KUALA LUMPUR, April 20 — In light of KFC’s new whole-fried chicken, I’m reminded of tongdak, widely considered the predecessor of Korean fried chicken as we know it now.
Popular in South Korea in the 70s, it’s a whole chicken, coated in an exceedingly light batter and deep fried, with no layer of sauce needed.
The result is a shatteringly crisp exterior, and when smaller birds are used, flesh that’s tender and succulent, even in conventionally drier parts like the breast.
Chon Dak in 1 Mont Kiara is my go-to spot to get this, though "go-to” is probably not particularly accurate.
Because the bird is fried whole, it transports exceptionally well, so I almost always get it delivered to wherever I’m at.
The actual outlet is part of a collection of small kiosk-like F&B outlets on the lower ground floor of the mall.
During my visit, there was only one other table sitting there eating, but delivery orders were flying out the door like hotcakes!
I always get the same things here: the normal Korean whole traditional chicken (RM33) and the kimbab (RM10). One chicken can feed about two people or one incredibly hungry person. The kimbab is filled with short-grain rice as well as a variety of pickled vegetables that are crunchy and tangy in equal measure.
Moving on to the main event: if you order the whole chicken at the shop, it comes already cut up into pieces for easier handling; for takeaway, it is kept intact, but it’s still a fairly simple task to tear into the chicken.
Chon Dak only uses fresh chicken received every morning, and the result is meat that’s juicy and tender, much like that of the good colonel’s variety.
Where it differs from most other fried chicken places is an impossibly light batter that leaves no taste of flour or air pockets under the crust.
Instead of super puffed-up chicken with pockets of air all around, it’s a much cleaner taste with crispy skin that shatters instead of cracks, if that makes sense.
The real game changers are the three accompaniments: a portion each of crunchy and sharp pickled radish (chicken-mu), dipping salt and a sweet-ish chilli sauce.
Make sure they don’t forget the dipping salt! I once got a takeaway order that left it out and my disappointment was immeasurable and my day was ruined.
The salt just amplifies and heightens each bite of chicken with its own natural flavours, though those that like a sweet and slightly spicy kick will also like the sauce.
The next time I have company over and can’t be bothered to cook, I know who I’m calling.
The only improvement I can think of is adding a somaek tower into the mix: a night of chicken and soju plus beer sounds like a riot.
Chon Dak
LG-08, 1 Mont Kiara, Jalan Kiara, Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur
Open daily, 10am-10pm
Tel: 03-6206 3623
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