Ayam Penyat Ria: Smashed Chicken in Town

Ayam Penyat, which means "Smashed Fried Chicken", is a famous Indonesian dish consisting Fried Chicken (Smashed to make it softer), cucumber,  Sambal Chili and tempeh. I first got introduced to this dish when I was in NUS, where there was a pretty famous stall in the Engineering Faculty Canteen and the top level of The Deck. Now that I have graduated, I hardly have a chance to eat Ayam Penyat outside. So when Dawn mentioned she missed the Ayam Penyat there, I thought a trip into Lucky Plaza would prove to be more convenient and equally good.

Within Lucky Plaza, there are more than 3 different restaurants specializing in Ayam Penyat, so making a decision could be tricky. Dawn did some research (through blog and review sites) and we decided on Ayam Penyat Ria. When we reached the restaurant, the queue outside hinted that we may have made the right choice. A little advice: Don't be put off by the queue outside, the turnover rate for this place is really quick, so just be a little patient and it will be your turn real quick.

The Food

Obviously, we ordered the Ayam Penyat. There are two elements to this dish (actually three if you count the rice) - the Smashed Chicken and the Chili. The chicken (as mentioned) is usually smashed to make it softer. In this case, the chicken is indeed soft, juicy and easy to eat - easily my favorite feature of this dish.  The Chili looks really innocent, but packs a punch when you mix it with your rice/chicken. If you got a decent tolerance for spicy-ness, this goes great with the chicken and rice. The only complain I have for this dish is the size of the chicken. For some reason, our chicken was pretty small (compared to surrounding tables). Maybe we just drew the wrong end of the stick.

Our shared dish was the Tahu Telor - fried "Tahu" with omelette. As I'm not a fan (actually to the point of dislike) of Tahu, I won't put in my review of this dish. According to Dawn, the Tahu Telor here is only average at best. The fried egg was not very fragrant as well. The best part of the dish was the sauce, but they didn't give enough of it.

The Keropok here deserves special mention. Sometimes, the crackers you get have been out for long and have lost their crisp. Not for here. Despite being into the last 1/2 hour of service, their crackers are still crispy and tasted fresh. I wouldn't mind another plate if it didn't cost $1.60 for a mere few piecees.

We ordered the Iced Chendol and "Happy Soda" (which actually is Fizzy Bandung) to quench our thirst. I actually like the fizzy bandung but once again, the portions could have been much bigger.

The Price

The food here is definitely a considerable cheaper "restaurant" option as compared to the restaurants in town. However, due to its location (there is always a "town premium" when eating in Orchard), it is actually pretty pricey. Here's the breakdown - Ayam Penyat ($7.40), Tahu Telor ($6.10), Chendol Ice ($3.60), Fizzy Bandung ($2.30) and Keropok ($1.60). We paid around $15 pax for the meal.

Overall, the food here is pretty decent and given the crowd, seems like a popular choice. My complains include the less-than-satisfying portions and the fast-food style ordering (it was a hassle if you want to add on small orders after ordering). The food came really quickly so you can expect a fast turnover rate for the consumers. Given the number of choices within Lucky Plaza, I can't help but feel that there are better options out there. So I probably have to try the others (here and all over Singapore) before putting down any judgement. For now, I think it's a "worth-a-try" standard.

Ayam Penyat Ria
Lucky Plaza #01-45/46/47, Orchard Road
Tel: 6235  6390
11 am - 9 pm
Every Day Open