SamSam Chicken Melbourne: Korean Fried Chicken and Beer on Swanston Street

Soy garlic, snow cheese or original crunch—which Korean fried chicken flavour gets your first bite?

If you’re looking for Korean fried chicken in Melbourne CBD, SamSam Chicken on Swanston Street offers plenty of ways to build an order. Choose bone-in or boneless chicken, explore different flavours, and turn dinner into a shared tasting.

The business says it began in Melbourne in December 2015, with the aim of bringing Korea’s fried-chicken-and-beer culture to Australia.

For the second instalment of our Korean food series, we’re starting with a straightforward question: how do you like your chicken?

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Bone-In or Boneless Chicken?

SamSam’s Swanston Street ordering menu lists both bone-in and boneless chicken, cooked fresh to order. It asks diners to allow at least 15 minutes for bone-in and 10 minutes for boneless, with longer waits possible during busy periods.

Boneless is convenient for sharing and comparing sauces. Bone-in suits diners who enjoy taking their time with each piece.

If you’re ordering for a group, decide on the format first. Then choose flavours around everyone’s preferences, particularly if some diners enjoy chilli more than others.

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Which SamSam Chicken Flavour Should You Choose?

The published ordering options include:

Flavour	Why consider it?
Crunchy Original	A starting point for tasting the chicken without a flavoured coating
Soy Garlic	An option for garlic-and-soy fans
Signature Sweet Chili	A sweet-chilli direction
Snow Cheese	An alternative to a sauce-based flavour
Lemon Mayo with Onion	A mayonnaise-based option
Signature Hot Spicy	One to investigate if you enjoy heat

The menu also lists Fiery Buldak Supreme with its highest displayed chilli rating. Soy Garlic and Sweet Chili are marked as containing peanuts.

For a first visit, original chicken alongside one flavoured option would create a useful comparison. If your spice tolerance is low, ask the staff for guidance rather than assuming that a sweet sauce will be mild.

Can’t Decide? Look at the Eight-Flavour Chicken

SamSam’s online menu lists 8Eight Colour Chicken, described as eight signature flavours of boneless chicken with potato wedges, intended for two to three people.

For an indecisive group, this is an alternative to committing to a larger portion of one flavour. Check which flavours are included and whether any substitutions are possible before ordering.

It also gives the meal a natural talking point: everyone can pick a favourite once they’ve tried the selection.

Chicken and Beer—or Just Chicken

SamSam’s Chimaek Combo pairs a chicken order with a bottle of Korean beer.

That provides one way to explore the restaurant’s chicken-and-beer concept. You can also keep your visit focused on the food and choose another drink from the current menu.

For a relaxed catch-up, start with a manageable order and add more if needed. Fried chicken is best enjoyed while fresh, so there’s little benefit in filling the table beyond what your group can comfortably eat.

Where Is SamSam Chicken in Melbourne CBD?

📍 Address: 207–209 Swanston Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
🌐 Website: SamSam Chicken

The restaurant’s main locations page currently lists:

Days	Opening hours
Monday–Thursday	11:30am–9:30pm
Friday–Saturday	11:30am–10:30pm
Sunday	11:30am–9pm

A CBD booking link is available through the official website. Confirm current hours and kitchen closing times before visiting.

Plan Your Korean Fried Chicken Outing

For your next Korean restaurant visit in Melbourne, SamSam offers a meal built around choices: bone-in or boneless, original or flavoured, one favourite or a broader selection.

Bring someone willing to share, compare a couple of flavours and decide which one deserves a repeat order.

Would you choose original, soy garlic, snow cheese or something spicy?