You say chicken rice, I say glorious fried chicken rice at Gombak's Restoran Nasi Ayam Ji Wang
KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 — You may think this is Colonel Sanders' Asian cousin's restaurant when you see that huge stainless steel bowl filled with golden crunchy fried chicken legs.
It's not.
What you have is a chicken rice shop where fried chicken rules the roost.
The restaurant is inside a huge complex with ample parking outside. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
This Gombak eatery has reached cult status, which they totally deserve as this plate of fried chicken drumstick rice for RM9 is a winning combination.
Your plate arrives with a golden, juicy drumstick chopped into easy-to-devour pieces.
Join the crowd and order the fried chicken drumstick rice where your fried chicken is expertly chopped and served on a bed of bean sprouts and cucumbers. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
As it's not dredged heavily in seasoned flour, the crust is a thin, crispy layer lightly salted to give you that necessary savoury hit.
The whole package is enhanced further with meat that is pristine white and moist, signalling it was freshly slaughtered.
The rice may look ordinary but each grain has a lingering flavour of chicken broth.
Do like the locals by drizzling it with thick, caramel-like dark soy sauce that lends a sweetness to your carbohydrates.
For those who prefer a spicier route, dollops of their thick chilli sauce can be liberally added, infusing every spoonful of rice with its heat and tickle of tanginess.
Clear chicken soup (left) may not look much but it's sweet and homey like an ABC soup without potatoes, while the chilli sauce (right) is thick, spicy with a hint of tanginess. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
Don't forget the piping hot soup that hits the table with clouds of steam, it's super good and regulars will bring the bowl to their lips once it cools down to down the last gulp.
It's not your generic tasteless soup but a clear chicken broth reminiscent of ABC soup minus the potatoes, where cabbage, carrots and tomatoes are used, even though the vegetables are sparsely given out.
I only figured out tomatoes were used as some stray seeds were found at the bottom of my bowl.
The fried chicken drumstick rice is the default order for everyone here. One can also pair it with dry noodles.
For the chronically unadventurous, there's no need to fret about your cholesterol levels as there's healthy poached chicken too.
Since one has already made it into Santa's naughty list for indulging in fried chicken, you might as well try the roast pork and char siu too.
'Char siu' and roast pork can also be ordered to complement your meal here. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
The char siu may look sufficiently sticky with a fatty layer but the meat isn't luscious enough to be meltworthy.
Turn towards the roast pork with its crunchy top with a hit of saltiness instead. It's RM10 for a plate of that dual roast meat combination.
The dining area gets crowded during lunch time. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
Both roast meats are decent fare but their skills excel more with deep frying.
Located inside a huge complex along the stupendously long Jalan Gombak, there's ample paid parking too, making it a convenient lunch stopover, as old and young patrons stream in to get their fried chicken fix.
Old or young, no one can resist the allure of fried chicken. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
Restoran Nasi Ayam Ji Wang,
87-G, Plaza KLTS,
Jalan Gombak, Kuala Lumpur.
Open: 10am to 4pm. Closed on Sunday.
Tel: 018-2861300.
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
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