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Malaysia, September 4, 2010 Restoran Wong Ah Wah You cannot miss this sprawling eatery located right at the end of Jalan Alor, opposite Hotel Nova. Today, Restoran Wong Ah Wah is spread over several shop lots, with a substantial menu that offers anything and everything from pepper crabs and stingray to fried noodles - in short, the usual suspects you'll find at a dai chow eatery. (Dai chow means big fry-up, the Singapore equivalent being the zi char or "cooked food" stall.) But once upon a time, in 1972, Restoran Wong Ah Wah was just a humble pushcart business selling - you guessed it - barbecued chicken wings. Old-timers continue to sing their praises, a sure sign that standards remain deliciously consistent through the years. Indeed, Wong's chicken wings are among the best we've tasted. The wings are threaded on long skewers, then placed on a rotating grill over smouldering hot coals, to be barbecued until they are evenly golden, burnished and crisp on the outside, and still juicy on the inside. A cook watches over the whole process, controlling the fire by tossing in hefty chunks of coal or with an occasional flick of his straw fan, while smoke swirls around him. The wings are barbecued to order, so you have to wait a few minutes for them. But they are well worth it; each mouthful yields moist, flavourful meat and a sliver of crisp skin, making for a lovely contrast of textures. Dip them into the accompanying homemade chilli sauce spiked with ginger for a positively mouth-watering experience. Pay RM2.40 (S$1) per chicken wing. Restoran Wong Ah Wah
In any case, when in doubt, simply look for the billowing plumes of smoke and the irresistible scent of chicken skin crisping up on a hot charcoal grill, one that invariably makes you lick your lips in anticipation.
Demand for his chicken wings proved so good that Wong gradually expanded his menu and business over the years. He moved his eatery to its present location in 1988 and has not looked back since. And as for his chicken wings?
No 1, 3, 5, 7 & 9, Jalan Alor
Kuala Lumpur 6-03-2144-2463
Opens 5pm-4am; days off not fixed
