Ayam penyet is an Indonesian dish, East Javanese cuisine to be exact. It is fried chicken and as its name implies; smashed, normally with pestle and mortar to make it softer before being served with sambal, slices of cucumbers, fried tofu and tempeh. My first encounter with ayam penyet was in Batam Island, Indonesia. Some friends and I had gone there via Singapore, taking a ferry which passed little beautiful landscaped islands, clean sea only to end up in a little not so clean port. Despite the Muslim fasting month, the few eating shops there were open. Patrons inside the shops were however, not in direct view of passerby as a long piece of brown cloth was spread across the entrance. Flash forward to August, 2018 - In Kuala Lumpur, while waiting for my nephew in Sunway Pyramid, I had spotted an eating place where ayam penyet was in its menu. So, there I went for lunch and with great expectations too; especially when it was touted that the chicken was marinated with 16 herbs for 6 hours and served with a special condiment consisting of sambal belacan, anchovies, tomato, onions, garlic, assam, and lime juice. The ayam penyet could not hold a candle to the one in Batam. Most certainly, it would be the first and last time that I have ayam penyet there.
Where is the special condiment?
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