Hatching this month in Kelana Jaya, ChickenLah hopes to soon rule the fast-food roost here, marking a freshly laid plan by Perak's well-respected Winner's Fried Chicken franchise to fly the coop from its birthplace of Ipoh & spread its wings further.
Legend has it that the recipe for Winner's Fried Chicken was conceived by an Ipoh Garden housewife in her kitchen in 1987; since then, she & her entrepreneurial husband & son have licensed the brand to hundreds of hawker stalls in night markets & food courts in Perak & beyond. ChickenLah takes things to a new level, heralding a possible chain conceptualised by Winner's.
Customers can purchase two pieces of chicken (RM7+), three (RM10.20+), five (RM16.75+), nine (RM30.15+) or 15 (RM49.50+), or have a single piece in rice boxes of nasi ayam or nasi lemak (RM8.80+). The chicken proves crisp & tender, but perhaps not particularly pronounced in flavour. The rice? Fragrant, though the nasi lemak can be clumpy.
Local persuasions permeate ChickenLah's choices, from belacan-fried chicken wings (RM6.50+ for two well-executed pieces) to keropok lekor (RM3+ for six slices) to pisang goreng with kaya (RM4.50+). Still, fries & coleslaw are offered too if you must.
And while there are chicken burgers with black pepper sauce or smoky cheese, we were more tempted by the SambaLAH! Burger (RM4.90+), a riff on the components of nasi lemak, with sambal, fried anchovies & egg. One nice point: ChickenLah tastes comparatively less guilt-provoking than some of its established rivals - a little less oil & salt, maybe.
Goat's milk coffee (RM4.50+)? Robust. ChickenLah also does deliveries, & recognising that this shop-house street in front of the Kelana Jaya LRT station is hopeless for parking, you can call ahead for pick-ups - the staff will bring your meal to your car.
Chicken Lah! It's Makan Time
97 Jalan SS 25/2, Taman Bukit Emas, Taman Mayang, Kelana Jaya, Petaling Jaya. Open 1030am-10pm. Tel: 03-7886-8900
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