Zhengxin Chicken Steak in Burnaby is the Canadian outpost of a major Chinese fried chicken chain that originated in Shanghai in the early 2000s.
The brand expanded quickly across China, reaching tens of thousands of locations at their peak and becoming one of the country’s largest fast food chains focused on chicken steak and fried snacks.
The Burnaby location brings that street food driven concept to Kingsway, with a menu built around generous portions, bold seasoning, and quick service.
The menu focuses on Chinese style fried chicken and fast casual comfort food, with an emphasis on bold seasoning, crispy textures, and good portions.
Core items include Spicy Chicken Thigh Steak, Original Chicken Thigh Steak, Chicken Breast Steak, and a range of boneless fried chicken options such as Seaweed Fried Chicken and Rice Puff Fried Chicken. Rice cake pairings and bucket meals are popular for sharing.
Sandwiches, wraps, and burgers form a large part of the lineup. Choices include Spicy Chicken Sandwich, Flame Grilled Chicken Sandwich, Signature Duck Sandwich and wraps, and burgers like the Cheese Burger, Pineapple Cheese Burger, and Double Cheese Burger.
For sides and street food style bites, the menu offers Crispy Hot Wings, Orleans Grilled Wings, Spicy Pork Bites, Crispy Cod Strips, Tornado Potato, Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, Takoyaki, and Deep Fried Taro Yam Balls.
The drink selection includes Milk Tea, Fruit Tea, and so forth. A wide range of sauces and seasonings lets you adjust heat, spice, and flavour to your preference.
We ordered across the menu to get a sense of both the fried and grilled offerings.
The Best Seller Spicy Chicken Thigh Steak had a crispy exterior while the meat stayed juicy, and the spice delivered a steady heat that felt balanced.
The Signature Fried Chicken was satisfying, with a crunchy coating and savoury seasoning that kept things simple and comforting.
The Hawaiian Grilled Chicken Sandwich offered a sweeter profile and a break from the fried items. The chicken was tender, with sauces taking the lead, making it an approachable option if you are not in the mood for something heavy
The Avocado Flame Grilled Chicken Salad featured grilled chicken with creamy avocado, making it a good choice if you want something lighter without skipping flavour.
The Deep Fried Taro Yam Balls were lightly crisp on the outside with a soft, mildly sweet centre.
To drink, the Fresh Lemon Ice Tea was lightly tart and refreshing, while the Passion Fruit Green Tea had brighter fruit notes that worked well alongside the richer dishes.
They also run a simple loyalty rewards program that gives customers 1 point for every dollar spent. Members receive a free birthday burger and access to weekly perks, including Booster Wednesday, where points are doubled and select drink promotions apply.
Points can be redeemed for a range of menu items, starting at 30 points for soft drinks and scaling up to 300 points for their large Signature Crispy Chicken or Seaweed Chicken. Other redemption options include burgers, chicken wraps, hot wings, fried chicken combos, takoyaki, spring rolls, desserts, and ice cream.
Overall, we had a good experience at Zhengxin Chicken Steak Canada with their value portions and enough variety to mix richer fried items with lighter grilled options. It is an easy stop if you are curious about Chinese style fried chicken and want something different from the Korean and Western chicken spots around Burnaby.
Zhengxin Chicken Steak Canada is located at 5105 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC.
