Friday April 9, 2010 Smashing good food By ELAINE JEYAKUMAR
AN enterprising young lady, Syarifah Melissa Ashikin, dined at an Indonesian franchise restaurant in Kuala Lumpur late last year and promptly fell in love with the ayam penyet (flattened chicken) she ordered. And just four months later this February, this bubbly entrepreneur is sharing her passion for ayam penyet through the debut of her own Restaurant Ayam Penyet franchise in Ipoh, Perak. Most of the dishes on the menu have the word penyet in their description. So there are flattened chicken, flattened beef and flattened prawns, all coated with an exotic blend of Indonesian spices and marinades and deep-fried to perfection. In a nutshell, it simply means that the meats are pounded after they have been fried, further tenderising and releasing juices. This results in a combination which is crispy and crunchy on the outside and tenderly succulent on the inside. To add that extra bit of crunch, a handful of crispy fried flour bits are sprinkled over the dishes. For between RM6.50 and RM7.50, you will be served either chicken, beef or prawns, accompanied by tofu, tempeh, water spinach (kangkung) and sambal. Top this up with a side order of steaming white rice at RM1.50 per plate and you will have yourself a hearty and fulfilling meal. Sambal is a must with these dishes, be it the firepower version or the less spicy option, as it truly brings out the taste and gives that extra oomph. If you are dining with family or a group of friends, you may also, in addition to the flattened dishes, want to order the bakso kuah (beef ball soup) and ikan asam pedas which make perfect accompaniments to rice. The oxtail soup, a steaming bowl of tender meat and vegetables, is also a must-try. Meanwhile, for that all-important daily portion of vegetables, try Ayam Penyet's gado-gado with its combination of freshly cut cucumber, turnip and tofu bits, among others, topped with an appetising peanut sauce. The restaurant's list of drinks include hot and cold beverages and snow shakes which are served with fat straws for customers to such up those little delightful balls of jelly at the bottom of the glass. If you have space left over in your tummy, an interesting dessert would be the Indonesian avocado with chocolate sauce. A very successful franchise in Indonesia and Kuala Lumpur, Restaurant Ayam Penyet offers an alternative eatery within the Ipoh Garden-Kinta City area, while catering to those who love Indonesian recipes. Restaurant Ayam Penyet is located at Lot G-18, De Garden Mall, Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, Medan Ipoh (Tel: 05-5480527). De Garden is Ipoh's latest hip mall located next to the former Courts Mammoth. http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/4/9/north/6004238&sec=North Facebook: Radityo Djadjoeri
