SHAH ALAM, Oct 19 — It’s here. It’s there. It’s everywhere.
On your screens, every third or fourth video shows a guy (usually filming in his car) chomping on a piece of sambal-covered fried chicken, bits of chilli and grease dribbling down his chin.
This isn’t one specific guy, of course; countless do the same thing, but a few have built real followings, capitalising on the – there’s no other word for it – viral popularity of ayam gepuk.
But I have to admit, I’m not a fan.
For the uninitiated, ayam gepuk is an Indonesian dish of battered and fried chicken, smushed lightly with a pestle and smothered in a ridiculously spicy sambal, which is usually the main draw.
It’s distinct from ayam geprek, loosely considered its progenitor, which takes the same battered, fried chicken but smashes it to a pulp – rough, boneless shreds – before drowning it in sambal.
Then there’s ayam penyet, the precursor of both (at least in a Malaysian context), and my personal favourite, if only because of the spice marinade used on the chicken before it’s fried (no batter), then given a gentle press of the pestle before the sambal goes on top.
There is, however, another variety I tried many years ago in Bali, though finding it here has been nearly impossible until now.
Ayam tulang lunak is a style of chicken that’s pressure-cooked before being fried, which softens the entire bird, bones and all.
Yes, the bones become soft enough to eat, and at the really good places, they take on a buttery texture rather than a grainy or powdery one.
In Bali, the bird is often fried whole (or sometimes grilled) and served with sambal on the side, though modern versions have seen it covered with everything from cheese to salted egg sauce.
In August, Ayam Tulang Lunak Nusantara opened in Seksyen 13, Shah Alam.
I went hoping to relive what I’d had in Bali years ago, but instead found something clearly adapted for the ayam gepuk-hungry among us.
It combines the soft, pressure-cooked ayam tulang lunak with all the accoutrements of ayam gepuk: the sambal, bumbu kacang, kobis goreng, tauhu, tempe and timun, which, let’s be honest, are the best part anyway.
My order of paket C (RM14.90) came with all the fixings; a chicken leg, and a choice of hati (liver) or pedal (gizzard).
I opted for liver, which was thankfully free of its usual metallic notes. The leg was a small one, like what’s often used in Bali; the larger, mutant chickens we’re used to in supermarkets are probably a bit too big for the pressure cooker to handle.
Because it’s softened, the flesh can get away with not being the juiciest, and the bones are a soft cherry on top – an excellent vehicle for sambal, which you can get free refills of when dining in.
But what got me most excited were all the odd bits and bobs of the chicken, pressure-cooked and fried into a wonderful snack.
I distinctly remember snacking on the bishop’s nose and neck in Bali, and these are on offer here too.
A portion of leher ayam (RM8) comes with 10 pieces, and the same goes for the kaki (feet) and tongkeng (bishop’s nose).
In Bali, these go down a treat with a cold glass of Bintang beer – the only thing more ubiquitous on the island than rowdy Australian tourists in Bintang-branded tank tops.
All the loose bits of skin lend a nice chew to the crackly, crispy snack, which I ended up taking to go and enjoying at home.
Ayam Tulang Lunak Nusantara
G-12, Dian Residency,
Persiaran Sukan,
Seksyen 13, Shah Alam.
Open daily, 11am-8.30pm
Tel: 016‑622 1660
Instagram: @ayamtulanglunak.nusantara
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
* Follow Ethan Lau on Instagram @eatenlau for more musings on food and self-deprecating attempts at humour.
