Ayam Bakar Ramadan Pop-Up by The BIG Group, Bangsar

All fired up for Ramadan, Bangsar's Bakar by The BIG Group has been transformed into a poultry-loving pop-up this month, serving charcoal-grilled chicken that smoulders with seductively smoky flavours, all the way until the eve of Aidilfitri. Beyond the festive bazaars, this is ayam bakar with a tasty twist that raises both the bar and the temperature, perfect for a buka puasa meal to relish at the restaurant or bring back for the family.

The chicken's distinctiveness is revealed in its name: Ayam Peri-Peri Percik, a recipe complemented by a special sauce that blends peri-peri and percik inspirations, an epic creative cross of culinary cultures from two separate continents, spicy and savoury-sweet, accentuating the chicken's juiciness to burst through with a piquant punch.

Pictured here is a half-portion for RM24; a quarter-chicken costs RM15, while a whole chicken is RM45 - really reasonable prices.

The kitchen also casts its net beyond the farm to the sea for some Sotong Bakar (RM28 per portion; pictured are two portions), the squid's sultry-briny bounce balanced by the buoyancy of tamarind sauce with a squeeze of calamansi to spike up the earthy tang.

A complete meal with classic, cherished ingredients can be ordered here - an ensemble of ulam, fresh and summery-crisp (RM8), springs up with house-made sambal belacan of robust depth; the leaves include tenggek burung, which bears a subtly lemony zing to brighten the meal.

Nasi Biru (RM3; naturally hued with butterfly pea) and Nasi Ulam (RM5; uplifting and herbaceous) make the carbs more than worthwhile.

And course, all these are also available for delivery to your doorstep via GrabFood, so you don't even need to leave home to hunt down these hometown flavours.

There's more. As Ramadan races toward Raya, festive flavours surge to the forefront with nostalgia-propelled platters like the Nasi Putih Ayam Masak Merah Set (RM12; ayam masak merah with nasi putih, keropok and acar jelatah) and the Lemang Rendang Set (RM24; lemang with kuah kacang, serunding ayam and rendang daging), keeping the fire and the faith burning.

With The BIG Group, bigger is often even better: Larger communal sets are also available, combining various mains with rice, veggies, side dishes and drinks for two to four persons (RM70), four to six (RM120) and six to eight (RM150).

Desserts also stamp an imaginative mark, more than deserving of notice - caked-up reinterpretations of traditional Malaysian kuih, including the Seri Muka Cake (RM14 per slice), Bingka Cake (RM14), Teh Tarik Chiffon (RM12) and Kaya Lamingtons (RM7), proving that the bakers are as brilliant as the rest of the culinary crew here.

Ramadan-appropriate beverages range from the Rose and Lychee Cooler (RM5) to Teh Tarik (RM5) to the Kaffir Lime with Date Syrup Tea (RM5; a Middle Eastern-inflected drink with kaffir lime as a local element).

Many thanks to Ayam Bakar for this buka-puasa peek.

One final note to watch this space: After Ayam Bakar wraps up its run, The BIG Group is planning a series of other monthly or quarterly pop-ups at this location, turning it into an experimental testing ground for new recipes and concepts. It's a vision that should excite KL's restaurant fans seeking a destination that's constantly evolving for the better.

Ayam Bakar by The BIG Group

11B, Lorong Kurau, Taman Weng Lock, Bangsar, 59100 Kuala Lumpur.
Ayam Bakar runs daily, starting 3pm for takeaways, 6pm-10pm for dine-in. Tel: 03-2280-0073

This feature first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com

Check out the new Eat Drink KL official Facebook & Instagram pages. Follow us for the freshest updates, fun contests & more, at:

Facebook: facebook.com/eatdrinkkl

Instagram: instagram.com/eatdrinkklcom

Stay up to date: The Eat Drink KL newsletter is sent by email to subscribers every Monday; it's the Klang Valley's foremost weekly round-up of new restaurant openings, F&B promotions & other tasty tidbits. Subscribe to Eat Drink KL Weekly for free via this following link: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/5106C196432BB23