Top 5 Places for Chicken Rice in Kuala Lumpur

Chicken rice makes the world go round.

And some argue, the right way to eat chicken rice, is to eat the poached chicken with silky smooth white skin, and not the fried version.

The smoother the skin, the better the chicken. And it would be a travesty to throw away the skin even if you are a health freak. Afterall, the skin is what it’s all about, innit?

Ever wanted to know the secret behind the super smooth texture of the white poached chicken skin?

After boiling the chicken, extract with a long chopstick. then, time to go for a bath..

ready? dunk it in…

From boiling water, straight into a super ICY COLD bath!

Does wonders for the skin. And that, is the secret to the super smooth white chicken skin!

1. Pudu Market Poached Chicken and Wantan Mee Stall 

This stall is located in the Pudu Wet Market area, in downtown Kuala Lumpur. This part of town never ceases to amaze me. Pudu houses the city’s biggest wet and dry market to date – Pudu Market is a crowded market place especially in the early morning where there are plenty of stalls and makeshift carts containing merchandise from live chickens to different kinds of fruits. The sellers of Pudu Market are super-friendly and bargaining is allowed. You need to have a strong stomach, as the surroundings are not always clean and the smell can be awful in the wet market but you will find almost any food that you desire. Just south of the Golden Triangle shopping district, Pudu Market is highly accessible via LRT and is only a 5 minute of walk from the station.

In the evenings, this same area converts into a night-time hawker area and you will spot butchers starting to prep the pig carcasses for the next early morning’s activities in the Pudu Wet Market. Chinese Bakuteh, Wantan Mee, Indonesian Cuisine, you name it.. they have it. This stall does a terrific Poached White Chicken as well as Charsiew Wantan Mee. You must try it!

 2. Chicken Rice @ Ban Huat Heng

One of the best things about eating at Ban Huat Heng is the poached chicken (of course) and its ginger condiment! This place is packed to the rafters on most weekends so you best be early as most of the poached chicken is gone by 1pm.

The ginger that’s mixed with spring onions is just out of this world. We like to slather our chicken in it, before gobbling it down with the chicken rice. The rice is not the best – we prefer Loke Yun’s rice that’s bursting with chicken fat flavour. Some say you can eat the rice just like that with some black sauce and soup, and I would be inclined to agree. We find the Charsiew (BBQ pork) sauce here too sickly sweet and the siew yoke can be too salty (if you are late and get the end bits, this is what happens) but otherwise, the chicken here is value for monies.

We ordered chicken portions for two, and they threw in the taugeh (bean sprouts) for free. It was a super small portion though but better than nothing.

3. Loke Yun Ampang’s Chicken Rice

Another great place for that plump silky smooth chicken, is housed in Ampang, KL.

Not just any poached chicken. But good old fashioned, texture that has a bit of a fight, kampung chicken or “choy yin gai”. You will notice that the kampung chicken has a deep yellow skin.

And you know, as with so many other street food favorites, each and every one of us defines what makes a good plate of chicken rice, differently. While a bowl of kick-ass oily rice works for some, others may kill for super silky smooth poached chicken skin, or a one-of-its-kind-chili sauce, and some, swear by the yellow skin of the wild, and muscular kampung (village/free range) chicken. I say, whatever rocks your boat, that’s it then.. that’s the perfect plate of Chicken Rice.

Anyway, this place here, Loke Yun, is a bit of an establishment. It’s been around for yonks, and we are happy to report that the chicken is still the bee’s knees.

This is how we like our rice… doused in a generous amount of black sauce. The chicken rice at Loke Yun is super oily and fragrant, almost slightly salty. You can tell that a lot of chicken fat has been rendered into it. If you stop to think about it a wee bit more, what they have done with the rice, and the fat content in it, you might not even want to eat it. But you know, one bite and all that resolve is out the door. It’s so bloody tasty.

Something else I find irresistible. A greasy plate of chicken intestine and gizzards. All that crunch in one bite of intestine, the secret must be in the way they clean and boil it. It is just so insanely good, when accompanied by that equally fatty chicken rice.

Cleave it, serve it .. service here is pretty prompt and we waited only 15 minutes for our food

Perfectly fried shallots that are crispy & brown but unburnt, soy sauce, shallot oil, and some sesame oil. Can’t seem to find anything I don’t like about the chicken they serve here.

Loads of kick in the chili sauce, and a nice sour sharp aftertaste, before the burn hits your tongue and upper palate.  This great mix of flavours can only be further heightened by adding the fresh ground ginger to it .

4. Silky Smooth Ipoh White Chicken @ Restoran Ipoh Chang Jiang

Another great place that we like for the Kampung Chicken is located in section 17. Using the kampung-kai (village chicken) is even better as the meat though tougher, is tastier, and the skin that’s more yellow in color, is thicker and has a decidedly springy bite to it.

And of all places to stumble upon a really good restaurant that does this poached chicken, is in section 17 by the flats, opposite the old DKSH office.

At restaurant Ipoh Chang Jiang, the kampung chicken is truly the bomb. The flesh is thick and juicy, with little fat, but the plump skin on top is what blows my head off. It’s so plump and smooth, it’s unimaginably good. Unfortunately this place does not have any chicken rice (what?? you say? travesty!!) Indeed I was so disappointed that you only could have kwey teow (flat rice noodles) a.k.a. Ipoh Hor Fun with your chicken. There’s also a selection of meat or fishballs. The Hor Fun (RM5.50) comes in soup or the dry dark soy sauce form. The dry version comes with a small bowl of soup and mixed meat – the soup is super delicious and didn’t leave us too thirsty later, which probably meant less MSG. Go try it!

Add:
Restoran Ipoh Chang Jiang  
14, Jalan 17/1a, Section 17,
46400 Petaling Jaya
Phone:+60 12-226 7799
Hours: 7AM–4PM

5. Soo Kee @ PJ Sea Park

Soo Kee’s Chicken Hor Fun shop is a bit of an establishment in Sea Park. I mean, this family business has been around for yonks.

And though their piece de resistance is the Smooth Poached chicken in oyster sauce, their prices are what’s kept us away, in these recent years.

They’ve increased their prices to exorbitant rates, and that’s why we do not eat here anymore. Eat here only if your pockets are deep and you really have no place else to go for good poached chicken. Otherwise, refer to no.1,2,3 & 4  as options!:P

ENJOY!

Address: Soo Kee,
33 Jalan 21/17,
46300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
GPS: 3.109781, 101.622012
Tel: 03-7876 7736

WHICH ARE YOUR FAVOURITE POACHED CHICKEN RICE SHOPS? LEAVE A COMMENT!