Good Friend in City of London, Westminster

Amazing Taiwanese fried chicken

The ‘go-to’ fried chicken establishment in Chinatown! Freshly cooked chicken, with an amazing coating and superb powders/spiced flavourings added. You can add your own also, or ask them to add extra. Queues can become long, but that’s usually because the food is being cooked fresh, and not bulk cooked, then kept warm. Limited seating by the window. Friendly staff. This place is certainly work a visit and is a staple for us during any visit to Chinatown. Note, to check the chicken is cooked they cut open the items.

A very popular place. Popcorn chicken was lush and good choice of seasoning for it.

Wait in line. If you have 10 mins to wait. Food is yummy.

Went for the popcorn chicken which is great But the seasoning is so lacking I ordered it to go and as I started eating I felt the seasoning abit on the small side Shame.

Just big, extremely salty and fatty breaded pieces of meat with an Asian flavor. Resembles a cordon bleu without ham that has a salt shaker dropped on it.

Schnitzel to Go is something different and I really enjoyed it 👍

Unfortunately the chicken was a bit raw inside

The volcanic chicken is absolutely disgusting and flavourless (how can chicken and cheese not have ANY flavour) and £9.50!!! Not only that it took 20 mins - do not get this , I have had others in the past and it was ok but big mistake - shop had gone downhill

£7.50 for a big bag of tasty popcorn chicken wasn't bad at all. Chilli and garlic seasoning was a bit too harsh of a flavour for me personally.

The chicken steak is very delicious! Meng Hui’s Zhengxin Chicken Steak is still open, but the others are average, and many of the fried items are too greasy. The portions are generally large, but except for the chicken steak, they are not highly recommended.

Siempre haga un punto de llamar aquí cuando visite la zona. ¡Deja el mejor pollo frito que he probado! Muy recomendable tanto el condimento especial como el de ciruela. Siempre está ocupado, pero nunca hemos tenido que esperar mucho.

Delicious food Juicy chicken pieces, deliciously seasoned I highly recommend it

This place is great, easy to read menu, friendly staff. The place is always super busy. 13£ got me a huge chicken breast that was flattened out, and a bag of popcorn chicken. I went with the garlic flavouring and that did not miss. The chicken was super hot, super crispy, super juicy, could not ask for a better product or experience 10/10

This place is a bit of a production line for certain things (the popcorn chicken seems to be the most popular choice) and for others a bit more made to order. The popcorn chicken was solid, good 5 spice flavour that wasn't too overpowering, a full bag wasn't hard to get down as it could have been if there were too much seasoning. The chicken itself was a little overdone which let it down a bit but a really good portion size for £7.50. I also had the cheesy volcano chicken which was a winner too, it had a differently seasoned crumb more of a chilli (very mild chilli). The chicken (breast I think) itself was nicely cooked and the melted cheese inside made made for a tasty, albeit messy, on the go snack. The menu is pretty straight forward, the tricky part is picking which additional seasonings to put on, particularly for first timers. I followed the gentleman in front of me and got garlic and chilli which was also a win. Overall cracking value, good food. Would recommend, probably will go back.

The crispy prawns were to die for, so fresh and crispy and full of flavour

Was one of the best meals I had in London. The chicken was so sweet, juicy and crispy. I recommend getting the combo meal with the popcorn chicken, and the chicken breast. 🍗

Busy and with a queue but service is fast paced. Chicken was good, crispy, with good flavour. It's also quite big, so it's good for the price. Will definetely come back again!

Supppppeeeerr yuuummmmm😋😋😋 And most importantly Halal 🤝 So tender and full of flavor chicken bites/popcorn We had the chili garlic seasoning Fast service Highly recommended 💯

Food was good but not impressive. Staff was really friendly tho.

A simple, fast and efficient place to pick up a snack on a stroll through china town. Had the popcorn chicken with chilli and garlic flavouring. Perfect portion size. Hits the spot.

Love this place! Nearly always pop in if I'm in the area. Go for the plum and chilli seasoning!

We went to try the famous pop corn chicken. It did not disappoint!! Yes there was a Que and yes it was busy.. it’s London what do you expect? The service was good but we felt rushed. The chicken was fresh, hot, tasty and tender!! I recommend the pum and chilli seasoning together.. sweet and spicy! The batter is crispy and it’s real chicken chunks, you get a good amount for 7.50. Not a meal but great if you’re grazing and trying new foods all day. We look forward to visiting again.

Very popular by the size of the crowd. A lot of flavours to choose from and generally a good meal.

Freshly fried, crispy and savory chicken! Care because it's extremely hot! While trying to cool it down, you might enhale some spices and choke on them.

Very tasty chicken and for 7.50 you get quite a decent portion. Went on a Tuesday afternoon and the queue was outside the shop. I had chicken strips which seemed to take a longer time to do. The service staff were effective and efficient I will definitely be heading here again for a quick chicken takeaway.

Chicken on a stick was very tasty and good value for money.

very good chicken indeed! I was told this is a very well rated chicken and I think it lives up to that. The portion sized are amazing especially for this part of london, though its a bit expensive you get value for your money! the queues are massive so be preparef to wait a while. would recommend !

Thee best fried chicken ive had in London. You just have to try the chicken pieces, don’t bother with the wings as theyre dead. I always put on chilli, garlic, and cheese. Its the perfect combo. Great for veggies too as they do tofu and lotus stems.

As a Taiwanese, I can say this is authentic.

I have to say this review is bias cause I only tried their corn dog. But the corn dog was very mid if that I was expecting better. The customer service was not great . Altho I saw the chicken and had food envey maybe I will try that next time.

I recommend popcorn chicken with Thai spice. Super tasty and it was ready very quickly. Everything was fresh and crispy

Best chicken I have ever had. Crispy, juicy, everything you could ever ask for. The spice selection is out of this world. Also the workers are friendly and amazing.

Very rarely you come across a shop where you say I’m coming back again next week. This is one of them. Mohammed was amazing, actually everyone was so friendly and the atmosphere was such a vibe. And the Popcorn Chicken, THAT WAS A BANGER. I just rediscovered chicken popcorns.

sad to write this, especially as i tried to be really discreet about the issue and give them the opportunity to sort this. i’ve been once before and only ever got popcorn chicken. but this time i took all my family including two small kids. We ordered rather allot mostly popcorn chicken but the guy behind the counter said i should try the strips. So we did i got two portions. the popcorn chicken came out first we ate that, then the next lot came out and that was fine although no where as good as i remember it m. The last order came out and it was the chicken strips, they were rather big much to my delight. UNTIL i took a.bite and it was so raw the internal part was transparent - no way these were temperature checked. Not only were they raw when i took them back the server kept saying “no problem” but was being passive aggressive then got a pair of food scissors and then started to cut up the chicken and show me that it isn’t raw, but some parts were. not all of it but the part i bit in to was and the second bag had iffy bits also. i asked if they had temperature checked it and asked where their probe is. (every pit of chicken should be checked before serving). Raw chicken can make you very sick and when i took it back he cut it up in a tray he used to serve other food and the scissors are exactly the same. - you can’t mess about with cross contamination. Either way when i returned the chicken they made a massive deal about it. I WILL NEVER RETURN AND I NOT BE TELLING PEOPLE ANYMORE TO GO, i’ll actually be saying stay away from this place who are rude and passive aggressive and happy to serve raw chicken to people and small kids!

Possibly the best fried chicken breast in london + it is halal. There are limited seats though so you have to walk and eat.

this is seriously the best chicken i have ever ever tasted! i can’t even describe how amazing this chicken is. it’s a long wait but that is for a good reason, it’s because it’s amazing and you won’t regret it, its well worth the wait i need to visit again soon 😋

I was lucky and went when it was quiet. Rare to get it quiet. The member of staff was really friendly and advised the chilli and garlic combo. I got meal 1 (Crispy chicken breast and popcorn chicken) and it was so crispy and the chicken itself despite being so thin was still juicy. Absolutely loved this!

Fried chicken in Chinatown, very delicious, a must.

The fried chicken pieces are very delicious, thank you, Muhammad 🫶

Great food, service was good and even a recommended seasoning. Would definitely go again. No frills, just great chicken

We went to try the fried chicken and it was undoubtedly a great discovery. It is so juicy and good that it does not leave you indifferent. We hope to return before we leave.

Im very finicky on food but dam this chicken was perfectly fried, the fryers know what they're doing. It doesn't even smell like frying oil in there, even though they're frying it up right in front of you. If you're in London you have to try the boneless chicken thigh! I wouldn't recommend boba tho.

Decent fried chicken with unique seasonings. We ordered meal 1 which came with chicken breast and small popcorn chicken sprinkled with plum, chilli and garlic. The chicken is crispy and the batter is quite plain but it’s the powder seasonings which add the flavours. Make sure they sprinkle enough on, myself and others added more once they had handed our order over. Found some of the chicken to be little bit rubbery, especially the chicken breast. Didnt think it was anything special considering it was a long wait and £13 for some fried chicken.

Good Friend Chicken Restaurant A Chinese restaurant located in the China City area near Leicester Square, serving various types of chicken such as Popcorn Chicken and the distinctive cheese volcano. It is distinguished by the quality of its dishes and its reasonable prices, with the ability to choose spices and sauces. An ideal destination for chicken and halal food lovers.

Woody chicken breast, both times I've been. Re. Your reply. Will happily share details, please provide your email.

Amazing Taiwanese fried chicken!!!

Very fast fried chicken place in London china town, very busy. They were doing orders quickly. Chicken was tasty and juicy and seasoning was perfect.

Stopped by this spot in Chinatown after hearing so much about it. Tried the popcorn chicken—it’s pretty good, nothing crazy, but a solid snack. The best part is the tons of seasonings you can pick from. The place is small and always busy, but the staff keeps things moving. Perfect for grabbing something crispy and tasty while you’re out and about!

Best chicken popcorn in the world, waiting queue seems big but they are fast. I got there for chicken popcorn every time I go to soho

Visited this place on seeing it being recommended by many as a must visit in Chinatown. Tried their classic popcorn chicken and it tasted good, but nothing extraordinary. Food is prepared fresh and the place is mostly crowded. Had a wait time of 15 minutes. They have a separate token numbering system for cash and card users.

Just normal fried chicken nothing special

You have so many choices when it comes to Good Friend Chicken. Other than chicken, I suggest you order a corn or a crab too. Buy a beer, get your chicken and have a seat at the end of the street, there are tables in the square where you can have a seat in the middle of chinatown. Chicken tastes good with garlic sauce! You have many options for Good Friend Chicken. Apart from chicken, I also recommend ordering corn or crab. Grab a beer, grab your chicken, and sit down somewhere at the end of the street; There are tables where you can sit in the middle of Chinatown. Chicken goes great with garlic sauce!

This shop is having thieves inside for pickpockets, my iPhone was stolen here yesterday! There are always many people standing inside and outside. But when I bought the chicken, only 1 people in front of me. I was pickpocket when handed by Chicken. I seriously doubt many people there just for distracting people, and mess the environment so that the thief can easier to steal!

Popcorn chicken is really good. Must try with garlic and chili sauce. Relatively fast service, you have quite a lot of options when it comes to sauces. It's a place where you can eat quickly and move on, don't expect to be able to spend time. You may even find yourself buying your food (it's served with chopsticks in a paper bag anyway) and eating it on the street!

We take the popcorn chicken wirh cheese and thai souce and It was amazing, i had never eat anything similar in my life. I Will came back again if i can. One plate cost 8£ more or less, and you can find some tables in the street to eat It.

the BEST fried chicken here in London

Had popcorn chicken it was delicious, but the waiting time was long.

Perfect fried chicken with a ton of seasoning options. Must try! Had to queue for 20 mins though. Not too big a deal for a central london spot with prices as low as this!

If you want to eat something quick and delicious, this is your place, but BE CAREFUL, because if you order spicy... it is quite spicy. We recommend the popcorn chicken

Wow such crispy juicy fresh and flavourful chicken , 🍗 you must alway buy the popcorn 🍿 chicken , try different flavours to suit your taste buds

Always so busy but worth the wait. We got the chicken breast and popcorn. One with plum and wasabi the latter with lemon pepper and seaweed. I’ve visited on numerous occasions and you can’t go wrong with any of the choices.

Great place to grab a quick snack! I’ve tried chicken popcorn and bubble tea, and both were great. There are lots of seasonings to choose from, and the service is fast enough even though the place is small and always busy.

This was my first time trying it, and I had the crispy chicken breast. It was exactly as described, crispy and surprisingly moist. I really enjoyed it. The interior, however, looks a bit dated and could use a refresh as it feels a bit worn. That said, the boss lady was very kind and even gave me a deal. I appreciated that and I would come back!

Nice, fresh, crispy popcorn chicken. I got the garlic seasoning.

SO SO GOOD OMG, popcorn chicken is literally addictive and you can choose what seasonings you want 😋

We ordered food to eat in but later decided to take it away because the tables were quite dirty. When our food was ready, I asked to purchase a paper bag for 10p, but the staff member refused to sell it to me, claiming it was too late to pay by card and only cash was accepted (who even carries cash these days?). She was extremely unhelpful. In the end, we had to carry a couple of dishes by hand, which was very inconvenient. Overall, the staff is incredibly unfriendly and unhelpful. The food is decent, seems fresh, but with such poor customer service, I doubt I will return.

Super chicken Am strongly suggest this place in china town london Am 100% sure you like it... Must try there chicken popcorn with spicy masala Its awesome and try 🥭 bubble tea 🧋 Try it

I had a terrible experience at Good Friend Chicken, and I won’t be returning. First, it took 20-30 minutes to get my order, which is way too long for fast food. When I finally got the chicken, it was just pure oil—greasy and unappetizing. There was no actual chicken flavor, just an overwhelming taste of the seasoning, which was the only thing they seemed to get right (barely). To make matters worse, the workers were not wearing their hair nets properly, which was disgusting and made me seriously question the hygiene standards. Overall, this was an awful experience. Save your money and your appetite—go somewhere else!

I absolutely love this place. Genuinely think it’s the best fried chicken I’ve ever had. No3 popcorn chicken with garlic and chilli is the classic order. How KFC survives across the road is a mystery.

Besttttt chicken fried everrrrrr

I am so touched by the sheer amount of sweet potatoes and the unbeatable quality. It’s cooked to culinary perfection and calm my mind in a normal autumn day ☺️🙏🙌

Omgggg this chicken is the best chicken I’ve had in YEARS!!! Their chicken skin is amazing too

One of the few IG viral places that was actually worth the hype. I tried the popcorn chicken. It was warm , crispy and juicy. I loved the seasoning which was not overpowering. I am popping in soon to check out the rest of the menu.

Good for a quick bite. It’s small with nowhere but outside to wait and there is a queue. The chicken is good but it’s not queue worthy in my opinion.

Fried chicken shop in the heart of Chinatown. The wait is relatively long depending on our choice of product. Unbeatable price for the quantity and quality of chicken. Another method of giving orders during peak hours would be better

This place is always buzzing and for good reason. The popcorn chicken can't be missed - especially with lots and lots of the "special" powder. The lines can be huge, but it's all for popcorn chicken and the staff know it, so they turn over quickly, and it's well worth it. Don't be shy - get a bag each!

The popcorn chicken was quite good, however we did get a few rubbery pieces. A plus is the ability to choose spices. The place is very small and therefore there is a huge crowd.

SERVED ME RAW CHICKEN AND TRIED TO SAY IT WAS SEASONING. *Business isn't even registered with the local authorities (Westminster council) reported to tjr FSA It would appear I am not the only one who experienced this, looking at other 1 star reviews, many other customer have been served undercooked or outright raw chicken, the branch owner simply does not care as customers continue to flock to this place, I've gone a step further and reported it to the FSA and local council. My girlfriend and I ordered popcorn chicken and come chicken breast, the popcorn chicken was ok but the chicken breast was raw, when we returned to the restaurant to bring this to their attention, the lady at the counter tried to say it was just the seasoning and an older lady agreed with her yet she took it to the cook and said something in Chinese, likely grilling him, then they offered a portion of popcorn chicken. I understand they were really busy but that is no excuse to serve raw food. See the picture for yourself, that is clearly raw Update I am not sure what you're respons is getting at, clearly I've taken a bite as the bredding is also missing which was cooked as was the top layer, this is the part deeper into the bite, clearly the chicken wasn't defrosted properly and wasn't cooked long enough as it was very busy so they rushed the cooking process so perhaps you should speak with the branch management instead of accusing the many reviewers who have also been served raw chicken. To be frank, I've not had this issue with KFC, Wingstop or wingwing. This chain would have been my go to since I am in the area often however this experience has put me off, it's very rare and I've not been served raw chicken in all my 35 years. Clearly something not right with the management, area management should do more spot checks.

Popcorn chicken definitely worth the hype when you’re craving something fried, especially with the garlic and chilly powder. My friend didn’t like it though, it’s quite oily and gave her a stomach ache.

Unfortunately, it's not as good as it used to be! Last year, I would have recommended this place to everyone I know, but sadly tonight it wasn't very good. Chicken is fine but not great. Despite me asking for extra seasoning, the chicken was underseasoned. Nowhere near as good as it used to be! And the service today was not great. Didn't get any eye contact or even a word of acknowledgement from the staff! I found myself wishing I'd gone to Jolibee, KFC or anywhere else in Chinatown. Sadly, I don't think I'll be back for a while!

Worst fried chicken I ever had. Ordered the crispy chicken breast. The meat was so tough, that it was uneatable. That chicken must have had chest day in the gym every day. And the breading was thicker than the chicken breast. All around disgusting.

Visité este lugar al verlo recomendado por muchos como visita obligada en Chinatown, Londres. Probé su clásico pollo palomita de maíz y sabía bien, pero nada extraordinario. La comida se prepara fresca y el lugar está mayormente lleno. Tenía un tiempo de espera de 15 minutos. Tienen un sistema de numeración de fichas separado para los usuarios de efectivo y tarjetas.

Absolutely, nothing special... If I'd had known, I wouldn't of wasted my money

I’ve been to the Good Friend Chicken shop on multiple occasions. I have ordered their Karage chicken, Chicken Breast and Popcorn chicken. There is normally quite a queue - so if you’re not good with crowds of people, this might not be the best place to go. The queue moves quickly and the wait time for your food is normally around 15-25 mins depending on how many people are waiting. The food is good. I’ve ordered from here on multiple occasions, I’ve only had an issue once where the chicken was not cooked last year. But it’s not happened since. With any chicken you order you can choose from a selection of flavours for the chicken to be covered in for example garlic, seaweed, chilli etc. The cost for their chicken items is often between £7-£8.50. I’ve been there often and enjoy the taste.

best chicken in oxford - would recommend :)

James is a good workers!!! Great customer service. Definitely coming back!

Too expensive. Seasonings seems like cheap knoor powder

Popcorn chicken - heard it was good & it was!!

You have to try the popcorn chicken and the shrimps too! Great spot.

Food made very quickly and the popcorn chicken is delicious even without any seasoning. Crispy and juicy. Will definitely come again.

Spot has got dat good Boba Tea fam

Amazing, better than expected Much recommended!

This shop is amazing loved the Chicken popcorn and plum chips would definitely recommend it food was tasty

The chicken popcorns are to die for!!!

The chicken pieces are quite dry and salty. Otherwise, good food for a good price.

The famous chicken popcorn was quite nice - it was crispy and flavourful but this place isn’t exactly ideal to dine in. It was busy when I was there and didn’t have any room for me to sit. Great for a snack or small lunch! Dinner? No, not really

It was okay. Batter too hard and chicken a bit dry; maybe overcooked. Prefer Monga as their chicken is so juicy.

Very busy but good food, friendly staff

I ordered one popcorn chicken but took a long time to get my food.