Reviews:
No frills, take out spot with a few tables inside. I ordered and paid using the kiosk, and my order was ready pretty quickly! I read great reviews about the popcorn chicken so that's what I decided on, and I was very impressed! It's a HUGE portion; lightly breaded, juicy, flavorful chicken...what more can you ask for? I ate quite a bit and have enough for another meal! An incredible deal for $11!
I miss popcorn chicken from Taiwanese night markets so I was excited to try this place! I ordered the popcorn chicken and it was perfectly balanced with crispy and chicken. The service was fast, the restaurant small (really feels like you're in Taiwan), and the price hurt a bit. Overall, it was very good and I will be visiting again!
Loooooove it here! The friend chicken and the braised pork rice are absolutely fully to die for.
My favorite place to go to for a quick snack! The popcorn chicken is about $11 which is pretty expensive for what it usually is, but they give you such a ridiculously huge amount that it offsets the increase in price. Literally SO MUCH chicken that we have trouble finishing it with two people.
I always get it with extra seasoning and it comes out perfect. It kind of reminds me of how I used to do it myself as a kid at Quickly's and went overboard with the seasoning shakers. But here, they even do it for you. Soooo tasty!
Lady at counter sweet and kind. Asked about their organic teas and she made the Passion Fruit Tea for me to try. So good!! Love the popcorn chicken and mushrooms. I always stop by here when in town.
Love the oyster mee shua here! Oyster is pretty fresh at this location. Got my food pretty fast. This location is inside the food court of ranch 99
This was truly some of the best fried chicken I've ever had. The portions were huge (the "treasure box" order comes with a hefty serving of rice and side dishes, like braised tofu and egg). The fried chicken itself had plenty of seasoning and it did not leave a "bloated" feeling for me like most other fried chicken places do. Will definitely be coming here again.
OMG. What a sleeper. The chicken was delicious and perfectly prepared. The broccoli and carrots were very flavorful and not overcooked. The servers are very helpful and happy to get your order started. Give it a try.
We ordered from the snacks menu. The popcorn chicken. Seasoned with seaweed flavor. Hot.
Hot wasn't spicy. The flavor is good and it was cut into delicious bite sizes. The portion for the amount was good. I'll definitely come back here.
Sooooo bomb. Their crust/breading is amazing!! Think they use a type of rice/tapioca flour maybe that has a slight mochi type of chew to it. Paid around $12 and you get a lot. I could eat this w a side of rice and be satisfied for a quick lunch
Xtra spicy is not spicy. Looks super red but is more like paprika than cayenne/chilli powder. Next time I'd probably get a lower spice level to reduce the amount of spice dust that doesn't rly add any additional flavor and takes away from the chicken seasoning. Service was fast and staff is nice :)
The best pop corn chicken ever had ! Excellent price. I suggest to ask for extra seasoning and extra spicy . I can't wait to go back
Great portions and quality taste. The cashier lady (owner) was so generous with our group of 8 who arrived late one Tuesday afternoon. I've been to the one in Milpitas and the service there can't compare to the experience we had here in Pleasanton.
I'm from southern California and have been craving this place's food ever since I visited the San Jose area July 2023
Their food is delicious and filling, I wish we had them here in SoCal. Big portions, tender, juicy chicken, and received my family's order of 3 plates quick (less than 10 min).
Shop is small, I recall only small tables for two. My family ate in the eating area outside. We came during lunchtime and there were only a few people waiting around, most orders are online and for pickup from what we saw
Their chicken plates are great. 100% recommend. I kind of want to go back to NorCal just to eat here again
I had the honor of trying shihlin several months ago. We had the xxl chicken thigh for lunch. The chicken was prefectly fried and tender/juicy. Fried chichen is one of my faves so it was nice to try this place.
Been here on many occasions for a quick Taiwanese fried chicken snack or a bento with the lemon tea on the side. You order on the kiosk and wait for them to call out your order. Overall really like this spot! It's in a big food plaza so that's a bonus!
Since my partner introduced me to the fried flattened chicken I crave it everytime I walk by Shihlin....
I was surprised to see one at Great Mall on an incredibly hot dayy in July... I had to get it and let my friends try em out.
There was a gracious worker handing out samples of the popcorn chicken and it was delicious.
This place is near the ranch 99. It is an order and pick up place. Front door does not work, so use the door around the corner on the side. Great place for popcorn chicken. Definitely will be back for more.
This place seems like only order in person or online .. they have a few tables outside for you if wanted to eat there. I ordered through their website and it was super easy to navigate. The food was ready about 5 mins super fast.! I ordered their popcorn chicken and is super good. It was $10.50 plus tax.. thought that it's a little pricier BUT it was so much that it's so worth it!!!
Great snacks.
It is literally a whole in the wall, but their food is excellent.
Got the big fried chicken and the plum fries.
Chicken was crispy and juicy.
Plum fries were crunchy and super tasty.
Food comes out relatively quickly.
Good value for $10 - popcorn chicken. Felt like it was at least 1-2lb worth of food.
The chicken was dripping and properly seasoned. Order online and pick it up! Super easy.
The parking lot is always busy but if you park far away it's fine.
Not a sit in joint - pick up your food and leave. 2 people operation.
Seen people order the chicken then order online boba from Fantasia after they just parked.
best fried chicken and eat it when its hot :) . Wish they serve it along with some sauce to get over the chicken dryness
Don't sleep on the crispy mushrooms at Shihlin, I prefer these to the popcorn chicken surprisingly!! The batter on these is much lighter, crispier and the seasoning on these brings it home. It's usually ready for pick up quite soon, so service is quick.
The Oyster Omelet is great here in addition to the popcorn chicken rice. These are what we usually get here. Depending on how close I am, I go to the location near the flea market and this location interchangeably. Service is fast, and the ambiance is takeout.
very yummy place, i got the xl chicken breast and it was so filling i got full from eating half! so you only need one if youre planning to share.
they are pretty quick so you can take your time to wander around the whole area. it is a quick serve so outside seating and you grab your items from a window. id say the wait is 10-15 minutes but so worth
they are operated through toast but the machine to order doesn't accept applepay/tap to pay, so bring something with a swipe! also the spice kicks in later and not when youre eating it so keep that in mind :)
In my books this place is legendary.
It has some of the best popcorn chicken/fried chicken I have ever tried in my life. The chicken is so crispy and juicy and the sides are always a great addition. The seating is beyond optimal since there is barely any seating inside and mostly outside tables, but the food To go is worth it.
Everything I have had has been a top 3 in my book so I recommend getting anything but hopefully trying the chicken.
It was bomb! Recommend the grandmas braised beef one. The whole plaza has lots of great foods it is right next to somi somi & boba + Safeway
I always stop by when I visit Milpitas plaza, what you read next is from a huge fan
Food:
XXL Chicken Thigh: I love this, I usually get it Extra spicy, fully cut, and extra seasoning. This is the main reason I come to shihlin. Try this is you have not already! The chicken thigh is juicy in the inside, crispy on the outside and tastes soooo good!
Crispy Mushrooms: This goes well in between bites of your chicken thigh. If you get the chicken thigh(you should btw) then try it with this as well.
Conclusion:
If it hasn't been apparent by now, I love shihlin for their XXL Chicken Thigh and will always come get some more. This is paired well with the mushrooms and any milk tea drink of your choosing from the like 4 different milk tea shops in this plaza lol
This place is one of my go tos when I'm in the area. I have had their popcorn chicken (5/5) , plum fries (5/5) and their chicken rice (4/5). We ordered the popcorn chicken spicy and it was indeed very spicy which is just the way I like it. I dad to cool down with plum fries. The plum fries was crispy on the outside and soft and juicy on the inside. It was seasoned very well. Their chicken rice dish was also very good, they added a sauce to the rice but there was only a little. Once it was disputed into the rice you couldn't taste it too much which was a little disappointing since I would of liked a more stronger taste. So I would recommend to add a little bit more of that. Other than that It was still very good.
I have sooo many good things to say about Shihlin and cannot recommend this place enough! My roommate first showed me Shihlin and I've been back 10+ times in the past two months.
Starting off with the most important aspect- the food. I've tried several items off their menu and my favorites are the treasure rice box and the plum fries. For the treasure rice box, I get the chicken breast and spicy level. The batter they put on the chicken is the best I've ever had. It has the most amazing and addictive crunch to it. It's perfectly seasoned and the spicy level has a nice kick to it. The box also comes with rice (obviously), marinated tofu, marinated egg, and broccoli. The deer plum fries are a delicious side. I believe they put a similar seasoning on the fries as the chicken so it's the perfect balance between sweet, savory, and spicy. And I have to mention that the portions are HUGE. Two people can easily share one rice box because they give you such a large portion of chicken. It usually takes me 2-3 meals to finish one. I love how you can toss it in the air dryer and it gets just as crispy as it is fresh.
The second great aspect of Shihlin is the price point. For how much you get and how delicious everything is, I think Shihlin is one is the best value options in the South Bay. For around $15 you can get a huge amount of yummy food.
Unfortunately this location doesn't have any dine-in tables but there are a couple outside. Personally I just like to eat it in my car or in the nearby tables because it's the best when it's fresh. The wait times can get kind of long but there is an option to order ahead.
Overall I am so happy that my roommate introduced me to Shihlin and I will be back many many times. Definitely try it out!
This popcorn chicken, the crispness is just right, it has a spicy taste, but I like to eat spicy, so I choose this food, it's great
Reasonable price, huge amount foods, great happy smiley staffs in front desk. I always come back.
This place is great. You can order your food online, its ready in 15 min. Easy pick up. Great quality chicken, fried mushrooms, little snacks.
Can't complain about fried food aka Asian comfort food at this joint. The serving size is gigantic and you truly get more food than you originally expected. Prices are well within reason and food prepped at time of order. All locations both mall and strip mall are external based.. so order ahead or at the kiosk then wait about 10 to 15 minutes and go to pick up window and enjoy.
My husband and I are unreasonably obsessed with the XXL Chicken Thigh from here. Like, we think about ordering it on random weeknights in lieu of an actual meal with nutritional value. If I pair the cut chicken thigh with a salad, can I consider it healthy?
Ok in all seriousness, the simultaneous CRISPY and CHEWY quality of the breading is so addictive. Pair that with the tasty seasoning and *chef's kiss* it is sooo good, even after sitting in the bag on the car ride home. I've air-fried some day-old pieces and they taste just as good the next day!
We haven't found that the other items here are quite as captivating, so we usually get an order of the XXL chicken to split. Ordering online is really easy and the wait time at this location is very reasonable.
I'm happy to see other locations popping up - this one seems like it's been open long enough that it has its flow down. Waiting on the Berryessa location to optimize as well as this one!
This is the best place to get your popcorn chicken fix. The crispiness was on point. Once in a while, it does get oily, so be prepared for that. The flavor. Yes, mmmm delicious. It has this peppery, spicy taste. You can adjust both, but I love all things spicy. The food besides the chicken is great, too.
Good amount of chicken for the fried chicken order. I also like the oyster noodle, that's something you have to try. They also sell boba, which is just fine. Price are fair too. I always come when I need some snacks.
Order: popcorn chicken (not the rice box one)
tldr; great crunch, great flavor, great portion
Went tonthe Valleyfair Mall location. Ordered to eat as a snack while waiting in line for Ramen Nagi lol. Took a bit to come out but in that time the Ramen Nagi line had moved like five inches so..
Came in a paper bag with skewers as utensils. I haven't had much Taiwanese popcorn chicken so not sure how authentic it was but it was very yum. Perfect bite sized pieces, nice n crispy, meat was juicy and seasoning tasted great. There was a good amount too.
This joint is going to give me high cholesterol . Everything on their menu is good. I've tried their entrees too like the fish ball soup with noodles and the chicken rice plate with veggies. All flavorful and consistent. although I must say the soup knocked me out and I woke up with dry mouth... most likely from msg overload lol. But their fried chicken is ohh soo good! Consistent goodness at this location and as well as the Milpitas location! Yay for both!
I could eat this chicken every single day of my life and still never have enough. Perfectly juicy, mouth watering seasoning... you can't miss this spot if you're eve in San Jose!!
The best and juiciness popcorn chicken in town. Take a bite and your in heaven:) You can get extra seasoning or hot powder too! When you get there ,you order from a screen and pay too. You than wait for your number to be called on the side of a building.
The Crispy Salt Pepper Mushrooms are to die for. I absolutely love their crispy mushrooms. Their chili powder is on the spicer side which makes it even better.
If you haven't tried already, Shihlin's XXL Chicken Thigh!! A must for Taiwanese street food. The breading was light and crunchy w a good amount of seasoning. While the chicken was piping hot & juicy!! It's a big portion and can definitely be shared
I've walked past this place many times and have seen the picture of the giant fried chicken cutlet, today I decided to give it a try. I got the Treasure Rice box and the Popcorn chicken rice box. In terms of taste, both were awesome, everything was so flavorful, I think it was delicious! The popcorn chicken was particularly tasty! The boxes come with rice, veggies, half hard boiled egg, some pickled veggie, and tofu. Both boxes were $15. Will definitely come back for the fried chicken.
Soul food to comfort homesickness. Good portion of chicken fillet, genuine Taiwanese taste.
My son brought me here. Great food! Close to home and service is great. I can come back!
Delicious Taiwanese style fried chicken patty. For best flavor, go with chicken thigh. Fried enoki mushroom is also a good snack to try.
I was told by a friend that the food here tastes like the food sold at the Taiwan Night Market. I tried the ground pork which I thought was ok, the chicken plate with rice was good and the soup was plain but tasty. What I was surprised most about? The wintermelon tea was sooooo good!!!
There were two tables you can eat at outside, but I suggest you buy a drink from Fantasia next door and eat in the shade :)
On my hunt to find the best popcorn chicken, we stopped at Shihlin based on the all the great reviews. The little shop is located in a big plaza off Barber Lane. The parking was easy but we did come on a weekday afternoon.
We ordered popcorn chicken via self service kiosk. It was quick and easy. We got a text in about five minutes and went to pick it up. Now here's what went down. Someone else took our chicken and was eating it. The guy profusely apologized and we got a new order which came out in 4 minutes!
The owner was so nice and gave us an extra bag of XXL chicken. How was the food? Well the popcorn chicken is pretty good. They gave us lots of big chunky pieces that were crispy on the outside but very juicy on the inside. There was basil added to it as well which I love. The XXL chicken was super good- I'm talking so juicy. These guys know their fried chicken.
Kind of a bummer how quickly the prices keep going up, but if you get one of the meals and add meat + veg, that's two solid meals! Authentic flavors. The fried mushrooms and the plum drink are like crack for me, lol.
Probabaly the best popcorn chicken I've had. This place is a little shop where you place your order and pay and pick up your order on the side of the building. You can choose your spice level and seasoning levels. I enjoy eating spicy so i always get the spiciest but i do wish they added more. The chicken is very juicy, tender & crispy. Highly recommend this place for popcorn chicken!!
By Yeip
