put in a plastic bag for you.
And you get to pick different powders to put on it. I have only tried the chili — make sure you don’t inhale it. Because it burns the lungs. There is also seafood flavor — never tried it, but tempted next time to see what seafood chicken would taste like.
There is no sitting here — but trust me that’s not the reason that you come.

PSA to Sydney’s vegetarians — don’t let the words «large fried chicken» deter you, get yourselves to Hot Star, stat!
That’s right, this may be a chicken shop but take heart, 60% of the menu is vegetarian! More if you include the drinks!!! Ok so it’s not the hardest feat if the menu is only 5 items long, but it’s one glorious, deep fried menu!
You haven’t lived til you’ve had the mushrooms here — succulent King Browns (they’re called King for a reason) covered in a slightly spicy, fried to perfection batter, just thin enough to give you that earth shattering crunch without making you feel gross and greasy afterwards.
The sweet potato chips are also a revelation, so often poorly executed and soggy in other institutions, but really nothing beats the mushrooms. My very scientific study with a sample size of three confirms that the fried mushrooms are the preferred menu item of fried chicken connoiseurs over and above the bigger than your face chicken here.
Oh and the mushrooms! Did I mention the mushrooms? Get the mushrooms.

As a proud Taiwanese, I am too familiar with the Hot-​Star Large Fried Chicken. I had been waiting for it to come to Sydney ever since it first opened shop in Melbourne in 2013. When it finally came in early 2014, the usual greetings in our Taiwanese circle was immediately replaced by «Did you see/​Have you tried/​Did you like Hot-​Star?»
Must try: original hot-​star large fried chicken! My friends love their fried oyster mushrooms too.

Let me set the scene for you. It was Saturday night. Sydney Irish Rugby 2^nd grade had just beat Redfield in the Grand Final. We were celebrating. P.J. Gallagher is the sponsor. We have free reign of the pubs. We were at the Criterion and the boys were singing Queen. Bohemian Rhapsody.
If it wasn’t served in a pint, I didn’t want to know about it. I will unashamedly admit, I was drunk.
At some point in the night I was taking a breather (in the bathroom) and my mind turned to food. Like a guiding light Unilocal was there. Standing out from all the rest was Hot Star. Large Fried Chicken. What is this? Some kind of Taiwanese KFC. Yes. I will.
I informed Bill of the mission and waited for that inevitable point in the night where the once friendly beer turns on you, you’re staring at a full pint with that acid feeling in your stomach, still trying to force it down because beer is expensive in Sydney and bathrooms are free. This point in the night seems to come earlier the older I get.
It was time to go. With a drunk and complaining Bill next to me («Can’t we just go to KFC?») I made my way to Liverpool Street («Trust me Bill. You’ll thank me.») As soon as we arrived we knew we were where we were meant to be. All other events in our life had been leading up to this point. Like a pair of piss heads, we ordered EVERYTHING. This was our Whitecastle moment.
Bill, being the unofficial king of the Sydney underground, has an uncanny knowledge of late night Sydney hideyholes. You can have this one for free. Across the road, in a little entrance to World Square, there are tables and chairs outside Bao Bun. Go there and eat your Large Chicken.
There we sat, not talking, just eating. People walking past wondering, who are these two vagrants so absorbed in their chicken?
There is nothing you will order from this menu that is not worth having. It is not overly expensive and that feeling of superiority over the poor fools who still eat KFC is priceless. You will get the chicken sweats but that’s ok. Take my advice. Go to Hot Star.

Perfect snacks at any time of the day.
Everything is deep fried but it is not super oily (god knows how they do that!!)
Just be warned that your food is PIPING HOT. I burnt the roof of my mouth on my first bite but lesson learnt :)

A review is long overdue considering I’ve been a regular here since this little hole in the wall opened up opposite World Square earlier this year.
I’m still not certain how they do it, but how is possible to stretch a chicken breast that long ?? All I know is that it is freshly fried real chicken goodness, a ridiculously tasty snack during the day or late at night after a few drinks. You can make a complete meal out of it with some chips or even fried mushrooms. There are a few spiciness levels to choose from but I recommend that you don’t overdo it so that you can enjoy the other subtle flavours.
At $ 7.90, it’s an expensive piece of chicken but worth every cent !
On a side note, it is a franchise — originally from Taiwan but I was able to try Hot Star over in Singapore earlier this year and it is the same familiar taste so it’s a consistent offering and I hope more outlets open in the near future here in Australia.

ORIGINAL FRIED CHICKEN
This one huge piece of chicken more than enough for two people. So very moist and tender inside, the batter on the other hand was not sticking to the meat making and it was very unpleasant to eat towards the middle. It was like having my chicken in two packets within each other (like a Russian doll situation) — one make of batter and one made of paper.
CURLY FRIES
These are pretty good, fried nicely.
As it’s only a take-​away stall, the closest option is to cross the road to a World Square bench to eat.
Packaging needs to be upgraded too. Those thin paper packets do not cut it, the oiliness just gets absorbed and into to your hands. They need to use a foil alternative, glossy cardboard or wax paper.
Conclusion
Decent fried chicken but with so many alternative fast food joints that provide seating and more variety, I do not think I will be revisiting. I get it though, if it’s something similar from your hometown (Taiwan/​Asia) it would appeal to you but overall it’s more of a novelty thing you try once for new customers. The unusual size of the chicken is perfect for a selfie and social experience on the streets but I still prefer KFC to this.
@thesydneynoob

After seeing many reviews about this place, It was time I tried it for myself!
When we arrived which was just before there was not much of a queue so between ordering and waiting took around 7 minutes. Not bad!
Its a small shop front where you order your lovely chicken with the various range of spices as below:
Little Spicy
Medium Spicy
Spicy or
Extra Spicy
I got the Hungry combo and opted for the little spicy because that’s all i could handle. Once you pay you get a receipt with your number and a small plastic bag. Once you receive your chicken you will understand why the plastic bag is needed: P
The chicken breast is massive! As seen in the picture it was twice the size of my hand. This is so boss! I also got the sweet potato fries which tasted really sweet, almost like they had sprinkled chocolate on it? How, Why? I don’t know, this is definitely one to consult the 8 ball!
Delicious, easy, quick, (maybe not so healthy) dinner all for the bargain price of $ 10.90

Chickuuun. I don’t know where they get these Breasts from but it must be the Playboy mansion cos they are massive.
$ 7.90 gets you a crispy flavourful Large schnitzel type chicken breast in a paper bag. As others have said, you can spice that bag of fun up to your liking.
I enjoyed the flavor and it is indeed a mouthful of surprise. I did find I got a bit sick of eating it after about ²⁄₃ of the way through it though. This may possibly have been avoided by getting the other sides to change it up.
The wait was redonk. 20 mins. The crowd was enormous causing a blockage in the footpath.
When I enquired where the heck I was in the order queue I was told –Oh you still have to wait a long time. But he was very sincerely polite about it.
In the end I made everyone cheer when I finally got it.
Make time for this because you’ll only get the peeves if you have to be somewhere any time soon.
I think they actually cook everyone’s chicken to order individually. Strange way to do it but I guess that’s why it tastes as addictive as crack.

This is why I love food. Everything should be this delicious.
I saw the hype, and I came running. Barry’s 5 star review got my attention. Dan Hong’s Instagram sealed the deal. I had to have it. I had to have it all.
My expectations were fairly high. I knew that there was no alcohol and that there were no tables or chairs, this was just a simple take away shop. I was expecting a good piece of chicken to make up for these very important missing elements.
And
…
I
…
was
…
*blown*
…
away.
On a friend’s suggestion I tried the fried mushrooms. I don’t know what they were marinated in, but they were amazeballs. Juicy, crispy, and packed with flavour. Until that first bite, I did not know how delicious mushrooms could be. What an ignorant fool I have been all these years.
The friendly staff spice up the chicken to your liking right in front of you. I asked for «very spicy» and was given a good coating of the seasoning on one side of the meat. I wouldn’t have wanted to go any hotter. There was room for more spice, but since it builds I’d be worried about not being able to experience the full chicken flavour if there was any more chilli.
The chicken itself was glorious. Tender and juicy on the inside with a crisp outer coating. Watch out for the bones at the end, although I could understand someone eating those as well in an effort to consume every morsel of goodness.
The curly fries were the low light of the meal, and that’s not to say they were bad. If I had been served the same curly fries at any other venue they would have been amazing. Tonight they were simply overshadowed by the best chicken of my life and those mysterious mushrooms.
The wait was excessive for a take away shop. I stopped counting after 17 minutes of waiting for my chicken, curly fries, and mushrooms. I was planning on lowering those review due to the wait, but that was before I tasted these wondrous creations. Take the extra time to fully digest anything that might be in your stomach, you don’t want it getting in the way of more chicken.

It’s here at last! Step Aside KFC you’ve been dethroned!
My favorite Taiwan night market snack — 雞排 or Taiwanese fried chicken has landing in Sydney.
Been hanging out for the store for a while as Sydney has been needing a decent Taiwan fried chicken store for a while.
Pricing is good too in line with Australian costs — $ 7.90 gets you a pretty decent serving (and there’s also a free drink promo going as of this writing). Much cheaper than getting an airfare to Taiwan ;)
Takeaway only but you can just go to Hyde park, World Square, go home/​office, or walk around and eat it.
Location wise is really good, within a few steps of George st, not far from town hall station.
Taste wise as Howard C. pointed out is also on par with the Taiwan night markets.
I’m sure I’ll make this place one of my regular places: D

It’s finally here!!!
I’ve been waiting for Hot Star to open up here since they opened up in Melbourne in November last year… and the day has finally come.
I was first in line with some friends (woohoo!) and we got the regular for $ 7.90 plus a free drink. It takes a few minutes to cook but you get it hot and piping fresh. I was in Taiwan about a month ago and had the original and I have to say that this is pretty spot on compared to the original.
Get ready for a giant piece of fried chicken as big as your head for cheap!!! It will make great drunk food, hangover food, hangry food, and nom nom nom food. Just beware of the bones towards the bottom.