By Nancy Nais
KUCHING, April 12: Does anyone else just find themselves lost in thought occasionally, and daydreaming about crispy, juicy, succulent fried chicken?
Not just over any chicken, but Pian’s crispy fried chicken. Cooked until perfectly golden brown and crunchy on the outside, but still tender, juicy, and flavourful on the inside, it’s beyond tasty and exactly the type of stuff dreams are made of.
Whether it is breast, thigh or wings, each and every piece is evenly coated with a crunchy rippled casing that I look forward to sinking my teeth in.
Introduced to the stall by a friend quite sometime ago, it was not until recently that I remembered about it and decided to give it a try.
Operated by Rosnani Saptiyan, 35, and her husband Faizal Abdullah, 39, their humble stall is located right in front of CS Mini Market at Tabuan Tranquility here.
Speaking to DayakDaily, Rosnani said her father started selling fried chicken by the roadside in front of Kampung Tabuan Melayu where they live.
“I learnt the trade from my father and later took over the business, selling at the same place. Two years ago, upon his advice, we decided to move our location to Tabuan Tranquility.
“We felt it was a better place because of the strategic location, with a huge housing and commercial area, Sama Jaya Industrial Park, just a stone throw away and there were no other stalls here then,” Rosnani said.
As their’s was the only roadside stall at the location then, people started dropping by to buy Pian’s crispy fried chicken.
With tasty chicken affordably priced at RM2 per piece, it’s hardly surprising that the crowd stopping by grew bigger day by day.
This was proven after DayakDaily had visited the stall a few times, observing people diligently queuing up and patiently waiting for their fried chicken.
From an initial 200 pieces, Rosnani and Faizal now sell about 450 pieces per day, with many repeat customers.
They also accept bookings for festive or special occasions, depending on their customers.
Rosnani disclosed that her regulars would usually book a few hundred pieces for Chinese New Year.
However, due to fears and restrictions on gatherings due to Covid-19 since early 2020, bookings for festive open house has decreased.
“Like others, we had to close for three months during the Movement Control Order as directed by Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC). It was hard then, because our daily income from a small stall like this became zero.
“Many people who contacted us actually suggested or requested that we sell from our house. On the other hand, my husband and I were also concerned about the pandemic as this was a serious matter. After some consideration, we chose not sell from home.
“So it was a great relief when SDMC announced it was allowing small-time business people like us to operate our food stalls again. Although business is slightly slower, it is better than nothing and we are grateful for that,” she added.
Adhering to the standard operating procedures set by SDMC, customers must register their visit to the stall through the MySejahtera app and take a temperature scan before placing their order.
“I love the fried chicken from this stall. It is truly fresh, delicious and affordable. Although they prepare the raw materials at the back of the stall, you can see the area is very clean. No mess, no rubbish, and they use aprons and gloves,” stall regular Nick Stephen said, adding that owners are very friendly to every customer.
At times when the queue gets very long, he has had to wait between 10 to 15 minutes before he could get his fried chicken.
He also shared his disappointment of arriving at the stall a couple of times, only to be told that the stall had sold out of fried chicken.
Meanwhile, sharing her simple recipe, Rosnani disclosed that she uses regular flour, salt, pepper and Ajinomoto.
“After I flour-coat the chicken, I will let it rest for two to three hours before frying it. This will allow the chicken to form a crust and warm to room temperature which will help it cook through evenly.
“When frying, make sure that the oil is at the right temperature. If it’s too hot, the outside of the chicken will get burned. If it’s cold, the chicken will turn out soggy and greasy,” she explained.
Rosnani and Faizal also sell plain rice and nasi lemak pandan to complement their crispy fried chicken.
The stall is opened daily from 5pm to 10pm. The couple may be contacted at 012-8820582. — DayakDaily
