MasterChef SG Judge Bjorn Shen’s Favourite Ayam Goreng (Fried Chicken)

Hi Makan Kakis!

This week we welcome back Masterchef Singapore Judge, Chef-Owner of Artichoke & Small’s, Bjorn Shen! With the brand new season of Masterchef Singapore back, Bjorn returns to catch us up on the fierce culinary competition and he also shares where to find what he thinks is the best Ayam Goreng (fried chicken) in Singapore. One look at his photo to the left and you already know Bjorn in a massive fried chicken fan and he’ll let us in on not one, but TWO types of amazing Ayam Goreng, both of which come with different, but no less killer sambals!

Delicious details are below, but first…

HEAR:

• Click to listen/ download podcast of our Masterchef Singapore Season 2 interview (PART 1).
  
• Click to listen/ download podcast of our Masterchef Singapore Season 2 interview (PART 2).

SEE:

*** If you’re here because you just heard about La Porpo on GOLD 905 or via CNA Lifestyle, this is an older post. For the latest update on this awesome ayam goreng, go here instead. It’s La Porpo revisted: https://makankakiswithdenise.wordpress.com/2021/10/21/8459/

OK Makan Kakis, here it is! Chef Bjorn’s favourite Ayam Goreng. In his opinion, this stall in a coffeeshop along Jalan Besar (just opposite Sim Lim Tower) does the most amazing fried chicken in Singapore. He had tried Laporpo’s Ayam Penyet several times before and thought it was simply mind-blowing, until he tried their Ayam Geprek, which he describes as in another universe! Chef Bjorn’s mind was blown all over again with his first taste of the Ayam Geprek.

For the uninitiated, Ayam Penyet is an Indonesian-style fried chicken that’s coated in a lightly-spiced crispy batter, then smashed and served with sambal on the side (see picture above).

Ayam Geprek (pictured above) is also a smashed fried chicken, but the sambal is smothered on top and according to Chef Bjorn, they “smash it even further into the fibres of the chicken.” 

The spices used  in the 2 chicken dishes are slightly different, but both are punchy in flavour & powerfully spicy, with a fiery burn that lingers. In particular, the sambal served with the Ayam Penyet (atop a small portion of achar), had a heat that hurt so good! It had a deeply umami belacan flavour & little went a loooong way to add ommph to the crispy on the ouside, juicy on the inside chicken.

A regular crispy chicken rice set goes for as little as $3, but Denise recommends you go for the Penyet & Geprek specials ($6 – $10), which comes with a delicious, aromatic green fried rice studded with fluffy egg and leafy greens. For the special sets, you can choose to have chicken, fish or prawn. The Ayam Penyet special came with a fried egg – the creamy yolk tempered the fiery sambal and for extra texture, deep fried triangles of tofu, fresh cucumber and cherry tomatoes.

The sambal slathered right into the Ayam Geprek was very fragrant, garlicky, liberally scattered with tear-inducing chilli seeds and looked to have a mix of green and chillis. The heat and taste permeated the chicken meat beautifully and every bite yielded a pops of spicy goodness.

The two Ayam Specials travelled well for takeaway, the chicken remaining tender under the crispy exterior, while the rice was al dente and fluffy.

So there you have it, Makan Kakis, mouthwatering crispy chicken and killer sambal – how can you resist? Hurry down to Jalan Besar for your La Porpo Ayam Goreng fix now! And even if fried chicken isn’t your thing, La Porpo has many other options for you, from fish to beef to prawn, as well as rice and noodle dishes.

TASTE:
LA PORPO
29/31 Jalan Besar S(208798)
Open Tuesday to Sunday 12 noon – 10pm
Tel: +65 87424850