This is one of those dishes that always intimidated me during my childhood days, but gradually became more disarming, eventually reaching the point of being enticing.

The Dried Chili Chicken with Rice ($5) from Padi Emas was a humble Malay fare that could have been great, if it weren’t for how coagulated the sauce was and how tough the chicken dice were. But generally, the symphony of flavour-packed ingredients like garlic, spring onions, ginger, dark soy sauce make for a harmony that has a perennial appeal. Throw a fried egg into the picture, and you have a meal fit for virtually anyone! Although…it may possibly have the population of ‘white people’ who are constantly badgered by the Internet — those whose reputations are partly defined by their notorious disdain for spices, or their bizarre lament for the lack of crispiness in their chicken rendang — shaking in their shoes. (7.4/10) 😬