Forget your diet plans, Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks just launched chicken rice bowls and dropped its own cat plushie collection.
Yeet, the brand that gave us the XXL Crispy Chicken is entering its main character era with a full menu makeover, a rebrand and blindbox collectibles that might just rival Jellycat.
Twenty two years and 100 million XXL Crispy Chickens later, Shihlin is officially levelling up.
Welcome to Shihlin 2.0, the brand’s new mealtime glow-up that proves your favourite Taiwanese street snack spot is not just about crispy chicken anymore.
From hearty rice bowls to spicy noodles and vegetarian bites, Shihlin’s got your lunch, dinner and merch addiction covered.
And yes, there’s a cat involved because what’s a rebrand without a cute mascot?
From snacks to full meals
After two decades of street food domination, Shihlin’s stepping into the big leagues.
The new Braised Chicken Ricebowl (RM15.90) takes inspiration from Taiwan’s classic braised pork rice but swaps pork for chicken, making it more inclusive without losing flavour points.
It’s rich, savoury and topped with all the good stuff: braised beancurd, ramen egg and tangy pickles.
Then there’s the Chiayi Scallion Chicken Ricebowl (RM15.90). Shihlin’s take on Chiayi’s famous turkey rice, except with tender chicken and a soy-based gravy that’s pure umami heaven.
Both recipes were crafted with a Taiwanese food consultant over three months, so you know they’re not playing around.
Noodles that slap
Exclusive to Malaysia, Shihlin’s new Dried Tossed Noodles Series is all about those bold Taiwanese night market flavours; chewy, saucy and seriously addictive.
Choose your fighter:
- Scallion Oil Noodle– Fragrant, savoury, a lil’ spicy.
- Dan Dan Noodle– Rich, nutty and extra bold.
- Taiwan Cut Chilli Noodle– Tangy, fiery and perfect for chaos lovers.
And if you need something refreshing on the side, Shihlin’s has vegetarian appetisers like Smashed Cucumber, Black Fungus and Oyster Mushroom; crunchy, chilled and lowkey underrated.
Meet Miào Miào, the cat that ate the chicken
Move aside, Hello Kitty. Shihlin’s new mascot Miào Miào is taking over a mischievous feline that’s basically the personification of your 3am snack cravings.
Dressed in Shihlin’s new “Shihlin Pink” colour scheme, Miào Miào represents the brand’s fun, modern side and comes with the cutest limited-edition merch.
Collectors, brace yourselves: Shihlin’s launching blindbox plushie keycharms featuring Miào Miào in three irresistible looks like Crispy (wearing XXL Chicken), Slurpy (with oyster mee sua) and QQ (with tempura fries).
They’re RM25 each with any RM15 spend, but only while stocks last.
Shihlin 2.0 launch promos
To celebrate the new NU Sentral outlet:
- Oct 17, 12pm: First 100 customers get Braised Chicken Ricebowl for RM1.99
- Oct 18, 12pm: First 100 customers get Scallion Oil Noodle for RM1.99
You only get one bowl, so choose wisely.
Love the original
Before all the pink and plushies, Shihlin started with two founders obsessed with Taiwan’s street food culture.
They travelled the island, hunting for authentic recipes that captured the vibe of Taiwan’s night markets and that passion still fuels the brand today.
“Original means Authentic. The true taste of Taiwan, perfected and Original means the Pioneers, not the copycats,” the founders said.
Now, Shihlin 2.0 is bringing that same authenticity into a new era of food and fun.
So yeah, call it a rebrand but it’s really just Shihlin doing what it’s always done best: serving comfort, crunch and now, cuteness.
So grab a bowl, snag a Miào Miào and join the street food glow-up.