By Wilfred Pilo
The rhythmic chopping and thumping of a wooden board echo throughout his bustling establishment — a new reality for eatery owner Kueh Wee Han, who launched his chicken rice stall less than two weeks ago at the age of 40.
For Kueh, it is a bold new challenge — serving his succulent chicken rice as curious customers wonder about the eatery’s latest offerings.
To further attract customers, he plans to implement innovative strategies, confident that his new menu featuring succulent chicken rice will be a crowd puller, enticing patrons to his eatery, which he opened three years ago.
“I am a risk taker and have been in business and sales ventures for more than a decade, as a fish fry seller and a property agent. So, you need products that locals are accustomed to and happy to purchase.
“Since I’m running an eatery, I knew it had to offer tasty, familiar food that people know and enjoy. That’s how the idea for my chicken rice came about,” he told DayakDaily.
Kueh said his kopitiam is located in a secluded part of the commercial centre, but remains within a busy part of the city.
“Consequently, despite the presence of vendors offering a variety of popular local dishes, I decided to feature chicken rice because it is a universally recognised and enjoyed dish, suitable for consumption at any time.”
He revealed that to face the new challenge and venture, he honed his skills with the help of several culinary friends on how to prepare the chicken — and who knew that the good taste would ensure customer satisfaction and a craving for more.
“So, I practised for more than a month on how to cook the chicken, created my own recipe, and through trial and error, my friend and I were eating chicken for weeks until we achieved the right taste that we believed we could sell.”
Kueh and his friends are pleased that he has developed a chicken dish they believe will attract customers to the menu and offer patrons a wider selection.
To introduce customers to his flavour and refine his cutting techniques, Kueh opted for chicken thighs instead of whole chickens, as they are more manageable to prepare.
“Besides, people love chicken thighs, and this also helps us portion the dish accordingly, so customers become familiar with our style of serving.”
Kueh also created his own gravy for the succulent chicken cuts, which he pours over the meat before serving. He further crafted his own dipping chilli and prawn paste sauce, and tops the dish with broth to ensure a complete flavour experience.
“We then serve the succulent chicken with our closely guarded recipe of savoury rice, which satisfies patrons’ appetites. We want both new patrons and regulars to enjoy the dish, so we named our stall Joy Chicken Rice.”
Kueh hopes Joy Chicken Rice will be a hit, drawing customers from all walks of life to his stall and eatery.
“I know it is a challenge to introduce a new yet familiar dish at an eatery, but I am confident it will captivate people who love succulent chicken rice,” he said.
Kueh’s Joy Chicken Rice is located at B Joy Garden Café, Gala City Commercial Centre. It opens daily from 6am to 10pm, except on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. For more information, call 012-886 6207. — DayakDaily
