When you visit Ipoh, you must try the famous salt-baked chicken, locally known as Ayam Garam.
Ipoh’s famous salt-baked Chicken is one of the city’s most sought-after dishes, after “Tauge Ayam,” or bean sprout chicken, and “Tau Foo Fah,” a delicate Chinese soya bean dessert.
First-timers to Ipoh will be curious to try this chicken dish and want to taste it.
Customers can only buy this dish for takeout, as shops don’t offer dine-in options.
Visitors often stop and buy the famous Ayam Garam at one of the 4 Tastiest Salt Baked Chicken 盐焗鸡 Yim Kook Kai in Ipoh.
Some are openly curious and think the chickens are salty, like salted fish.
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Salt Baked Chicken Cooking Process
The name “salt-baked chicken” comes from the cooking process, where the chicken is marinated with Chinese herbs, wrapped in paper packets, and baked with rock salt.
Some of the herbs used in the marinade are
- Chinese Rice Wine
- Tang Kuei or Chinese Angelica
- Ginseng
- Wolfberries
If you prefer organic kampung chickens, you can request them at the shops when you purchase them.
Usually, there aren’t any chili sauces to go with the birds.
What’s in the box?
The salt-baked chicken sold is pre-cooked, boxed, and refrigerated.
The chickens are cooked in a fetal position and are usually about 1 to 1.2kg in weight.
What’s the taste of Salt Baked Chicken?
Due to the cooking process, white meat is slightly dry, while dark meat is tender.
Taste-wise, the dish is salty overall with the fragrance of Chinese herbs.
How to Eat Salt Baked Chicken?
The dish may be a tad salty for delicate palates; therefore, it is not recommended to eat it on its own (like steamed Chicken).
Instead, it is best paired with plain rice porridge, salted eggs, and pickled vegetables, which help balance the flavors.
Alternatively, it can be enjoyed as a dish with rice and stir-fried vegetables at home.
How do you reheat the Salt Baked Chicken?
You can steam the chicken in its envelope or pour over a bottle of Brands’ chicken essence and chopped carrots and wolfberries for extra flavor.
The chickens are flavorful and satisfying enough to have it on their own without adding other ingredients.
But if you like it, why not?
You’re the boss of your Ayam Garam!
What to do with leftover Salt Baked Chicken?
Leftover bones can create a distinctive stock for soups, porridge, casseroles, and gravy.
While the leftover Chicken meat can be used as a filling for a Chinese herb-infused chicken sandwich.
Where to buy Salt Baked Chicken?
If you want to purchase salt-baked chicken, a quick search on Google Maps will generate incredible results identifying the shops.
If you’re in the heart of Ipoh, just a few turns and you’ll arrive at the shop in the shortest queues. It all depends on the time you reach Ipoh.
Don’t worry.
The bird is ready-cooked, and you purchase a chilled bird to take home.
You can’t miss the Ayam Garam Outlets!
Three of the top Yim Kook Kai outlets are situated at Jalan Theatre, within a stone’s throw away from each other.
It’s so handy to swing the car around, run to the shop, place your order, and return to the car with your previous purchases.
Don’t worry.
Upon reaching the counter, you’ll find a multitude of chickens ready, packed in boxes, all lined up and ready to go.
So here’s the list of the outlets I’ve tested.
Ayam Garam Sin Tat Seng
Ayam Garam Sin Tat Seng Photo: Facebook
Ayam Garam Sin Tat Seng has two shops. The older shop is called Tat Seng, and the newer shop is across from Funny Mountain’s soya products, Ayam Garam Sin Tat Seng.
The whole salted Chicken from Tat Seng is wrapped in a yellow or brown and white box and sold at RM19.
Other items of interest include boneless roast duck (RM32), smoked Duck (RM38), and an assortment of pork dishes.
Ayam Garam Sin Tat Seng
48, Jalan Mustapha Al-Bakry, Taman Jubilee, 30300 Ipoh
Happy Delicious Salted Chicken
Happy Delicious Salted Chicken started from a Kafe Zun Seng Fatt stall on Jalan Bandar Timah. The new outlet is painted a bright red at Jalan Theatre.
The difference is in taste.
- The Eight Treasures Salt Baked Chicken (RM22)
- Regular Salt Baked Chicken (RM19)
- Smoked Duck (half, RM19; whole, RM37)
- Chicken Drumstick (RM7)
- Duck Drumsticks (RM8)
The birds are more robust in taste and salted to the core, with the ‘eight treasures’ herbal taste securely contained within the cavity.
The breast portion may taste a little dry. The herbal taste is solid and unbeatable.
Happy Delicious Salted Chicken (福禄寿盐焗鸡)
54, Jalan Theatre, Taman Jubilee, 30300 Ipoh
Business Hours: Daily 9.30 am – 9.30 pm
Ayam Garam See Heong
Ayam Garam See Heong Photo: Zupermar
Ayam Garam See Heong is a lesser-known salt-baked chicken in Ipoh that holds its own against the big brands.
And sells a variety of food gifts to bring home apart from their salted baked Chicken produced in three ways;
- ordinary salted Chicken (RM19)
- vacuum-packed (RM19), and
- a unique full moon package (RM22)
Ayam Garam See Heong
51, Jalan Theatre, Taman Jubilee, 30300 Ipoh
Business Hours: Daily 10 am – 6.30 pm
The most famous Salt Baked Chicken 盐焗鸡 Yim Kook Kai in Ipoh
Aun Kheng Lim Salted Chicken 宴琼林盐焗鸡
Aun Kheng Lim is the most famous salt-baked chicken shop in Ipoh.
Loyal customers swear that it’s the best. The salt-baked chicken shop opened for business in 1987.
The shop, painted bright red with white accents, stands at the Jalan Theatre corner, and it is almost impossible to miss.
Aun Kheng Lim’s kampung, or free-range Chicken, is stuffed with herbs like female ginseng and Goji berries.
Baked wrapped in a parchment paper parcel under a mound of rock salt, the Chicken’s meat is juicy and practically falls off the bone.
The Taste of Aun Kheng Lim Salted Chicken
The overnight leftover chicken bones make an outstanding stock with flavors infused heavily with salt and herbs.
I like to make chicken porridge with leftovers.
Each box costs RM19. You can purchase a vacuum-packed version for freezing.
The best way to enjoy it is to pull the meltingly tender flesh straight off the bone with the delicious clear juice dripping!
Aun Kheng Lim Salted Chicken 宴琼林盐焗鸡
24, Jalan Theatre, Taman Jubilee, 30300 Ipoh
Business Hours: Daily 9 am – 6.30 pm
