Ayam Penyet

    The restaurant we would like to refer to for this issue under the programme of Eating Out whenever we have tried choice items of food and drinks of outstanding taste is the Indonesian Restaurant called “Ayam Penyet” Located in Myanmar Culture Valley in “Peoples Park” opposite to western gateway to the Shwedagon Pogada.

    Before we retell how tasteful the food there is, first of all, we want to tell you about Ayam Penyet. Ayan Penyet means smashed fried chicken. It is an Indonesian traditional East Javanese food.

    Although it is an Indonesian food, the original restaurant was from Malaysia. It is learnt that Ayam Penyet API Sdn Bhd Was originally established in 1965 and Indonesian traditional foods were sold there. In October, 2011 the legal franchise was obtained to sell the food with Ayam Penyet Ap Brand.

    As for Ayam Penyet Myanmar, it was opened on September 6,2015. It was learnt that so far more than 50 branch shops have been opened. As Ayam Penyet has been my favourite food since I was in Malaysia, I decided to go there as soon as I hear that it has been opened in Yangon.
One day after I had paid obeisance to the Shwedagon Pagoda, I entered Myanmar Culture Valley through the western Gartway of the pagoda. From the entrance to the Valley I saw Ayam Penyet Ap bill board on the right side.

    On entering the restaurant, I was welcomed by the service personnel wearing neat and tidy uniforms and Indonesian traditioanl stocking caps. The appearance of the restaurant is simple and clean.

    It is said that there are more than 100 items of various dishes and drinks. Out of them I would like to introduce AP Ayam Penyet Which is the signature and the best seller.

    The smahsed fried chicken is prepared on the banana leaves spread in a wooden tray. To eat with the fried chicken are prepared chili sambal, fried bean curd cake, cucumber, tomato and salad to arouse your appetite. It is a real Indonesian style fried chicken indeed. As it is brittle, when eaten with chili sambal, they go well with each other. Although the chili feels very hot, when you bite cucumber, the hot taste wears off and makes you desire to continue to eat. It is pleasurable to eat rice mixed with the fried chicken and the chili sambal. Then I would like you to try the fried bean curd cake combined with chili sambal. As the chili sambal that is to be eaten with Ayam Penyet has outstanding taste, it is ensured that whoever tries eating it will like it indeed. Why Ayam Penyet has such an outstanding taste is that it is fried with reduced heat only after it has been marinaded with Indonesian spices.

    Another chicken dish I have tried is Ayam Mask Habang (Chicken in Red Chili Sauce). This Chili Sauce does not feel so hot and it is thick and appear to be attractive with slight red color because red and green chilies are mixed in the sauce. Ayam Masak Habang also is prepared on the banana leaves spread in the wooden tray and fried bean curd cake is combined with cucumber , tomato and salad to reduce the hot taste. The chili sauce to be eaten with Ayam Penyet is different from the chilli sauce to be had with Ayam Masak Habang because brittle fried garlic is sprinkled on the sauce. It is said that this Ayam Masak Habang is one of the best selling items there.

    Another item I would like to introduce again is Gado-Gado (Mixed Fresh Vegetable & Penut Sauce) Which is popular in both Malaysia and Indonesia. Gado-Gado which contains the salad, boiled egg, boiled potato, bean sprouts blanched in hot water and fried cabbage and bean curd cake is eaten with penut sauce sprinkled on it. When it is eaten, the ingredients are all mixed and eaten in combination with fried Indonesian fish crispies and Indonesian fruit crackers called Empang which Indonesians enjoy very much.

    Now I would lide to tell you about Empang for knowledge. Empang is made not from rice-flour but from the fruit called Belinjo or Melinjo. It is usually eaten with chili sambal. It is also put in the Indonesiam boiled moodle or vermicelli (Soto Ayam, Bakso) to be eaten.

    For beef-eaters, there are the kinds of food that I would like to introduce here. They are Sup Gkor Lembu (Beef oxtail soup) and Ap Bakso Mee (Beef Ball Noodle). As Their taste is outstanding and different from that of the boiled noodle we usually eat, I would like you to try them. These boiled noodles are to be eaten often with sauce ABC.

    At Ayam Penyet Restaurant, besides the fried chickens, a variety of fried fish are sold in combination with various types of Indonesian sauce. The fried fish I ate is Ikam Bawal Putih Balado (Deep Fried White Pom fret Fish With Chili Sauce Topping). I am sure that this fried fish will be to the liking of those who are not meat eaters and of those who like sea-food.

    Out of a variety of drinks at the shop the drink I like best is the tea called padan special layer tea with shrub leave fragrance. In the glass there are three strata with green liquid of fragrance at the bottom, fresh milk in the middle and tea at the top. As this tea appears to be beautiful and has out standing taste, I would like you to try it.

    As there are more than 100 types of dishes and drinks in the menu, I have decided to go to Ayam Penyet again. Let me urge our audience of Food Magazine to go to Ayam Penyet to try choice items of Indonesian food and drinks.

Ap Ayam Penyet
Traditional Indonesian Food
Indonesian No.(1) Fried Chicken
G 31, Myanmar Culture Valley, People’s Park, Yangon.
Ph: 09-795 444 282, 09-795 444 252.