Bag that chook!

If you like chicken, get over to Tang Palace where Loke Yoon Khow has tasty surprises in store, writes TAN BEE HONG

CHICKEN is the flavour of the month at Dynasty Hotel’s Tang Palace Chinese Restaurant. And they come in all flavours.

One that grabs my attention is Paper-Wrapped Chicken, Indonesian-style (RM7++ per piece). More used to the more common Chinese marinades, I am simply bowled over by the strong, heady spices. Absolutely finger-licking good.

Masterchef Loke Yoon Khow says: “We realise that, while it’s tasty and popular, there’s nothing very special about the Cantonese-style paper-wrapped chicken, so we decided to come up with something vastly different. And customers love it so much, they often ta-pau to bring home.”

And different indeed it is. There is a riot of aromas and flavours of curry powder, turmeric, lemongrass, shallots and santan. You drool even as you impatiently unwrap the paper parcel and the aroma hits you. Take a deep breath and then slowly savour the well-marinated meat, right down to the bones.

“We use chicken leg only as it is moist and tender,” says Loke.

There is also a Cantonese-style version flavoured with oyster sauce, Chinese wine and rock sugar. While admittedly more common, this version should appeal to young palates not used to spices.

“We marinate the chicken for at least three hours and then the paper parcel is slowly cooked in medium hot oil for about 15 minutes. We cannot use very hot oil or the chicken will not cook properly,” says Loke.

Free-range village chicken is also the highlight this month with Loke and his team cooking up aromatic herbal surprises.

“Women love the soupy Village Chicken With Ginger and Chinese wine,” says Loke happily. This nourishing dish is usually served to new mothers in confinement but it’s also a good pick-me-up at any time.

The strong flavour of ginger goes well with the fragrant rice wine. Sliced black fungus gives it a crunchy bite. Served in a claypot, the soup’s good enough to slurp down to the last drop. A slice of danggui (Angelicae sinensis) gives it a hint of the herb.

“We only use old Bentong ginger, a yellowish ginger that has more taste and aroma than those from elsewhere. And the xiao xing wine is of top quality,” says Loke. “Actually, using quality ingredients is the key to tasty dishes. There is no point in using inferior ingredients with free-range chicken.”

Village chicken has good texture, firm but not tough. Even the skin has a lovely springy bite, unlike the insipid softness of farm chicken. The sweetness of the meat shines through, whether it’s cooked with wine or is steamed with danggui. Bits of kei qi (wolfberries) give it a nice, sweet flavour.

Then there’s Braised Village Chicken With Golden Needles And Black Fungus. Whole red dates add a naturally fruity sweetness to the dish.

Village chicken is priced at RM35++ for ½ bird and RM70++ for a whole bird. The promotion is on till April 30.

Tang Palace is open daily for lunch and dinner. Besides the chicken promotion, there are set menus and other dishes. Dim sum is also served daily for lunch from noon to 2.30pm and from 10am to 3pm on weekends and public holidays.

TANG PALACE CHINESE RESTAURANT (non-halal)
Dynasty Hotel
218 Jalan Ipoh, KL
Tel: 03-4043 7777

Indonesian Style Paper Wrapped Chicken

500g chicken leg
1 Chinese soup spoon chilli powder
1½ Chinese soup spoon curry powder
½ Chinese soup spoon turmeric powder
½ tsp lemon grass, minced
80g shallot, minced
80g garlic, minced
20 pcs curry leaves
2 Chinese soup spoon water
4 Chinese soup spoon santan
Salt, sugar, pepper
½ tsp sesame oil

Method:

Marinate chicken in all ingredients and set aside three hours. Wrap with grease proof paper and seal. Fry in medium hot oil for 15 minutes.