If there’s one thing I personally enjoy, it’s a sinful, indulgent platter of fried chicken and waffles.
There’s just something about the savoury, crunchy and carb-y combination that makes it soul food-worthy.
And few places do it quite like Chequers Restaurant in TTDI does.
We spoke to Tim, one of the founders of Chequers Restaurant to find out more about their bestselling fried chicken and waffle dish.
“Throughout the years, we found out that the Malaysian palate favours strong, bold flavours from their fried chicken, and to ensure this, we decided not to go with the generic route of a buttermilk fried chicken like most American restaurants do in the States,” Tim shared.
Not entering the competitive buttermilk fried chicken market was a wise choice for the team because they thrive in the current field they are in.
To ensure that their chickens are flavourful right to the bone, they are marinated overnight and only fresh boneless chicken thighs (each of the same size) are used.
The dredge coating of the chicken is made with 10 different spices and herbs (both local and Western spices). “Our fried chicken does not contain any skin in order to make it crispy. We use a substitute special flour coating to make it extra crispy without the skin,” Tim shared.
All of their fried chicken dishes are prepared to order and they are deep fried for 3 minutes at the right temperature to reduce the oil from soaking into the chicken.
After cooking, the fried chicken is strained a second time in order to get rid of any excess oil—that’s why the chickens do not feel oily to the touch.
The chickens are then finished off in the oven for an additional 2 minutes with some melted cheese. “Everything is done on a timer to minimise any form of disparity,” Tim said.
Next comes the waffles.
It took the team countless trial and error episodes in order to come up with their desired ration of ingredients and the right waffle texture.
The team could not settle with just plain savoury ones so their version has garlic powder and chives added to it in order to create a similar flavour pairing to the chicken.
All purpose flour is used and the mixture is created in-house with Chequers’ own secret recipe. It’s cooked in the waffle iron maker for 2 minutes.
The final step is the sauce served alongside the fried chicken and waffles.
“We decided on cheese and honey mustard to cut down on the heat from the spices of the fried chicken. It still packs a punch of flavour but yet balances out the heat,” Tim said.
The combination of waffles, fried chicken and their classic sauce is what makes this a standout dish at Chequers Restaurant and I can attest to that, having tried the dish out myself.
The addictive factor is in the spices used to marinate the chicken.
“In addition to the seasoning for the fried chicken, our waffles also have additional ingredients to elevate the whole dish. We want to make sure that there’s a burst of flavour for every bite you take,” Tim shared.
If you’re keen to give their classic fried chicken and waffles (or other flavour variations like the Mexican Fried Chicken Waffles) a go, find them here.
Chequers Restaurant TTDI
Hours: Thursdays-Tuesdays: 8am-11pm, Closed on Wednesdays.
Address: 153, Jalan Aminuddin Baki, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Website: Chequers Restaurant
Tel: 03-7733 3068
All Image Credit: Chequers Restaurant
