Kok Beng Chicken Rice @ Taiping, Perak.

Dear readers, i just returned from a quick trip to Kuala Lumpur and i am really sorry that i could not update this blog in time.
Today, i will write about one of the top 10 best Hainanese Chicken Rice in Malaysia in which i have came across when i was having a one day food hunting trip to Taiping a few weeks ago.
As a stranger in the second largest town in Perak, i am powerless to provide you directions to get there but i still have its address.

I was fortunate enough to be his very last customer of the day despite my late arrival as a result of inability to locate the shop.
Ong Kok Beng, the owner as well as the founder who has a loving, happy and social demeanour laughed when he knew that i drove past his shop and did not notice the eye-catching rectangular signboard which uses yellow and amber background.
He not only showed me the way to go to the famous Ansari's Cendol but also recommended me a few local tourist attractions.
Besides, proofs of his award-winning Chicken Rice such as posters and certificates are being displayed at every corner of the simple plain coffee shop.
4 years ago, Guang Ming Daily in association with local terrestrial television channel, NTV7 aired a TV show in which top 10 Malaysian Hainanese Chicken Rice are being picked and honourably Kok Beng's was one of them.

The thing that caught my attention was his peculiarly shaped chopping board.
It looks like a Sombrero, the broad-brimmed and high-crowned hat Mexican hat.
Apparently, the solid board was carved naturally by the frequent ravaging force applied by Kok Beng when chopping chickens over the past 17 years.
For your information, normal chicken rice or Char Siew rice is priced at RM3.50 each while RM4.50 will be charged if you are going to have both chicken and Char Siew and do take note that for takeaway, no soup will be included.

Sadly, both Char Siew and steamed chicken were all sold out, the only thing left was roasted chicken.
To rate Chicken Rice properly, you have to take the chicken, rice, condiments and soup into account.
Kok Beng certainly passed respective category with flying colours.
The chili sauce was extremely flavourful with a strong trace of fresh chillies and ginger.
It gave off an intense sour taste followed by a moderate spicy taste.
No doubt, it was one of the elements that made my current meal a super pleasant one.

Regarding the soup, i have no idea what it was but i clearly felt that herbal elements were thrown in along with some chicken parts.

Speaking of the white rice, it contained only a very small portion of chicken oil and i don't know why the rice size was a bit longer than those i could find here.
Nothing much worth to mentioned as it was not really aromatic but it went pretty well with the sweet, thick black sauce.

The spotlight was all on the roasted chicken which has a slightly crispy typed skin.
Beneath the skin, it was the tender and firm chicken flesh.
Unlike normal lousy Chicken Rice, the chicken meat was never been compressed.
If you taste the roasted chicken alone, you definitely won't feel anything special.
In the other way round, if you taste the chicken altogether with the soy sauce, chili and rice, you will be amazed just like the way it did to the judges during the TV show.
The combination was simply flawless.

This meal which easily fed two hungry heavy eaters cost RM18 including two cups of refreshing herbal tea.
The price is considered reasonable as the amount of chicken given was generous and also drumsticks were served along.
I even took a package for five back to Penang and i was only charged RM20.

Address:
38, Jalan Kota,
34000 Taiping, Perak
[google map]

Contact no.:
012 - 5056697 / 012 - 5226697
[make sure you call in advance to check its availability]

Posted in: Chinese Cuisine,Non-Halal,Recommended