HOLDAAK Fried Chicken

Review of a Korean Chicken Sandwich If you’re craving a hearty, flavorful chicken sandwich, this Korean chicken sandwich is a must-try! The first thing you’ll notice is its impressive size—this sandwich is huge and packed with juicy, tender chicken. The portion of chicken is incredibly generous, perfectly fried with a crispy exterior, and seasoned with a delicious blend of spices that bring a distinct Korean kick.

What a bummer! Used to come here weekly because it was so damn good. This time I showed up and the strips are nothing like the size that they used to be. I asked the guy at the front about it and he says it depends on how they are cut and they might throw in an extra strip, but I'm not buying that answer. Everything is much smaller and the chicken is even lower quality stringy stuff. Before they were big, thick, and always tasted really really high-quality. The seasoning on them and the come back sauce is just as delicious as before, but I don't think I can just buy 18 bucks for this box 😬 a straight up answer would've been nicer than this weird "depends on how it's cut" canned response. I would happily return if they brought back the old good quality stuff. Maybe a supplier changed, who knows.

This has got to be one of the best fried chicken places in the area. I stepped in and immediately asked the worker what was the healthiest thing on their menu. I was told that the fried chicken salad was an easy and healthy go-to. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint! Both the quality of the meat and quantity was worth the review. Not only was the food amazing, but the service, friendliness of the staff, and the cleanliness of the facility was top tier. Will definitely return if you don’t.

This is a twist on spicy chicken’s sandwich. The Seoul Spicy chicken sandwich packed some serious flavor and the addition of pickled radish completely changes the game! The original sand was great a bit more on the milder side. Their fries are great just right for most, I wish there was bit more seasoning so it have bit more of a kick

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 deserves as well.

Ok, so this place had me itching to try their wings. Was curious if they would give BonChon some competition. They have a simple in-n-out style menu. Portions are hefty. Prices are reasonable. Store wasn’t busy, and the staff appeared like they just didn’t want to be there. The place looked clean, until you sat at a table and it was sticky. No matter how much we tried to wipe it down, it remained. Definitely order the fries and radishes. We only got wings, but look forward to trying them again for their sandwiches. The photos from others look amazing! Parking is easy.

Overall, a great place to eat. Big portions, very reasonably priced, crispy fry on the chicken and good tasting food. Ordered the 5 pc chicken strips and could only eat 2 and the fries, the strips are big, think turkey strips. Also ordered the caramel soy chicken wings and they were delicious. Sweet and crunchy! Wife had the chicken sandwich which had marinated veg on it, also, very tasty and big! Bring your appetite !!! We also ordered a side of corn salad......I, personally, am not a fan of it. To me, it tasted like frozen corn, ranch dressing and seasoned fry bits on top. But I would recommend trying it, you might like it. The fries were delicious and tasty when dipped into the spicy sauce. They offer original and spicey fry on the chicken. The spicey is not that spicey, so don't be afraid of it, its a very mild burn. Personally, the spicey chicken was a bit too greasy, maybe the original is not as greasy. Again, great food, great price.....go try Holdaak !!!

Delicious chicken tenders, wings, and sandwiches! Their breading has a great crunch to it that reminds me of those crispy ramen snacks. It'd be nice if they had even spicier options since theirs wasn't enough for us. The pickled items are a great addition to the chicken sandwiches as they lighten up the oiliness of the juicy chicken. Above all, the menu items are all at a very reasonable price. Would come again.

Food and service A++ The chicken was great and the Seoul spicy sauce imho was the best. Actuall tiger bbq and k-sweet were also really good. The employee was courteous and helpful and made excellent suggwstion. All in all Holdaak made for a great lunch.

Undercooked chicken, would give zero stars if I could. This is my first time getting pink chicken from here and I didn't think it would be an issue until the next day. My boyfriend and I both ate chicken sandwiches that had undercooked tenders (in both sandwiches). Even after heating it up in the microwave, it was still pink, so I'm sure it was more pink before this :( we're now dealing with stomach issues but ig that's what we get for still eating the chicken lol... it was too pricey to not eat XD

One of the best fried chicken sandwiches I've had. It's Korean style chicken which way better but that's my preference. Their sandwiches are made from the same chicken strips. The Cole slaw is good combination with the chicken. The staff is really nice. The parking lot is super small and too many restaurants.

Went to this place and I enjoyed it a lot we got one regular and one spicy and I will say everything was really good even the fries was good with the sauce they provided. The service was quick and easy and they even recommend what was good and I would 100% agree with them. The ambiance is small cozy and very casual.

Pretty good. Got the original chicken sandwich and some strips with the Seoul spicy sauce. The sandwich was good. I'd say it's comparable to other chicken sandwiches, but maybe I'll try the spicy next time as it might have a little bit more flavor and kick than the original. The chicken strips were good, but that sauce is pretty spicy. It's not that spicy at first, but the heat sneaks up on you. The chicken strips were also a decent size. I loved the fries. Just something about crinkle cut fries that make them so much better than regular fries. The menu on the website looks a lot easier to read and looks a bit different than the menu at the restaurant. Glad I finally got to try this place. I want to come back and try some of the other stuff on the menu.

Food was good! Honestly not the *best* korean fried chicken I've ever had, but it definitely satisfies the craving. French fries were yummy and the flavors were good, just not as crispy as I like! Service was friendly and helpful, some seating available inside.

The food was delicious 100% flavor explosions from the juicy chicken! I've had a lot of hot chicken and this is way better than Dave's hot chicken, raising canes, and other places. Highly recommend you give this place a try cuz it was so delicious. The fries were not disappointing at all. Short of one star cuz it wasn't spicier than what I wanted and they can't adjust it is what the cashier told me. The service was good. The girl cashier was polite. It was not busy during opening and it was clean and not too loud. Great for a party of 4 for a quick lunch.

This was my first time trying Holdaak and honestly this was really good! I came by on a Thursday evening and there wasn't anyone dining inside. There were a good amount of tables inside and outside the restaurant as well. I was sort of unsure what to order and the cashier happened to be on the phone so I went to use the kiosk instead. For the introverted people out there, using the kiosk to order is sooo nice lol. The kiosk was so easy to use too. I saw on previous Yelp photos that they had combos on their menu but I didn't see it? So that part I was unsure. So I got the Spicy Holdaak Chicken Sandwich and the Shake Fries. I didn't see any regular fries so the most standard one is the Shake Fries (which is Cajun fries). As soon as I grabbed my water cup and napkins, my order was already done. That was suuuper quick! I grabbed my plate and boy was I excited to dig in. They initially put the fries in a separate bag and they had the Cajun powder and the comeback sauce in its own sauce cup. So that's really thoughtful to separate the Cajun powder too, in case people just wanted regular fries. So I just sprinkled the powder, shake it in the bag, and I poured it in the tray to take my foodie pic. Now onto the chicken sandwich, taking my first bite this was actually really good. The brioche bun was nice and soft, the chicken was the perfect amount of crispy and juice. The other day I had fried chicken that was super dry so this was immediately 10x better. My sandwich also came with two pieces of the chicken? I wasn't sure if it was suppose to be one whole one but they put two in mines lol. The daikon was also nice and refreshing with the fried chicken as well as the onion that gave it a nice pickled taste. The comeback sauce reminds me of the chick fil a sauce, so it pairs really well with this. Now onto the Shake Fries, those were also really good. I enjoyed how it wasn't too fried that it was so hard and crispy, but it was a nice crisp that you can enjoy the potato in each crinkle cut fry. The cajun powder was also a very nice touch to the fries. Overall, I really enjoyed this chicken sandwich joint a lot! The portions are generous and for the price you're paying for a sandwich & a generous amount of fries for $13, it's pretty well worth it. I do wish there were more garnishes in the sandwich, but it was still realllly good.

I highly recommend this place for fried chicken sandwiches! I absolutely love their Holdaak Spicy Sandwich. It's so full of flavor and I like that it has pickled daikon to balance out the heaviness. You can add fries for $1.50 more, and this whole meal was more than enough to fill me up. The cashier and workers were friendly and the food came out quickly. The interior was kept clean and had a good amount of indoor seating.

Ordered the meal through DoorDash. The service was pretty fast compared to other restaurants. The chicken wings were delicious. I enjoyed the spicy ones more because they were dry and I could dip them in the sauce. The caramel soy wings were wet and a bit salty to eat by themselves. The flavor was good though. Overall, my family and I like the food. We would order again when we have Korean fried chicken craving!

This place is absolutely delicious. The chicken sandwiches were extremely juicy and crispy and the fries were perfect. The manager was extremely friendly and gave us additional pointers on the food! Would extremely come back here again, the song choices here are also such a good throwback

The chicken was tasty, but the breading could have been a bit crispier and less salty especially since you are dipping it in the sauce. The comeback sauce was unique and tasted good, but I'd prefer more sweetness. The service was fine, but $10 for 3 strips?! Not worth it in my opinion.

Got the spicy holdaak and Seoul holdaak. Both were really good! Docked a point bc it was a little pricey for a chicken sandwich (each were $10). Overall service was quick and the portion itself was pretty good.

my friend took us here for a quick bite and it was so good. we ordered online to avoid a wait and they had it ready super fast. they have daily weekday deals but online they have 2 for $14.99 chicken sandwiches which is really cheap. they let you pick different sandwiches which i liked. we got their classic and spicy holdaak sandwich and a side of elote corn slaw. overall really good and fast so i will definitely come again.

The service here has gone down so much. Went in today, they have chicken laid out an put in fryer when I ordered. For like 2 min and it tasted old. Than they had fires on the counter in a bowl and tried to give me cold fries, I said no an made them cook fresh fries. Not the 1st time this same situation has happen. Not going back.

Solid fried chicken. Got the spicy chicken sandwich and order of wings, half of 'em Seoul spicy and the other half original. The sandwich was awesome. The wings could have been a bit more juicy as it was a bit dry, but still had great taste. All in all, it was not the best I've had but still pretty damn good.

Very friendly atmosphere, just met the owner and he is very caring and cares about the customers. I been here a couple times and the food has always been on point. Plz, if you guys want korean fried chicken come here not k.bbq.

Great place for a spicy chicken and nice people.The chicken is deep fried and like so many choices. They are good !

Holdaak has some of my favorite Korean fried chicken in Fullerton. They're known for their Holdaak spicy chicken sandwich that comes with 2 giant chicken strips, daikon slaw, and their signature comeback sauce You can also order the chicken strips on their own with different flavors to choose from. My favorite was the caramel soy because it had that sweet and savory flavor to it Not feeling chicken? No problem! They also have hot dogs, loco fries, and elote slaw to feast on

Characteristically Korean! Such an ingenious spin on a classic chicken sandwich. Fries were deliciously crispy. Sauce was immaculate.

The Holdaak Chicken sandwich is so good. Get the spicy one. Much better flavor and not too spicy. I bought another sandwich to go after eating there because it was that good.

Sandwiches were so delicious!!! We came here after getting married at the court house and ring shopping. We were pleasantly surprised. The fries were good too. The regular sized fries were more than we thought. We ate everything!

I love Holdaak. To me this is the #1 chicken spot in the area. They have a flavor for every type of person. I especially love their spicy chicken and shake fries‍Their service is friendly and quick! Not to mention if you want to sit down and eat in there they have some nice little tables to chill at. I come here almost every week or two and I don't see myself stopping!! I guess I'm a Holdaak addict...Holdaddict? Nevermind lol

Definitely one of those situations where the food looked better in the photos than in your mouth. We ordered a party platter because we were a hungry bunch of greasy dirt bags. They came out way smaller than we thought. In fact the party platter was barely enough to feed 3 people. The fried chicken was ok, the burgers were a bit soggy from the slaw, even though we ate them right away....and well Popeyes is better. Nuff said.

Holdaak's fried chicken sandwiches are a tasty and unique entry in a saturated category. Do we really need another fried chicken sandwich? I'm happy to say that a Fullerton-born (by way of South Korea) sandwich definitely brings a bite all on its own. Holdaak manages to keep its chicken juicy while serving up a crunch in its deep fry. It's decadent and wonderful, the daikon slaw is the first difference from your typical fried chicken sandwiches. It's visually appealing and cuts a different vinegary sweet flavor to complement the salty, deep fried tendies. Food: 5/5 Value: 5/5 Experience: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Ambience: 5/5 Good for: Introducing picky friends to other cuisine. A unique sandwich. Hangover food. Recommends: Original Chicken Sandwich

Why change the equation when u are doing so well? When I first came here years ago I took one bite and loved it and have been singing it praises ever since....Im probably gonna skip it cause now there are better places... and this isn't as good anymore. The bread is different and they don't put it on the grill to toast it anymore...they use tenders in the sandwiches now. They're really skimpy with the daikon slaw... which also isn't as twangy as it used to be. The sauce is still pretty good, fries are crispy and the seasoning is still flavorful. But the main attraction isn't as good, the menu is confusing... and they're trying to follow the trend and added new things like cheese sauce and elote "slaw" which is canned corn with Mayo and crushed up Takis. Legit so annoying, cause I loved this place... I had lunch there and literally so many people came in so confused on how to order/menu is different. Unfortunately this is an age old story of business getting too big and they can't control quality. They lost me as a customer, but I'm sure they have hundreds more to fill my spot. It's not bad, it's still pretty good. Just not amazing anymore. Bye girl, Good luck..

My friend and I checked out this place because she was in the mood for some fried chicken. We had original plans to check out another restaurant, but it was closed. Some of my friends recommended this Korean fried chicken spot. We both got the one sandwich, 2-piece chicken tender, and fries combo ($16). The comeback sauce was soo good; she stole all my sauce, so I had to get more! The fries were crispy and had a kick to them. I would give this place a try.

last time I eat here... $45 for two orders of chicken strips. the picture in menu shows fries. which we got with the combo last time. we called and the guy had a lot of attitude. told me I was wrong. when you go to McDonald's the show the burger by itself and thats what you get.... Here the picture has chicken and fries but you're out of luck I guess.... But you do get a soggy piece of bread....

Best popcorn chicken EVER. Crispy and tasty. Fries and Chicken sandwiches were legit, top notch as well.

Used to be 5-stars...now 3. Remember when the sandwiches had huge pieces of chicken instead of these tiny tenders? I miss those days. Besides that, this place has the absolute worst online ordering platform. Especially since they stopped taking phone orders. Some days you'll order online and the food won't be ready for 30 minutes beyond the pickup time, and others you'll have an eta and get a text message saying the food is ready 15 minutes early. I REALLY don't want soggy fried chicken by the time I pick it up. What's the deal?

Before the whole chicken sandwich wars became an actual war, I would go to this place time to time. And I would always order their spicy chicken sandwich. Their spice level is perfect, not too spicy but not too mild. Perfection. And the taste and the crispiness. Another perfection. Service is good and fast like all fast food restaurants should be. And the place is pretty clean. Is definitely worth the stop.

Came here with a friend who recommended this place and I got a Holdaak Spicy Chicken Sandwich with Daikon Slaw. It was very good. I enjoy spicy food but did not thing this was very spicy at all. I would say a decent Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich would likely be more spicy. We came in around 3 pm on a Saturday and it was not super busy. The dining room was maybe half full with a couple orders ahead of ours. Food was prepared quickly though and we did not wait long at all. Staff was friendly. Would definitely come back.

Lots of good Korean fried chicken restaurants have opened recently, but Holdaak probably has the best fried chicken sandwhich of them all :)

Korean-inspired Fried Chicken spot. I've noticed long lines at the drive through and made it a point to stop by here. Holdaak offers a unique twist on their chicken sandwiches, which are served with pickled red onion, fresh cut jalapeño, pickled daikon radish and a special sauce. Everything was slightly spicy but not quite as spicy as Nashville style fried chicken. It's perfect for training your little ones to be able to handle spicy food. Overall we thought the sauce was too strong and in the future we would order it on the side. Original Chicken Sandwich: Huge portion of chicken, it had an onion infused ketchup that was too strong and fought with the chicken and coleslaw. American Chicken Sandwich: Same as the Original Chicken Sandwich, HUGE piece of chicken and the sauce was too heavy. Tender Combo: this was our favorite, big pieces of chicken, large portion of fries and thick cut toast. Sauce was on the side and easy to control when dipping, we would order this next time. May be sacrilegious but I wonder if they offer ranch for dipping and not their house made sauces.

We went to this one because it is located right off the 5 freeway. Parking is easy to find (large plaza parking lot), and the shop is easy to find. There is indoor seating, but you can also get take-out. Service was very fast, and the food came out hot. Original Chicken Sandwich: 3/5. The chicken itself was delicious, crunchy and filling. However, we weren't big fans of the caramelized onion ketchup sauce, which tasted like marinara sauce. Spicy Chicken Sandwich: 4/5. It was also super crunchy and filling, but we felt it could have been spicier. The image on the website seems to be redder and spicier, but in person, we were not able to easily differentiate between the spicy and original. However, this one was coated with the special sauce, which was so delicious!! We preferred this one over the original sandwich. Shake fries: 5/5. Fries were very crispy with good seasoning. Comeback sauce: 5+/5. We were given two small containers of the sauce, which tastes like a sweet, spicy mayo. Has the perfect amount of heat and paired very well with both the chicken sandwiches and the fries. Overall, we will come back for the spicy chicken sandwich, fries, and the sauce. But hopefully, next time, the chicken will be spicier! :)

Yay another fried chicken spot!! I feel like it's more Asian fusion. My go to are the soy chicken strips and chicken sandwich. It's always so fresh and hot. Don't forget to ask for a side of their comeback sauce.

Definitely my favorite fried chicken plate. Got the 5 piece spicy chicken strips and I can't really think of a big criticism for this place. Chicken is fried really well so it stays on the tender and really crispy while also staying juicy. Same with the fries being seasoned well and being crispy. Also the portion is big and even with a 3 piece i still get really full. On top of that, the price is really good when comparing to other places and for the quality.

One of my favorite fried chicken spots! Service is always great and friendly. Price is reasonable and the food comes out pretty quick in my experience.

I loved the chicken sandwich, I got the dalken with everything on it. The shake fries are soooooo gooodd. Comeback sauce delicious. Only thing I will change is the bread, needs to be crispier. I feel with a crunch it will be amazing!!!!!!!! Overall worth it

I really don't understand how Holdaak quality fell off so badly. I used to get it at least twice a month and used to enjoy their wings. The wings used to be quite large and not fatty. The last few times, the wings were small and fatty, on par with the frozen wings in your local grocery store. For $35 I'll save my money and just buy 7 bags of the store bought wings. I ate two wings and was able to fit all the wings in one container. Truly disappointing.

i was STARVING when i came here to eat with a huge group and i was pleasantly surprised when my food came out quickly. there was plenty of inside seating as well and i liked how u can watch the chefs make the burgers right in front of you. what i ordered: * holdaak spicy chicken sandwich - 9/10. it comes with 2 pieces of fried chicken in each sandwich and i asked for the daikon coleslaw and sauce to be on the side. i ate it as i took each bite of the sandwich and i loved the freshness the daikon added. the sauce was also so good but even without the sauce the chicken was already marinated so well i didn't even really need it. the crisp of the chicken was also so good but it could've been a little juicier! * shake fries - 10/10. i loveeeee crinkle cut fries and these were so CRISPY and LONG. it came with seasoning and extra sauce and the portions were HUGE. would definitely come back again!!

I've been going here for years and didn't think to write a review until now. The staff throughout the years have always been cheerful, and they seem to be very close with each other behind the counter, indicative of a good work environment. I've gotten maybe 20 of their chicken sandwiches over the years, and have brought countless friends to this location, 2 blocks away from my house. The sandwich has 2 chicken strips in it, along with their slaw. The slaw is quite good at cutting through the fattiness of the chicken strips, and the pieces of chicken are always MASSIVE. Definitely worth the price. I got the spicy chicken strips this time, and they surprised me with an extra strip in there! If you order the chicken strips, they come with the comeback sauce & ranch. But if you order the sandwich & fries, they only come with the comeback sauce. The elote slaw is just ok, I ordered it a few months ago just to try, and I'd encourage newcomers to give it a shot. I don't think I would get it again though, but it might be someone else's cup of tea. This place isn't open on mondays, I've made that mistake once. But I'll be a regular at this joint up until I move to a different city.

The food is amazing, chicken is always on point , And they are fast. The service is good never disappoints Definitely recommend this place 10/10 .

Good chicken sandwich place with a Korean flare. Pretty good. Get it as a sandwich or as a combo with fries.

I'll be bold to say it, but I will say it. Holdaak is my favorite fried chicken spot. A freshly fried perfectly crisp and juicy chicken that gets me every time. A sweet and tangy daikon slaw they pair it with. A perfect comeback sauce to dip and dunk. I've been coming to Holdaak for a long time, and I've brought lots of people here to try it out. Everyone loves it! Great chicken sandwiches, great fries, and even some really awesome wings! I usually get the spicy Holdaak chicken sandwich combo, but it's hard to go wrong with anything here.

Came in with coupon that doesn't expire until July 15, 2024 and was told it was outdated. That was a lie, Then I was told they won't honor their own coupon and was charged a different price for the food.

Got the 3 piece chicken strips combo. Chicken had tender meat and a perfectly crunchy outer layer. Lemme say that the sauces were DELICIOUS. The combo also comes with fries that were fine (as long they're perfectly crispy, that's what I'm looking for). Oh and a piece of toast, which was perfectly buttery and toasted. Got to try a bit of my friend's fried chicken sandwich. We both discussed how we appreciated how it fit the Korean palate in that it came with strips of pickled radish in the sandwich (nice touch). The menu is super simple. If you're looking for pretty good fried chicken (they have original, spicy, and caramel soy, BUT the caramel soy is only available for wings) without any particularly special flavors/outer coating, this might be the place for you. I did wish they had more veggie side options. I got the coleslaw, which is basically corn with spicy chip pieces on top. Surprisingly, it was quite good. But super pricy ($3) for a tiny cup. Service was fine. And, they have both indoor and outdoor dining available. On a side note, their plastic bags are SO CUTE. Lol.

Big fake ass chicken. Fried crunchy but barely cooked all the way through. Don't get me wrong, from the pics, I thought we were in for a treat. Nah fam, this ain't it. The fries were decent, but those big ass Pterodactyl Wings GOTTA GO. I'll never come back. I spent $50 on some BULLSHIT. Wings were so big & full of fat I didn't even eat 4 wings out of 10. Oh & a 10 piece was $23 freaking bucks. TERRIBLE

Seems like the menu has been changing every few months lately with more items and adjusted prices. Over the years, they've been modifying the chicken sandwiches and adding more options, which are all great, but their original chicken sandwich back then used to be the best. Holdaak's still one of my favorite chicken shops overall with delicious sandwiches, shake fries, and wings