The Malaysian Insider :: Food
The Malaysian Insider :: Food |
| Inchi Kabin: No ordinary fried chicken Posted: 27 Dec 2012 04:04 PM PST  The double fried Inchi Kabin is excellent finger food. How so? Well, to start with the most obvious one ― they're deep fried twice. Yes, you read right. Twice. So they're even more crispy than the other varieties of fried chicken. Also known as Nyonya fried chicken among those who are not familiar with its Peranakan name, Inchi Kabin is extremely flavourful due to the ingredients used in the marinade. The chicken is usually marinated with five-spice powder, coriander roots and coconut milk, resulting in a wonder of spice that's intertwined with delight-inducing creaminess. As you might have guessed, the five-spice powder plays a major influence in the amazing flavours of the fried chicken. The ingredients used to make the five-spice powder varies, but the most common ones are star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Szechuan pepper and ground fennel seeds. This uniquely Chinese ingredient combines five different flavours ― sweet, sour, bitter, pungent and salty. They are usually added to meat as flavouring, though they work well with stir-fried vegetables as well. You may think deep frying will result in an oily, rather greasy appearance of the chicken. However, if you use the right method, you will achieve very crispy chicken. Tips as below: 1. Check to make sure you are deep frying at an optimum temperature, between 175-190 degrees Celsius. If you do not have a cooking thermometer, you can drop a piece of bread in the oil and if it turns golden brown within 60 seconds it should be of the right temperature. Anything browned too quickly will probably mean the oil is too hot. 2. Ensure you drain the chicken after it has been fried. Use a strainer or a good piece of absorbent paper. 3. Use peanut oil or canola oil as it is low in saturated fats, has a high burning point and does not detract from the flavour of the food you are frying. 4. Never overcrowd the deep frying pot! Adding too much food at once will result in the temperature of the oil dropping. 5. Only turn off the heat after you have removed all the contents from the deep frying pot. Do not turn off the heat while you get yourself a glass of water before you decide to remove the contents from the oil. Inchi Kabin makes a great finger food. Just ensure you follow the steps I've mentioned above to achieve a succulent, crispy chicken. Serve this with a glass of beer. Inchi Kabin Preparation time: 10 minutes + 30 minutes marinade Cooking time: 10 minutes Serves six 12 chicken wings, separate the wings and the drumstick 1 handful coriander roots, cleaned properly and finely chopped 3 tablespoon coconut milk 1 teaspoon five spice powder 1/2 teaspoon curry powder 1 teaspoon salt dash of black pepper enough canola oil to fill 1/4 pot 1. Add coriander roots, five spice powder, coconut milk, salt, pepper, curry powder and pepper into a large bowl. 2. Add chicken wings and coat evenly. Cover and leave to marinade for 30 minutes n the refrigerator. 3. Heat oil in large pot over high heat. 4. Cook chicken wings in batches of three until golden brown. 5. Place cooked chicken wings on a rack to drain excess oil. 6. Serve on a clean plate when chicken wings are cooled. For more recipes, go to www.chopstickdiner.com |
| Posted: 27 Dec 2012 03:52 PM PST  Teppanyaki chef Philip Phuah shows off his skills. — Pictures by CK Lim It disappears behind his left elbow, and then it's over his head, before he finally grabs it with both hands and seasons the sizzling scallops on the hot griddle. It's an artful, graceful performance.  Teppanyaki scallops and mushrooms in butter-soya sauce. We almost didn't get a chance to experience Phuah's pyrotechnics (you have to see him flambéing a pair of king prawns to understand what I mean). He belonged to the old crew at the original Kampachi Japanese restaurant, which was closed when Equatorial Kuala Lumpur was torn down earlier this year for rebuilding. My partner and I remember the surprise of the fresh and skilfully sliced sashimi; the thin kaisen-style inaniwa udon, so smooth and comforting it demanded to be slurped down while the broth was still steaming hot; even the slightly kitschy pancake ice-cream, which was nothing more than a log of ice-cream and mixed nuts rolled in a freshly-made dorayaki pancake, was a sweet ending crafted with much care and precision.  Japanese amuse bouche (left); generously sliced sashimi (right). While we were pleasantly enamoured with the original Kampachi, its sister outlets had failed to capture our attention after repeated visits. What a shame then, that this 30-year-old stalwart of Japanese cuisine in the capital was gone for good. So imagine our joy when we discovered that most of the team (both kitchen and front-of-house) had reappeared at Kingyo (which means "goldfish" in Japanese; perhaps an affectionate nod to their predecessor ― Kampachi means "amberjack"). This new restaurant is located at the refurbished Life Centre, almost next door to the crew's former workplace.  Teppanyaki chef Philip Phuah. This conservative method of screening their menu couldn't hurt; on the whole, Kingyo stays with the theme of quality ingredients and traditional fine Japanese cuisine. There aren't any surprises because there isn't supposed to be any. The sashimi is as fresh as ever ― over three separate occasions, we had generously sliced pieces of salmon, andabura bozu (butter fish), kampachi (amberjack), hamachi (yellow tail), maguro (tuna) and tori-gai (cockle). Every bite would elicit a moan of contentment. Exceptional. Kingyo's soft kani maki is one of the best makis we have had in KL. Again the sushi chef is very generous with the ingredients ― from the extra-crispy soft shell crab to the salty bursts of the ebiko (flying fish roe). Whatever you do, don't ignore the plain-looking ginger pickles served on the side. I am not a big fan of pickles but these paper-thin slices are unbelievably addictive. Just like that junk food jingle ― "You can't stop at just one" ― these are irresistible.  Flambéing king prawns on the teppan (hot griddle). By our third visit, Susan Liew the maître d' has learned our routine. She suggests that, instead of our usual sashimi-maki-udon combo, why not try some teppanyaki dishes? In fact, would we like to sit at the teppanyaki table? Which is why we are now awestruck with Phuah's next performance. This teppanyaki Tom Cruise shows us he has more than cocktail manoeuvres up his sleeves; for this course he plays goalie as he shoots omelette "bullets' into a "goal" of fried rice. All cooked on his trusty teppan (hot griddle), of course. From the scallops and mushrooms lightly grilled in a savoury butter and soy sauce to the fiery show of flavouring our king prawns with an aromatic French-influenced gravy, we love seeing how our food is prepared before our very eyes. We are more appreciative of the effort put into what is delivered onto our plates, and mindful of the years of training behind it. Needless to say, we finish every bite and waste not a crumb.  Inaniwa udon (left); soft kani maki (right). We had both; my partner enjoyed the peanut version while I prefer the more traditional adzuki. Either way, this time we had a bona fide sweet ending, nothing bittersweet about our experience. They just don't make places like this anymore. I, for one, am glad a few still exist for those of us who enjoy good food done the traditional way, without too much fuss (or fusion, as it were). Good things do come back, albeit in a new guise. All hail the return of the King(yo)!  Mini-dorayaki (left); pancake ice-cream (right). Kingyo Japanese Restaurant Lot G-05 & G-05A, Ground Floor, Life Centre, 20, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur Tel:03-21637888 Open daily: 12:00pm to 2.30pm, 6:00pm to 10:00pm * Kenny wonders if there is a Cirque du Soleil for teppanyaki artists. Still hungry? Read more eat-reads at Life for Beginners |
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