Oppadak Malaysia: Oven-baked Korean chicken, creamy bowls, budae jjigae & much more

Promising a healthier, heartier take on Korean chicken, Oppadak is billed as South Korea’s No.1 Oven Baked Chicken, serving poultry specialities without adding any oil in the cooking. It's all the crispiness and juiciness, with less of the calories and guilt!

Oppadak now has three outposts in the Klang Valley - in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, AEON Mall Shah Alam and IOI City Mall Putrajaya. We love the Pavilion location, vibrantly perched on the mall's seventh floor, with wide windows that feature a view of the Petronas Twin Towers.

Oppadak's menu is marvellously comprehensive - from baked and roasted chicken to creamy chicken bowls, plus princely platters, budae jjigae and bibimbap, Oppadak is a casual, cheerful place for feasting on flavourful Korean fare.

Oppadak in Pavilion KL is sumptuously spacious, with colourful splashes of Korean culture to complement the cuisine. If you enjoy natural sunshine, take a table by the window for a soothing experience; if you love hip, fashionable vibes, choose a neon-lit corner for a fun time.

Head here with a huge appetite with your family and friends - the ideal introduction to Oppadak's chicken is its 5 in 1 (RM82.90), the perfect platter to share, bursting with 10 drumettes, 10 wingettes, and a choice of French fries or yogurt dressing salad. 

The 5 in 1 platter comprises five different flavours, a combination of Oppadak's Baked Chicken and Roasted Chicken, so that patrons can sample different varieties and discover their favourites.

This platter showcases three types of Baked Chicken: Original is the fundamental done right, crackly to the bite and succulent to the chew, with a slight spice to sharpen its savouriness. Manuela Garlic adds an aromatic allure, while Hot & Spicy brings mouthwatering firepower.

The platter also includes two types of Roasted Chicken: Soy Sauce is moist and sweet with an underlying umami, while Dakgangjeong Peanut is nutty and nice, with enjoyable earthiness.

Fun fact: Oppadak's chicken contains less carbohydrates, trans-fat and sodium compared to conventional Korean fried chicken, making it a worthy alternative if you can't resist Korean chicken. Thankfully, Oppadak's chicken is completely lip-smacking!

The Creamy Chicken Bowl (RM63.90) is a playful Oppadak creation that we would happily return for. This is one of Oppadak's best-sellers in South Korea - chunks of roasted boneless chicken thigh, thoroughly tender and tasty, stir-fried with Oppadak’s own-blended basil sauce and rich cream sauce, bursting in a firm, fresh pane bread bowl.

It's a pleasurable powerhouse of protein and carbs - the fleshy chicken is commandingly roasted with the right char, made addictive in the fragrant, robust medley of sauces. The bowl currently comes with complimentary fries, making it the ultimate indulgence for two patrons.

The Kimchi Budae Jjigae (RM79.90) would also satisfy two to three patrons - this is one of Oppadak's most recent temptations, a classic army stew that's made special with Oppadak's roasted boneless chicken, simmering with kimchi, ramen, tteopokki, chicken sausage, chicken ham, chicken luncheon meat and baked beans, partnered with steamed rice. It's wonderfully comforting, conveying plenty of wholesome heat and tang, slurp-worthy to the final spoonful.



Oppadak's Yoghurt Dressing Salad can be enjoyed complimentary with the 5 in 1 platter or ordered a la carte on its own (RM18.90). It's a sensational salad, with a balance of sweet and sour, a contrast of temperatures with a cooling scoop of ice cream that works surprisingly well.

For a sweet finish with a truly Korean flourish, beat the humid weather with a bowl of Korean Bingsu, available in flavours like Strawberry, Oreo Brownie or Mango (RM25.90). The shaved ice is soft and delicate, delectably melting in the mouth in all its chilled glory, crowned with fruits, cream and ice cream for a dessert that will delight children of all ages and generations.

Beverages include a line-up of Yuzu Mint (RM12.90), Lychee Blue (RM13.90) and Blue Melon Lychee (RM14.90) that perk up the palate and quench the thirst. If you feel decadent, the Chocolate Ice Cream Shake (RM16.90) is luxuriously thick with cocoa maltiness.

Oppadak
Lot 7.01.01, Level 7, Dining Loft, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur.
Daily, 10am-10pm. Tel: 03-4812-5663
Also at AEON Mall Shah Alam and IOI City Mall Putrajaya.

oppadak.com.my

Belly & The Chef: Cheering up Cheras with bountiful brunches, pleasurable pastas & more

Throughout the past three months, we've explored Belly & The Chef's branches, one by one. We kicked off in OUG, moved on to Petaling Jaya, and now, we've reached Cheras, in a charming and cheerful space where Belly & The Chef's biggest hits can be relished.

Serving scrambled eggs made punchy with hae bi to pasta inspired by yu tao mai to macaroni and cheese with a karaage surprise, the kitchen is bold and imaginative, bringing genuine joy to the belly!

For fans of Belly & The Chef, bookmark this Cheras cafe to complete your culinary adventures through this brand, which plans to open even more outposts in the months ahead.

We love how each location for Belly & The Chef bears its own distinct identity. OUG has concrete corners softened with lush leaves and sleek, silvery furnishing, while PJ is chic with warm wood flourishes and wide windows that peer over the neighbourhood.

This Cheras venue evokes an industrial edge, made playful with colourfully humorous illustrations. It's perennially popular - even at 4pm on a weekday evening, long after lunch, customers continue to chat over teatime refreshments.

Belly & The Chef makes every morning better, serving breakfast starting 8:30am.

Belly’s Breakie (RM29) is the breakfast of champions, triumphant with thick, crisp toast, chubby chicken sausage, ham, perfect sunny-side-ups, grilled sliced tomato, bolognese-style baked beans with a robust tang, sautèed mushrooms and a lively salad. Buoyantly balanced, engagingly enjoyable for big breakfast hunters.

Belly & The Chef consistently infuses creative twists in its recipes. Chilli Scrambled Eggs (RM22) showcase unmistakable Malaysian umami, courtesy of dried shrimp showered on the smooth scramble. Local hae bi supplies extra-intense richness, layered over toast with earthy mushrooms and vibrant salad leaves.

The Oceanic Blast (RM28) also channels local inflections - Belly & The Chef tosses the spaghetti in a milky salmon broth that speaks of the sea, topped with batter-fried patin fish, pickled ham choy and ebiko. The muse for this amusing pasta is yu tao mai, Malaysian fish head noodles, transformed into an Italian pasta with plenty of chunky, tenderly fleshy fish.

The Wild Mushroom Pasta (RM25) is suitable for vegetarians, but it's flavour-packed enough even for carnivorous customers, bursting with the alluring aromatics of assorted mushrooms, truffle oil, and herbs like parsley. This addictive pasta brings us back to the roots of the land.

Belly & The Chef's Mac & Cheese Kara-age (RM25) is a decadent delight. Piping-hot in the pan, the gloriously golden macaroni is creamy with a blend of three cheeses - sharp cheddar, mozzarella and white cheddar - for deep flavours, commandingly crowned with chicken karaage, crunchy to the bite, juicy to the chew. An irresistible coupling of carbs and protein.

Chateau D’ Waffle (RM29) is our best bet for sweet satisfaction - this isn't a cliched waffle; it conveys elegant French sensibilities, embracing a luscious red wine poached pear with crème anglaise and dark chocolate sable cookies and ice cream, terrific in taste and textures.

Tea and coffee coolers complement the menu marvellously.

St Mary (RM15) is floral, fruity and fragrant; its rose tea base is brightened with açai, pomegranates and strawberries, the harvest of an orchard concentrated in a rejuvenating glass.

Tangerine Sub (RM15) will perk us up instantly: Espresso mingles with rose tea for confident caffeination, enhanced with tangerine and cucumber for a sensuous touch of sophistication.

Belly & The Chef Cheras
13, Lorong Durian, Taman Cheras, 56100 Kuala Lumpur.
Open daily, 8:30am-6pm. Tel: 012-325-8966