IN this day and age where lifestyle-related diseases are prevalent, many avoid high cholesterol food.
As such, those who consume braised chicken feet are a dying breed.
I, however, join the ranks of fearless individuals who risk it all for a good meal and when it comes to chicken feet, you can either love it to death (pun intended) or simply enjoy “chewing the fat”.
This brings me to my latest discovery in Jalan Pudu Ulu in the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur’s city centre.
There is a makan place called Char Siew Yoong (GPS N 03 07.239, E 101 43.788) that serves really good fung chau (braised chicken feet in dark soya sauce).
Thanks to my good old makan kaki, Taukeh James Lam, I gave Char Siew Yoong’s braised chicken feet a try and found it one of the best around.
Compared to the roadside stall in Jalan San Peng that sells the same dish, I give Yoong’s fung chau a 7.5 out of 10 on the Samo-scale.
Why? Because the gravy is so tasty and the skin, tendon and flesh literally melt in your mouth. And at RM8 a helping, I cannot complain.
For the uninitiated, this delicacy is best eaten with a plate of hot rice.
And just when I thought I could not be luckier, I discovered that the char siew (BBQ pork with molasses) served in this shop simply out of this world.
A woman manning the stall, who saw me salivating over the strips of char siew hanging in a glass showcase, offered me a piece to try.
The char siew on a toothpick was piping hot and simply delicious, leaving me wanting more.
Without a doubt, this char siew (RM14 for a small plate and RM40 to RM50 for a strip, depending on size) beats the char siew offered at Famous Seremban Favourites restaurant in the Aman Suria township featured last week.
Char Siew Yoong’s BBQ pork is perfect, earning a 10 out of 10 on the Samo-scale.
Last but not least, the meat dish worth the wait was the siew yuk (roasted pork).
Lam, my long-lost lunch buddy, said the shop owner would usually bring out the dish last and that it sold out fast.
“There is a long queue at the entrance and even before 1pm, the siew yuk is gone,” said Lam.
After many disappointments, this is one shop that got it right.
The siew yuk skin is crispy and crunchy, its flesh soft, juicy and succulent.
The roasted pork dish really made my day.
And at RM6.50 a plate, this shop is the first recipient of the “Samo-Gold Medal” for food, far exceeding my expectations.
Another of Char Siew Yoong’s offering is their braised pork trotters but we decided to try this another time.
I have vowed to return, this time with a larger group of wai sek kuai (gluttons).
Char Siew Yoong is open for lunch until 5pm.