SIDES Singapore: UK YouTube Group Sidemen opens their first international Outpot here

SIDES, the fried chicken brand started by UK YouTube group Sidemen, has officially landed in Singapore — their first-ever outlet outside of the UK. Known for serving up bold flavours and customisable heat levels, SIDES specialises in chicken burgers and tenders to be paired with multiple unique sauces. You can also find burgers, wraps, waffle fries, and milkshakes at their outlet in Singapore.

Founded by the seven-member Sidemen crew (which includes internet personalities like KSI and Miniminter), SIDES first took off in London and quickly became a hit with both fans and foodies.

Is it Halal?

Like their outlets in UK, the outlet here in Singapore is muslim-friendly. SIDES is in the process of applying for a halal certification. Their new outlet in Singapore is located on level 3 at Bugis+, making it easily accessible from Bugis MRT Station.

The SIDES Outlet in Singapore

The outlet interior is relatively similar to the ones in the UK. Near the entrance is a row of digital self-ordering kiosks where you place your order. Once your food is ready, you will head to the collection point to collect your meal.

Nashville Chicken

SIDES don’t offer just regular fried chicken that we are used to in Singapore. Their Nashville-style chicken is marinated with spices like paprika, chili pepper and garlic to give it that extra fiery heat and a hint of smoky flavour.

Over at SIDES, their spicy chicken are double dipped and double coated for extra crispiness. That explains why their chicken is cripsy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Their chicken is also relatively tender.

Customise your spice levels

At SIDES, you can even pick your spice levels for your chicken burgers, tenders and wings. There are 3 spice levels to choose from.

Level 0 – Classic
Level 1 – Nashville Mild
Level 2 – Nashville Medium
Level 3 – Nashville Hot

We went for Level 1 (Nashville Mild) and it had a decent spicy kick —great if you like a little heat without the tears. If you are someone who enjoy real spicy food, you can opt for Level 2 (Nashville Medium). And if you need an awakening spicy kick, head straight for Level 3 (Nashville Hot). And if you can’t take spice at all, you can always opt for Level 0.

SIDES sauces

Besides customising the spice levels for your chicken, you can also pair them with their signature suaces. There are 9 sauces to choose from, priced between $2 to $3 each: Buttermilk Ranch, Chipotle, Garlic Mayo, Chocolate BBQ, Nashville Cheese Sauce, Secret Sauce, XIX Buffalo, Louisiana and Classic BBQ.

We personally liked the Ranch and Chipotle the most—creamy, tangy, and paired super well with the tenders. The Secret Sauce tastes similar to cheese but the texture was much thicker compared to Nashville Cheese Sauce. We didn’t really enjoy the Chocolate BBQ as the chocolate used did not quite complement well with their BBQ sauce. It tasted rather artificial. The garlic mayo tasted more like just ordinary mayo.

What We Have Tried at Sidemen

Classic Burger ($12.50)

Sandwiched between the soft burger buns is a thick slab of cripsy fried chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and a sauce of your choice. The chicken itself is cripsy, tender and moist. Overall, the burger had a good balance in both texture and flavour. And we enjoyed this burger alot more than their Nashville Burger.

Ultimate Nashville Burger ($12.90)

The Nashville burger looked flat and lacked substance, and true enough, it tasted quite average and did not really stand out to us. The Nashville chicken also was quite dry and the bite just wasn’t satisfying to us.

Nashville Tenders, Wings and Waffle Fries

Nashville Tenders ($10.50)

The outer layer was super crispy but not greasy at all. The chicken itself was juicy and well-seasoned on its own. We recommend pairing it with some of their sauces like Ranch or Chipotle — they balance out the crunch with creaminess and a little tang.

Nashville Chicken Wings ($10.50)

These weren’t as impressive as the tenders. A bit greasy, not as juicy, and the wings were small—felt like more bone than meat. Flavour-wise, they’re similar to the tenders but just not as satisfying.

Waffle Fries ($5.50)

Waffle fries were standard. Lightly salted and pretty much what you’d expect. Nothing crazy, but also nothing to complain about.

Other Sides ($4)

We tried the Chilli Poppers, Corn Ribs and Mac & Cheese. The bite-sized chilli poppers were stuffed with cheese and chili. While the chilli gave it a good crunch without being too spicy, we found that it didn’t really suit our taste buds.

While the corn ribs were well seasoned, some pieces were slightly too salty, so they went better with the ranch dip to cover up the saltiness. The mac and cheese had a powdery cheese taste which is something that not everyone will like. We think that you can give this a miss and try the other sides instead.

Milkshakes ($9.90)

We got to try the Salted Caramel Milkshake and Chocolate Brownie Milkshake. The Salted Caramel tasted like a thinner version of melted ice cream — light, sweet, and with a noticeable salty finish. The Chocolate Brownie was thick, smooth, and rich — definitely for chocolate lovers.

Verdict

If you’re a fried chicken fan or a Sidemen follower, SIDES is worth checking out at least once – just to witness what the hype is all about. Fans can also purchase their merchandise at this outlet.

Overall, they do what they are best at – whipping up spicy Nashville chicken. The Nashville Tenders were the clear winner for us. The burgers were decent, though we suggest sticking to the Classic for better flavour and texture.

The biggest downside would probably be the high cost price of their food. It is definitely not cheap to dine here or to make repeated visit, to say the least.