HOLDAAK Fried Chicken — Restaurant in Fullerton

Holdaak is one of the most unique chicken shops out right now, and in one of the best ways possible. Hot chicken might be the current trend, but Holdaak stuck to their own style that holds its own amongst the rest.

I was interested in Holdaak when they first opened because it seemed like a Korean spin on the most popular Nashville Hot chicken restaurant in California, from the menu style to the chicken. I was completely thrown off on my first visit, because it is absolutely nothing like hot chicken or Korean fried chicken flavourwise, in the most pleasant way. While they do serve a variety of Korean fried chicken style wings and sauces, the main stars in my opinion are the spicy tenders and sandwiches.

The sandwich is very well balanced with the pickled vegetables, which are a nice change of pace from the typical mayo/vinegar coleslaw bunches found in other chicken shops. They help round out the comeback sauce, which is more mayo heavy and seems to complement carbs much more than any other "signature" sauce I've had. The best way to summarise the sandwich is as if there was a fried chicken banh mi, spiced with hot pot flavours.

On that note, the seasoning of the chicken truly does remind me of hot pot. That's a bit broad, but there's strong umami flavours throughout each bite as if it was powdered with dried up Szechuan stock. I'm not familiar enough with my spices to discern the taste that well, but it's truly unique to Holdaak and keeps me coming back for more. On top of that, the breading has an great amount of texture to it that keeps each bite crunchy.

The fries are cut well thickness wise and dusted with similar seasoning, with the slice of bread buttered and toasted on one side. These are served with every order of tenders and while they are just sides, they're ridiculously addicting and pair well with the sauce. I never really dip toast or fries in these sauces at other shops since it becomes a bit much, but there's a slight sweetness that keeps me coming back for more at Holdaak.

Originally, I found that the breading did not hold up very well and often found myself pulling complete tenders out of their "shell" with my teeth. Despite this, I continued to enjoy the tenders almost every month and over time this no longer became an issue. Props to Holdaak for this improvement over time, while maintaining consistent taste!

Holdaak holds a strong place in my heart now as my go to comfort food. The menu items have strong value and taste, while also being available relatively late at night. I'm glad to see this business expanding and getting the recognition is...

I can’t believe I would ever write this to my go to chicken sandwich place. In 2018 ive tried its spicy chicken sandwich and the fries combo. I was completely shocked cause the flavor just exploded in my mouth like a frag grenade. Also I can taste it’s umami right from the start, and the fries are cooked to perfection that compliments the flavor of the chicken sandwich. I’ve never thought radish and different variety’s of veggies can make this sandwich way ahead of its completion, until now. I came today looking forward to it since I haven’t ate here for almost two months. The moment I walked in I was shocked how the place has changed and the menu items are completely different. The prices hiked way up than its original 12 dollars combo meal I think. I’ve noticed right away that the chicken Pattie’s that were used were just small chicken tenders which lacks its flavorful punch. The fries seemed like they just bought it to the local target which lacks its original seasoning. Also it’s comeback sauce rose from 0.25 to 0.75 cents now. I didn’t see the receipt since the cashier never bothered if I want my receipt. Hopefully holdaak can come back to its original glory cause before I keep telling everyone that this will put Chick-fil-A in the past. I will come back again soon and I will be fair and give y’all a...

Located in the Orangethorpe Plaza on the northwest corner of Orangethorpe Avenue and Euclid Street, Holdaak is an excellent example of an enterprise that focuses on doing just a few things extremely well. It is housed in a building with a sleek exterior that contains a small but modern and clean dining room. Holdaak’s business is summed up in their extended name, Holdaak Far East Chicken Shop. They sell chicken, and that’s it – no beef, pork or seafood. And, it’s all deep fried, so don’t look for any baked, grilled or broiled options. Their menu is extremely limited, consisting of chicken wings, chicken tenders, chicken sandwiches, chicken salads and fries. NOTE that you should expect to wait a few minutes for your food as everything is prepared to order. I ordered their chicken sandwich and shake fries. You’ll definitely need both hands to eat this sandwich! Between the two soft buns is a huge piece of tempura-battered chicken topped with sliced jalapenos, pickled onions, pickled daikon radish and their “comeback sauce,” which tastes like a Sriracha mayo. The guilt I felt in eating this monster was quickly erased by its amazing combination of flavors...