Chir Chir 치르치르 Chicken Fusion Factory (Korean Style) @ 313 Somerset [Singapore]

Everyone in Singapore seems to be gushing over fried chicken and despite already having Kentucky Fried Chicken, Texas Chicken, Arnold's Chicken, it's THE Korean style fried chicken that is gaining immense popularity!

Chir Chir Chicken was one of them and it's hard not to be taken aback by the snaking long queue right outside! Thankfully i decided to join the queue while waiting for my sisters and mum to arrive!

It was about 40 minutes from queuing to getting a table! Visit before 5.30 pm (on weekdays) and you might be able to get a table immediately.

The entire place was decorated with images / statues of chicken (and its offspring) as if to bestow the highest honour to the poultry for sacrificing its meat for the bottomless tummies of humans.

Whatever the case, i do love fried chicken myself and i must say i totally love the attention the restaurant paid to improve the dining experience of consumers! This was something that should have been a standard in fried chicken eateries; a "dustbin" for the chicken bones!

Another item caught my fancy; i am so not referring to the forks that were lying innocently on the stacked plates. I do recognise a fork, if that's what you are thinking.

This was the item; i didn't need explanation from the staff to know what this was used for although in my honest opinion, this was a downright insult for the poor chicken killed to be my dinner.

Chir Cream Beer

I am not known to be a beer drinker but i could not resist ordering this as there was at least a glass on every table! In addition to tasting almost nothing like the normal bitter beer, it was blessed with the smooth creaminess that was well received by my throat.

Mango Salad

Salad is a common staple nowadays whenever the Teo family eats out. I still have my reservations since i could easily have the same thing at home at a fraction of the cost!

Nevertheless, it was the first on the table and quickly devoured by us; the juicy mango cubes were sweet and even the blueberries were not as sour as many in the market.

Fried Chicken (Half Spicy, Half Crispy)

The star of the night! As we could not decide if we should go for the crispy, the spicy or the garlicky, the staff advised us to go with the mix fried chicken. Good choice!

That's how you use the metal chicken claws to hold your food; very convenient, incredibly easy to use and i don't have to dirty my hands at all.

Now, speaking of the chicken; the meat was succulent, filled with juice and its freshness was without question; at least among the four of us. The spicy one was hot enough but do note it was a surface spiciness; unlike the infused spiciness some of you might think it to be.

The crispy chicken wasn't as flavourful and i could feel the subtle powdery texture on the crust. In this respect, i would put my vote with Arnold's Chicken instead.

For enhanced flavouring, dip the chicken into the mustard sauce! I didn't know it gel so perfectly with the fried chicken and literally cleaned up the entire content!

Nest Snow Chicken

Another favourite according to its presence on the tables of other patrons; i think it was more the appearance that enticed many to make an order.

Cheese didn't have that pull on me unlike smelly tofu and i was mildy surprised that the guilty combination of cheese and fresh whipped cream was rather palatable!

A pity that the cajun seasoned chicken tenders were too for my liking; the three ladies felt the taste was alright but agreed that this should be served last as it really filled up the tummy, leaving no space for other dishes! 

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Location

313 Orchard Rd, #B3-04/05/06,

313@ Somerset [Above Somerset MRT]

Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chir-Chir-Singapore/1551584908411319

Price

Chir Cream Beer - S$13.90

Mango Salad - S$11.90

Fried Chicken (Half Spicy, Half Crispy) - S$28.90

Nest Snow Chicken - S$32.90

Warm Water - No Charge

(Subject to GST and Service Charge)

Tanjung Basi - Part 2 of the Afternoon Snorkelling Session with Perhentian Island Resort [Perhentian Islands]

I cannot express enough happiness that the next segment of the snorkeling expedition was less than a five-minute speedboat ride away!

The heavy lunch i had an hour ago had taken its toll with a throbbing giddiness that spelled trouble. Nevertheless, it would be better to jump right into the water than to continue staying on the unsteady boat! 

Drawing comparison between Marine Park and Tanjung Basi, it's without question that as far as the underwater scene is concerned, i very much prefer the latter for its portrayal of almost unspoiled, natural beauty.

Worms in the water! Not really; they were the sea cucumbers that mom would absolutely love to get her hands on. In the Chinese food encyclopedia, sea cucumbers are often referred as ginseng of the water. 

Swimming closer to the rocky shoreline, with its shallow water, allowed me to take better photos! 

See the cute, little blue fishes - kind of reminded me of the amazing snorkeling i had at Maldives Rihiveli Beach Resort! 

Can you spot the clownfish! Maybe i should consider having some contests / giveaways in this blog, like the one i did for Chef Tony's popcorn! 

Fishes feeding on the ground again. After trying out snorkeling at quite a few locations (in Asia though), you would notice that unlike land animals, the evolution effect was less profound among the sea creatures; remember, Earth's surface is 70% covered by water.

There was an effect on the size though; most of the clams were humongous! I have heard that giant clams make for a delicious meal in some places and i could not wait to try it out...... Must be yummy!

Underwater exploration can be boring, especially for an amateur snorkeler who has to stick to the water surface. Hence, a change in scenery is always welcome. 

Taking a breather as the constant bobbing in the water had almost warranted a "merlion" purge! I admit i have always been one prone to motion sickness but age seems to have exacerbated the ailment!

From a distance, this could have been mistaken for a baby shark; it was almost the length of my arm! I have no idea what's its official name but i think it belongs to the triggerfish family.

As i have always insisted, i am no sea expert; hence the first time i saw the above, the name that came to mind was the hair of Medusa! No idea who she is?! Click here. 

More photographs for your viewing pleasure as i am a simple person with limited vocabulary. 

My attention was drawn to a vase-like coral on the seabed. In the few trips i was on, i have never been privileged enough to catch sight of it and i were indeed curious! 

Two things stopped in my track - first, the speedboat was about to leave for the last item on the itinerary and two, did you see that aggressive sergeant major fish rushing towards me?!?!!?

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Location

Tanjung Basi, Pulau Perhentian Besar,

Trengganu State, Malaysia

Snorkelling Map for the Afternoon Session

As above.

To read more on my recent journey to Perhentian Islands, click here.

Marine Park - As Part of the Afternoon Snorkelling Session with Perhentian Island Resort [Malaysia]

Snorkelling is the most important factor why i am so obsessed with beach vacations; the evidence that i am on my third beach destination this year shows a lot of my love for the sea activity. 

Today, i shall touch on the first snorkelling expedition as part of the package i purchased with Perhentian Island Resort; details of the accommodation shall be shared in the next few days.

Travelling southwards on a speedboat, i have no idea where this "marine park" were going to be. From past experiences (in Tioman and Redang islands), i have a rough idea how it would be like.

We shall be brought to a jetty and i was right! Jeti Taman Laut Pulau Perhentian would in fact be the first jetty you would notice when you arrive at the islands from Kuala Besut jetty.

Jumping in, i was a tad disappointed with the underwater scene; as compared to natural corals, it is always less exciting to have them on human-made structures installed for the purpose to enhance the growth of the coral colony.

There was a moment of excitement though; when i thought this was a jellyfish! 

From the water surface which was easily about 4-5 meters deep, i cannot quite articulate how big the clam was although the width must have been about three-quarter the length of my arm.

Swimming further from the jetty, the view changed to one of natural corals and it was with renewed enthusiasm that i forged ahead with naught a care for the rest of the tour mates.

Apprehension whenever i see a herd of sea urchins! I would not enjoy the pain that was said to be so intensive; it felt like a thousand needles are stuck in your skin. 

I noticed a familiar face; one that held my most favourite fish! 

Befitting its status as a marine park, the amount of fishes was really quite startling! 

Taking good photos can be quite difficult at this depth and not to mention the constant bobbing due to the life jacket can jeopardise the stabilisation of the camera. 

Managed some close ups though!

By the way, the clownfish, specifically the Clown Anemonefish, is my favourite fish; no doubt because of the insanely popular computer animated film during my time. Finding Nemo! 

Swam close to the jetty even though some of my tour mates were already tired out by the experience. C'mon, it was only about twenty minutes! Haha. Depth, as indicated on the ruler, was about 4.5 meters! 

School of small, silvery fishes; not sure what they are as i am not very well versed in them but i have the suspicion the species could be the ikan bilis that people in our region used for food! Sorry, the only way for me to remember fishes is to put them in relation to food, sadly.

Last photo as vertigo had gotten into my head. 

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Location

Marine Park of Perhentian Islands

Snorkelling Map for the Afternoon Session

As above. Tanjung Basi and Tiga Ruang would be covered in separate postings.

For my itinerary on the Perhentian Island trip, click here.