KFC’s New Ayam Percik, Worthy For This Ramadan? [Review]

It’s like your regular Ayam Percik, but it’s not.

(Credit: KFC Malaysia, TRP)

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When you think of Ramadan, what’s the first food that shows up to your mind, abundant in Ramadan Bazaars?

For me, it’s Ayam Percik. Those marinated chicken parts roasted slowly on the fire, brushed with delicious sweet and spicy sauce, producing a caramelised smoky coating for the soft tender meat.

Savoury and saucy Ayam Percik at Pasar Malam or Bazaar Ramadan.
(Credit: @zahIDGAF / Twitter)

Now, doesn’t that just excite your tastebuds? Recently, a bird told me that a fast-food chain is launching a new menu this Ramadan.

Introducing, *drum roll* the new, crunchy, aromatic and crave-able Ayam Percik menu from KFC. Sounds intriguing, right?

Fueled by my love of Ayam Percik, I decided to put their newest contemporary addition, to the test.

The Taste Test

The meal consists of 2 pcs of chicken with their colonel rice, a coleslaw on the side and one regular-sized drink all totalling up to RM16.50.

I thought the rice was a mini-sized burger at first, boy, was I fooled.
(Credit: Melissa Suraya Ismail / TRP)

When you think of Ayam Percik, you think of saucy glazed roasted chicken right? At least, that’s what I thought.

However, interestingly, KFC’s rendition of the dish is made different, it’s crunchy and dry. I almost thought I got the wrong order at first because this dish looks exactly like their Golden Salted Egg Crunch chicken, for CNY. But, it’s not.

I was expecting the meal to come with sweet and savoury gravy as most regular Ayam Percik do, but KFC’s concept of Ayam Percik is different I guess.

It looks like their Golden Egg Crunch Chicken (left). Quite a decent price for a meal (right).
(Credit: Melissa Suraya Ismail / TRP)

On a first bite, I can taste the crunchiness and savouriness of the skin. It’s a burst of umami flavour at first, and then you can taste the combined hint of galangal, ginger and lemongrass at the end.

These are actually their Hot and Spicy chicken coated with the Ayam Percik seasonings, just as they described.

The colonel rice tasted as any Nasi Minyak would taste like. The pairing of the two is an adequate combination, just to fill up our hungry appetite.

The Verdict

Actually, they did have the Ayam Percik menu a few years ago, but with gravy and soup. This is somehow a comeback, but without the gravy and soup, perhaps.

As for the taste of the chicken, I’d say I like it. It does remind me of the marinated Ayam Percik in most Bazaar Ramadan, but with a twist of crunch. It’s a bit too much on the msg, to be honest, but hey, if you love that burstful umami flavour, this is for you.

For my Malaysian taste palate, this is a bit dry.
(Credit: Melissa Suraya Ismail / TRP)

For me, the combination of rice and chicken is a bit dry. I would love to have some gravy by the side, but I guess they discontinued the sides for a reason. To eat the chicken with the rice, chilli sauce is not an appetizing option for me. Furthermore, in my opinion, the rice is there just to fill up your hunger, just as they advertised too.

However, I think the chicken can stand on its own. Savoury and crunchy, this is perfect for those unconventional taste palates.

It is quite a good menu for you to try this Ramadan. Maybe not a fulfilling one, but it’s a good option to put it in the mix of your one-month breaking fast menu.

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