The Chicken Rice Chronicles Part 8: As-Shifaa Cafe

Not sure what The Chicken Rice Chronicles is all about?
Maybe you should check out THIS LINK first before proceeding.

We are on the 8th installment of one of our most popular series and this time we are smack in the middle of town to enjoy some chicken rice that so many readers have recommended including my very own Darling Wife and co-founder of this blog!

And this is not your typical plate of Chicken Rice!

Chicken Rice ($3.50)

From that picture alone, you can probably spot a few things that you don't really see when you talk about Chicken Rice. Deep Fried Chicken and what's up with that sambal??

Yes that's right. This is indeed something different from what we might be used to. No roasted or steamed chicken here. Deep fried goodness complete with some crispy batter bits but a very interesting take on chicken rice sambal.

Despite being deep fried, the chicken was surprisingly not dried out at all. And mind you, I had the breast meat and it was still good and tender! And as a bonus, the outer coating was a nice crispy special batter which was really tasty in its own right!

I'm guessing some of you might be shaking your heads right about now but since a lot of people seem to like it, why not try it first before you cross out deep fried chicken with your Chicken Rice.

The rice was fragrant but was a bit of a let down for me. I didn't really find the chicken rice flavour I was looking for but my Darling Wife seemed to enjoy it. I guess when you eat it with the chicken you won't really notice it.

But then again... maybe it wasn't the chicken. Maybe it was the... Sambal!
Sambal? Don't I mean Chicken Rice Chili? No. I mean Sambal.

Again, anything but usual when it comes to the Chicken Rice at As-Shifaa!
They do have your usual Chicken Rice Chili with the vinegar and the sort but they also have something very unique - a sambal to go along as well!

I guess the closest I can describe is an Ikan Bilis Sambal but a little on the sweet side. This sambal was actually really the perfect partner for the deep fried chicken. I mixed it up by having both types but let me tell you that this sambal was a clear winner.

Adam's Verdict:
Chicken 3/5 -- Rice 2/5 -- Chili 2/5 -- Sambal 4/5 -- Overall 3.5/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Chicken 3.5/5 -- Rice 2.5/5 -- Sambal 4.5/5 -- Overall 4/5

And if the unique nature of this Chicken Rice is not enough to draw you to visit then maybe the next reason will. They have  Offal too! Liver! Gizzard! Take your pick! I'm not really a fan but my Darling Wife is so she had a nice serving of it with her Chicken Rice!

And remember - THE SAMBAL!!

If you're in town, drop by and try. But go early because the lunchtime crowd takes a big share so they do sell out pretty early.

As-Shifaa Cafe

304 Orchard Road
Lucky Plaza #06-52

Operating Hours:
11.00pm til 5.30pm (or til sold out) Daily
Closed on Sunday

Ayam Penyet Ria

My wife brought me to this place back when we were dating.
Even then she already knew that the way to my heart was through my stomach!

And since that day, it seems that Ayam Penyet Ria has vastly expanded.
Besides the original store in Lucky Plaza, they now have a total of 5 branches! Wow they must be good!

Well how about some appetizers first?

Emping ($1.50)

This is really going to get your taste buds prepared for the full meal ahead.
A mix of Kerupuk Belinjau and Kerupuk Udang is a winner especially when you have it with the sambal that accompanies it. Good price for a good start!

And while we were looking over the menu, we saw the waiter carrying this basket of fried stuff.
No not the kerupuk lah. It was something that seemed very stringy. And then we saw the promo poster.
Automatically we knew we had to order it.

Fried Enoki Mushrooms (3.90)

And for the record, that looks absolutely NOTHING like the poster lah.

This is apparently a new item on the menu that I have no doubts will definitely appeal to a lot of people because, well, most people love Enoki mushrooms. And even though it would be considered a little pricey, it's still a must-try right?

Well let me save you all the trouble. Don't buy it. And if you do, hope you get a better batch.
I think we may have gotten the bottom of the mushroom barrel on that order.
When I say Enoki mushrooms, I'm thinking long stalks all bunched together and coated nicely with batter and just frying it long enough to get a crisp. As you can see from the picture above, nothing is bunched together and the mushrooms were fried for too long.

And I personally think they look like fried tadpoles.

Sayur Asam ($3.90)

I love Sayur Asam and it's becoming increasingly difficult to find a good bowl of it nowadays.
The best I've ever had was long ago at Pondok Gurame (when they were still in Katong) but I have to say the Sayur Asam at Ria is actually damn nice.

At least I know where to go if I need my Sayur Asam fix.

And now on to the real food eh.

Nasi Ayam Penyet ($6.90)

My darling wife had the 'original' Nasi Ayam Penyet.
And staying true to tradition, it's served with a bowl of plain white rice and not the 'chicken rice' type deal.

Besides that, you also get fried tempeh, cucumber, cabbage and also some blanched kangkong.

And don't forget a nice big dollop of the famous Ria Sambal.
(which is free flow by the way)

As you can see, the chicken is still very tender while having a very nice and crispy exterior. Tasty and not at all dried out.

My darling wife is such a big fan of this place and it's very easy to see why. So far it's never failed to disappoint her and that means that they have a good consistent product which is a very good thing which is tough to come by nowadays especially with food chains that are expanding.

I mean come on, how may times have you gone to a different brand of your favourite makan place and you felt that the food seemed a little bit off-standard compared to your usual haunt?

Empal Penyet ($6.90)

Well, as usual, you know I've gots to have me some beef.
So I had the Empal Penyet which is basically one big piece of beef which has been fried and smashed (or should I say penyet-ed) for some yummy good times.

And I can safely say the words "big piece of beef" this time and I would be telling the truth.
We all remember the time we had 'Dapur Penyet' right?

Well this was nice and tender and well worth the money I tell you. Super!

And I know I mentioned it just now but I think it's only fair that I speak a little more about the sambal.

Do. Not. Mess. With. This. Sambal.

Okay so maybe you die-hard hantu chili will be able to take it with no issues. I'm actually not too bad myself and this was a really really tasty sambal but after awhile... HELP ME HELP ME MY MOUTH IS ON FIREEEEEEEE okay so maybe I'm exaggerating a little.

My wife keeps pairs it with the sweet soy sauce which they have and she keeps topping it up so you know it's got to be damn good right.

Adam's Verdict:
Empal Penyet 5/5 -- Emping 3/5 -- Enoki Mushrooms 1/5 -- Sayur Asam 4/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Ayam Penyet 5/5 -- Emping 5/5 -- Enoki Mushrooms 0/5

Oh and before I forget to mention... try the Soda Gembira (literally Happy Soda).
It's just Bandung with 7-Up. And it rocks.

Soda Gembira ($2.10)

And I know I said my darling wife and I have always gotten 100% satisfaction from Ria everytime we went.
But everytime we went, it was to the Lucky Plaza (4th floor) outlet.

They have another outlet on the 1st floor, one at Bedok Point, one at Far East Plaza and another at Jurong Point. I cannot vouch for all the other outlets I must say. But if they are as good at the Lucky Plaza one then you're gonna have a damn good meal.

Ayam Penyet Ria

Lucky Plaza
304 Orchard Road
#04-25

Operating Hours:
12.00pm til 9.00pm Daily