IDN: Ayam Goreng Suharti

Tasty fried chicken with addictive crispy bits!

Are you a fan of fried chicken? Ayam Goreng Suharti in Indonesia serves delicious fried chicken topped with a generous amount of crispy bits that'll surely make you crave for more. I visited one of its branches in Jakarta in December 2019. They are also available in a few other cities, although are mostly concentrated in the island of Java.

The history of the restaurant, which originated from Yogyakarta, dates back to 1972. In 1984, it started expanding to other cities.

Ayam Goreng (Separuh) Rp 60,000 (~S$5.85)

Taste: 8.5/10

I ordered half a chicken, which was deep-fried till crispy, but the white meat retained as much moisture as it could. The savoury crispy bits made of a mix of flour and chicken broth were truly a delight to have with rice. It came with a side of homemade chili sauce that was spicy enough to make me sweat inside the air-conditioned restaurant.

Sambal Goreng Krecek Rp 29,000 (~S$2.85)

Taste: 8/10

When I mentioned the dish to the waiter taking my order, he asked me whether I'd like it to be wet or dry. As I couldn't decide, I asked him for recommendation, to which he replied he enjoyed the wet version better. Swimming inside the pretty oily, but delicious coconut milk-based gravy were krecek (lit. cattle skin) that had a soft and slightly bouncy texture, tempe (lit. fermented soya bean cake) and tofu cubes.

Sayur Asam Rp 15,000 (~S$1.45)

Taste: 7/10

More often that not, I order the tamarind-based soup whenever I can find it in an Indonesian restaurant. Found inside the one served at Ayam Goreng Suharti were chayote cubes, young jackfruits, sweet corns, tomatoes, peanuts and a small of section of a corn cob. It wasn't too shabby, but it could be bolder in terms of the sweet and sour flavours.

Wedang Uwuh Rp 18,000 (~S$4.55)

Taste: 8.5/10

It was my virgin experience with the traditional drink that literally means 'rubbish drink' in Javanese, named so due to the various spices that go into the drink, including kayu secang (lit. Indian redwood) shavings that give it the distinctive dark red colour. Sweetened with rock sugar served at the side, it was a hearty drink that was highly fragrant without any bitter taste.

Melon's Rating

Taste: 8/10

Ambience: 6.5/10
Service: 7.5/10
Overall: 7.5/10

Pika's advice: Be delighted to know that the restaurant sells the crispy bits in small jars, each priced at Rp 16,000 (~S$1.55). I bought two to bring home at the end of the meal. It's easy to spot a branch of Ayam Goreng Suharti from the yellow-coloured signboard with a photo of the lady owner.

Ayam Goreng Suharti

Jalan H. Agus Salim No. 63

Jakarta

Indonesia

(Daily: 10.00am - 10.00pm)

*Prices quoted are subject to 10% VAT.

Have a nice meal,

Cliff(y)