Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Ayam Goreng 99 - where the chicken comes first

Most students of the University of New South Wales are probably familiar with the broad selection of Asian eateries on Anzac Parade near 'the roundabout' of Kingsford. There are plenty of both Chinese and Indonesian options at affordable prices that even students can't resist.

One such institution is Ayam Goreng 99 which serves up signature Indonesian style grilled and fried chicken and is oddly not located at 99 Anzac Parade.

Ayam goreng kalasan with nasi uduk and ati goreng from Ayam Goreng 99,
Anzac Parade, Kingsford
Most of the menu is quite a mouthful to pronounce for the non-Indonesian, but the great thing is that you don't actually need to utter a word at Ayam Goreng 99. Diners jot down their menu choices onto a notebook, which is then handed to the waitstaff - brilliantly simple.

You come to Ayam Goreng 99 for the ayam goreng - fried chicken. In this instance, it was the paha goreng kalasan deep fried, marinated Javanese style chicken. Most diners knowingly choose the juicy thigh portions although breast pieces are also available at the same price of $6 per piece of chicken.

A rich serve of nasi uduk coconut rice on the side and perhaps a dollop of the restaurant's own chilli sambal makes it a meal, albeit a vegetable free one. A treat of ati goreng deep fried liver turns out to be more dry than livery, and perhaps more appropriate tail-wagging consumers.

Ayam bakar with nasi uduk and sate telor goreng
I've opted for the charcoal-grilled and marinated ayam bakar; a thigh piece, of course, with a serving of coconut rice. The juicy chicken and sweet marinade ensured that I cleaned every miniscule bit of meat off the tasty bones of the thigh and drumstick.

My side treat of sate telor goreng deep fried egg yolk with satay is an unusual skewered offering of three cooked yolks lightly dressed with satay sauce, and is essentially cholesterol on a stick.

Pepes teri
We also have something similar to Malysian otak otak fish mousse wrapped and grilled in banana leaf - the pepes teri anchovies pepes blended with onions, chilli and spices including turmeric. There's some serious charred flavour infused into the banana leaf package in which little white anchovy fish swim amid numerous other ingredients.

With a sour vegetable soup on top of it all, it turned out to be a little too much food for an early lunch for two. But with uni student prices and some of the best chicken in town, Ayam Goreng 99 settles any chicken- or egg-related debate.

Ayam Goreng 99 on Urbanspoon

13 comments:

Dumpling Girl said...

This post couldn't come at a better time, heading there next week. I was always going to get the chicken, but you make me want the coconut rice now too :)

JB said...

Ayam Goreng 99 is the best! Faves include the chicken, the kang kong, the oxtail soup and the buttery chicken (Ayam Goreng Mantega?). Had those last night actually!

joey@forkingaroundsydney said...

And I'm going early next month. :-) I will definitely get the cholesterol on a stick!

Gastronomous Anonymous said...

This used to be my local! Try the ketoprak next time or the soup... It's good but their specialty is the chicken!

henry said...

i've been here so many times over the years and never had the sate telor. will have to give it a go next time. cant really go wrong with 99.

SarahKate (Mi Casa-Su Casa) said...

Well, now I'm craving coconut rice! That looks like a very happy plate!

Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella said...

Oh I love it here and it isn't too far from where we live (a dangerous thing :P).

Sara - Belly Rumbles said...

I have a friend that works at UNSW and totally envy their lunch time dining choices!

Rita (mademoiselle délicieuse) said...

Ayam Goreng 99 is seriously an institution and has been there for many, many years.

john@heneedsfood said...

LOVE this place! I just wish it was closer to home. Or maybe it's a good thing that it isn't!

Richard Elliot said...

My Indonesian friends always told me the thing to do in Kensington was to visit Pempek for their fish cakes as a starter and then pop down the road to Ayam 99 for a chicken main course.

I haven't tried it, but I like the idea of a DIY degustation!

gaby @ lateraleating said...

Gotta pay a visit to this place, I haven't had much Indonesian food but it looks like something I'd enjoy.

Tina said...

Hi Dumpling Girl - Chicken + cocnut rice and you've got a meal!

Hi JB - Buttery chicken sounds interesting... next time!

Hi joey - Haha, don't forget about the chicken :)

Hi Gastronomous Anonymous - Not sure I'd want it as a local as I'd probably be having ayam goreng every day!

Hi henry - Can't really go wrong with fried chicken...

Hi SarahKate - It sure is, especially with some of their intense sambal on the side!

Hi Lorraine - Definitely! So much chicken to be had...

Hi Sara - On campus isn't great but Kingsford simply rocks for lunch options.

Hi Rita - And many more years to come, I reckon!

Hi John - I think keeping it at a fair distance is a clever idea; close but not too close ;)

Hi Richard - Thanks for the tip; there are so many places there that sometime's it's hard to know where to go.

Hi Gaby - Yeah, the chicken isn't too adventurously Indo. I don't even know what some of the menu items are...

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