Aaaaahh, this Padang restaurant with a Chinese influence is an old time favorite. And also as I am married to a Padang family, this restaurant is a must! There were times when my MIL used to send me their food twice a month :) well I’m not complaining as long as my tummies happy, oh how I miss those days!
Okay, I’ll go straight to the point. I only have 2 favorites in this eatery, and both are chicken. Not that the others aren’t good, it’s just that they all taste quite similar to other Padang food. They all are good, but not outstanding like those 2 winners.
First will be the ‘ayam bakar gulai’ or ‘grilled chicken curry’ (the English version doesn’t sound right, huh?), but some people just call it ‘ayam panggang’. Well whatever the name is, this thing is abso-fu****-lutely delicious. Pardon my language. It is just that I have an obligation to express my true feeling hehehe. The sauce, oh my gawd, is soooo rich and savory, you could eat it alone with a bowl of rice. Seriously. It’s sweet, salty, and you get a hint of coconut flavor from the santan, and although it’s rich but it’s not that heavy (well it would be heavy if you eat more than 2 pieces, duh!). And the chicken is grilled to perfection before they pour it with the sauce, notice the burnt and caramelized parts? Aahhh those are my favorite. And the chicken flesh is sweet, not artificially sweet because of sweetener and all; it is just naturally sweet and savory (maybe because it's a free range chicken).
Second is the ‘ayam goreng’ or ‘fried chicken’. I can’t explain well why this baby is also a winner you just have to try it! This is one of those simple dishes that can get you addicted. Warning: seriously addictive, you’ll lose count on how much you’ve eaten. To be honest about the taste: simple yet addictive. Those 2 words represent the chicken very well. Well yeah, it’s crunchy, well yeah the skin is crispy, well yeah the meat is tasty but all in all they are a-d-d-i-c-t-i-v-e. If people could eat a bucket of KFC then I could eat a bucket of these babies :) Be sure to eat it while they still hot!
Beware that during lunch time this place is packed and also beware these 2 dishes sell really fasssttt. I used to come really early at lunch time around 11. If not I may not get a seat. You should eat-in because it will taste different if you eat it at home, especially the ‘ayam goreng’.
