Shihlin Taiwan Street Food brings the flavours of Taipei's Shilin Night Market to NEX at Serangoon Central. The brand was founded in 2003 by two passionate entrepreneurs with one bold ambition: to share the joy of Taiwan's iconic street food experience with the world. More than twenty years on, that ambition has grown into over 240 outlets across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Egypt and the United States — including 22 outlets islandwide in Singapore — and a reputation as the #1 Taiwanese street food brand.
The headliner needs no introduction: the XXL Crispy Chicken, a bigger-than-your-hand fillet that is crunchy outside and juicy inside, coated in the brand's highly addictive six-spice blend. More than 100 million of them have been sold worldwide. Right beside it sits the A-ma (grandma)-approved Signature Oyster Mee Sua — Taipei hand-cut mee sua slow-brewed in rich, flavourful stock, served with fresh plump oysters and tender shredded chicken.
Every dish here is a tribute to the night market that inspired it. Ingredients are handpicked and sourced fresh from Taiwan, straight to the kitchens, guided by the brand's values of handpicked ingredients, finest quality, and authentic, elevated flavour. Whether you come for the chicken, the mee sua, the golden Seafood Tempura or the tangy Sweet Plum Potato Fries, the promise is the same: love the original.
The first thing regulars will tell you about Shihlin Taiwan Street Food is the chicken. Not just any chicken — the XXL Crispy Chicken, a fillet genuinely bigger than your hand, fried to a shattering crunch on the outside while staying juicy within, then coated in the brand's six-spice blend that has earned near-legendary status. More than 100 million of them have been sold worldwide, and the counter at NEX is part of that story.
Shihlin Taiwan Street Food was founded in 2003 by two passionate entrepreneurs with a bold ambition: to share the joy of Taiwan's iconic street food experience with the world. More than twenty years later, that ambition has grown into over 240 outlets across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Egypt and the United States, including 22 outlets islandwide in Singapore. Along the way, Shihlin has become widely recognised as the #1 Taiwanese street food brand — hence the proud claim of the No.1 XXL Crispy Chicken, the world's favourite.
The NEX outlet brings that legacy to Serangoon Central, at #03-K12 of the mall on 23 Serangoon Central. Like every Shihlin counter, it draws inspiration from the chefs of Shilin Night Market and follows the brand's core values: handpicked ingredients, finest quality, and authentic, elevated flavour. Ingredients are sourced fresh from Taiwan, straight to the kitchens — because, as the brand puts it, original flavours start with the most authentic ingredients.
Start with the icon. The XXL Crispy Chicken is crunchy outside, juicy inside, and impossible to eat gracefully — that is part of the fun. If you like heat, keep an eye out for seasonal variations such as the Explosive Mala seasoning, which has appeared as a limited-time favourite.
Then order the Shihlin Signature Oyster Mee Sua, the dish the brand calls A-ma (grandma) approved. Taipei hand-cut mee sua is slow-brewed in rich, flavourful stock and served with fresh plump oysters and tender shredded chicken. It is the kind of comforting bowl that justifies the trip on its own, and the brand itself pairs it with the XXL Crispy Chicken as a winning lineup.
The fried snacks deserve attention too. Shihlin #1 Seafood Tempura is hand-kneaded seafood paste deep-fried to golden perfection and finished with a generous sprinkle of housemade savoury-spice powder. The Sweet Plum Potato Fries are hand-cut, air-dried sweet potatoes dipped in a special marinade batter, fried crisp and coated in umami plum powder — tangy, sweet and seriously addictive alongside the savoury chicken.
For a fuller meal, the ricebowls deliver: the Chiayi Scallion Chicken Ricebowl is the pick for scallion lovers, while the Braised Chicken Ricebowl is pure comfort. The fluffy Chicken Floss Egg Crepe and a bowl of Hot & Sour Soup round out a menu that covers the full Taiwanese xiao chi spectrum.
Shihlin is built for cravings. You order at the counter, watch the chicken hit the fryer, and within minutes you are tearing into a paper bag of steaming, spice-dusted chicken — the kind of snack that makes the brand's tagline, Love the Original, make complete sense. The format is casual and grab-and-go, but plenty of people make a full meal of a chicken and a mee sua.
Keep an eye on Shihlin's happenings, too. The brand regularly runs limited-time specials and collaborations — past National Day seasons have brought local-inspired Chicky Pop flavours like Sio Chilli Crab and Buttermilk, created together with familiar local favourites. Cannot make it to the mall? Online ordering is available through the brand's ordering links, with delivery via platforms such as GrabFood and foodpanda so the night market can come to you.
Whether you are a Serangoon regular running errands or a first-timer chasing Taiwan's most famous street snack, the formula at NEX is the same one that has sold more than a hundred million chickens: keep it authentic, keep it fresh, and keep it bigger than your hand.