KUALA LUMPUR, April 11 — The lunch hour at San Hong Hong Chicken Rice is a busy time.
Nestled deep in a commercial area in Desa Aman Puri, Kepong, a crowd consisting of all types — office-goers, tradesmen and since school’s out, young families from the area — gather around to fill out the single shop lot space.
We arrived at about half past noon when a short and thankfully fast-moving queue had formed.
Everyone’s gathered here today for one thing: Ipoh-style bean sprouts and poached chicken.
Yes, the name on Google says chicken rice, but “怡保芽菜鸡”, which translates to "Ipoh bean sprouts chicken” is what’s on the sign.
Granted, there are some "chicken-rice-centric" features here: rice is one of the carb options, and chilli sauce, ginger paste and dark soy sauce are all offered as condiments; but a taste of the bean sprouts and poached chicken, coupled with the presence of hor fun and absence of roast chicken, tell a different story.
While waiting in line, I watched as orders of chicken were processed: chopped, then a super-quick blanch in the poaching liquid, and finally dressed with light soy and sesame oil to finish.
Offal was popular too, with plates of gizzard and the like destined for many tables.
We settled for half a chicken (RM32), which arrived looking very pale and very reminiscent of the chicken at the famous Cowan Street Ayam Tauge and Koitiau in Ipoh.
Smooth, gelatinous skin, supple and tender flesh, and a clean, pristine chicken flavour are all present and accounted for, so it’s easy to see why it draws such a crowd.
There’s an option for kampung chicken that costs slightly more, though I find that the leaner, tougher flesh hinders the texture of the final product when poached.
The bean sprouts (RM11) are where the meal truly began to impress me.
These are short, fat and juicy with a substantial snap at the bite, and come dressed in light soy, lots of sesame oil and a healthy helping of white pepper.
They’ve wedged themselves firmly in the conversation with Nasi Ayam Sungai Buloh and — dare I say — Cowan Street itself for my favourite places to eat taugeh, though the latter probably still pips it on account of being a little stronger with the seasoning. We’ll chalk it up to air tangan.
Can’t decide between rice or hor fun? Both carb options are routine at best, with the rice merely hinting at the flavour of chicken rather than bursting with it, and the hor fun simply a ticket, a mask to show everyone that you’re not that guy just eating straight chicken and taugeh.
You don’t want to be that guy; nobody wants to be that guy — or maybe you do, in which case: more power to you, you brave soul. Ever thought about starting a podcast?
The soup, which came with our order of fish balls (RM1.20 per piece) and Fuzhou fish balls (RM1.50 per piece), warranted a special mention.
While the balls themselves were relatively standard, the soup was absolutely delicious and possessed a great depth of flavour.
We later learned from a staff member that this flavour is provided by the inclusion of medicinal herbs like goji berries and dong quai, also known as female ginseng.
Restoran San Hong Hong Chicken Rice Shop (鸿鸿怡保芽菜鸡)
3-56A, Restoran San Hong Hong, Jalan Desa 2/1, Desa Aman Puri, Kuala Lumpur
Open daily, 10.30am-9pm. One day off per month.
Tel: 017-617 2959
Facebook: @Restaurant.SanHongHong
*This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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