Update: This business has ceased its operations.

Tori Deli Fried Chicken & BBQ is a quick service restaurant that specializes in chicken dishes from around the world. The eatery is located in Prominence, a new commercial area at Bandar Baru Perda. In case you are wondering, “Tori” is the Japanese word for “chicken”.

Tori Deli uses self-service model where customers place their orders at the front counter. The spacious dining area has several family-style booths and a large table at the center. Tori Deli is a popular venue for birthday parties.

Malaysian Spicy Lemak (RM9.90) is a must-try dish for people who are unafraid of extreme spiciness. The sambal (chili paste) is slow-cooked for several hours until the liquid becomes thick and devilishly spicy. The meal comes with 6 pieces of Country Fried Chicken. Although lean breast is used, the fried chicken is remarkably tender!

Tori Deli offers 12 pieces of fried chicken for RM9.90 only. Besides Country Fried Chicken, there are 4 more flavors. Salted Egg Zhaji (Chinese) and Fragrant Karaage Tori (Japanese) are meant for the mainstream palate. Meanwhile, Sticky Dalg Twigim (Korean) is ideal for people who enjoy spiciness. I personally recommend Tangy Pollo Fritto (Spanish) as it has a unique fruity sweetness.

Buffalo Wings (RM10.70 for 6 pieces) are popular among regular customers. Grilled chicken wings are coated with hot sauce and sesame seeds. A non-spicy version is available too. It takes some time to prepare Buffalo Wings because Tori Deli cooks them to order.

For an additional RM6.00, customers can choose any 2 sides to supplement their meals. If you select soft drink, you can have your drink refilled for free. Nevertheless, I highly recommend Bouncy Potatoes and Homemade Mash Potato.

Bouncy Potatoes are battered baby potatoes with their skins intact. Meanwhile, Homemade Mash Potato is mashed by hand and is served with mushroom sauce. In both cases, you can feel the rough texture of potato skin.

Tori Deli serves breakfast items from 7:00am to 11:00am. Soup In A Bowl (RM8.90) is essentially mushroom soup served in a bread bowl. The bread bowl is baked fresh in a combi oven.

Another popular choice is Mini Croissants & Scrambled Egg (RM5.90). But if you prefer croissants with filling, try the Chocolate Croissant (RM9.90), Hazelnut Croissant (RM9.90) or Salted Egg Croissant (RM9.90) instead.

Each breakfast item comes with a cup of coffee or tea. For a limited time, Tori Deli is offering discounted breakfast exclusively for my readers. It is important to note that Tori Deli has halal certification.cc

Name: Tori Deli Fried Chicken & BBQ
Address: 61, Lorong Perda Utama 3, Bandar Baru Perda, 14000 Bukit Mertajam, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 012-423-2408
Business hours: 7:00am-10:00pm, closed on Mondays
Website: http://www.torideli.com
Coordinates: 5.36537 N, 100.42809 E
Directions: From the large Seberang Perai roundabout, take the west exit towards Bandar Perda. After 200 meters, turn left to Lorong Perda Utama 3. Tori Deli is located on the right. There are parking spaces on both sides of the road.

4FINGERS Crispy Chicken is a popular brand of fried chicken restaurants from Singapore. There are currently 2 outlets in Penang: Gurney Paragon Mall and Queensbay Mall. The latter store is located on Level 2.

In addition to the classic Soy Garlic and Hot Sauce flavors, 4FINGERS is introducing a new secret weapon: Firecracker Chicken. Customers have a choice of either drumsticks or wings. We opted for drumsticks. The combo meal comes with Skinny Fries and soft drinks.

Each piece of Firecracker Chicken is coated with 4FINGERS’ signature soy sauce and powdery spice mix. The firecracker sauce has a devilish pungency; Szechuan pepper is the main villain behind its potent spiciness. If you think you can handle the Hot Sauce Chicken, the Firecracker Chicken certainly ups the ante.

4FINGERS’ Firecracker Chicken is only available for a limited time, so hurry up while it is still available. By the way, each 4FINGERS outlet has been halal-certified.

Name: 4FINGERS Crispy Chicken
Address: 2F-96, Queensbay Mall, Persiaran Bayan Indah, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-611-5473
Business hours: 10:00am-10:00pm
Website: http://www.4fingers.com
Coordinates: 5.33218 N, 100.30708 E
Directions: 4FINGERS is located on Level 2 of Queensbay Mall, a short distance from Harvey Norman. Queensbay Mall has a multilevel parking garage and several outdoor parking spaces.

4FINGERS Crispy Chicken is a chain of quick service restaurants from Singapore. There are currently 6 outlets in Malaysia. All stores are located in Klang Valley except a sole one in Penang. This outlet in Gurney Paragon Mall occupies the former location of Caffé Bene at the Ground Floor.

The founders of 4FINGERS were inspired by Korean fried chicken in New York City. The recipe was subsequently modified with Asian-style seasonings to suit the local palate. The brand is called “4FINGERS” because the founders believe that everyone needs 4 fingers to tear their fried chicken apart.

4FINGERS uses the self-service model to save manpower. Each customer typically places an order at the front counter and is given a pager. When the pager beeps, the customer may collect food from the pick up counter. During my visit, food is served within 15 minutes upon ordering.

For starters, I opted for 1 Drumstick & 3 Wings (RM19.70 for combo meal). The chicken consists of 1 drumstick, 1 drumette and 2 wingettes. In addition, the combo meal also includes Skinny Fries and a soft drink. Skinny Fries can be served with seaweed or kimchi.

As for fried chicken, there are 2 seasoning choices: Soy Garlic and Hot & Spicy. Customers can also request for a combination of both. The Asian-inspired soy sauce is fermented for 5 months and does not contain any artificial flavoring. Meanwhile, the Hot & Spicy flavor packs a fiery punch of pungency; you have been warned!

Next, the Seafood Rice Box (RM16.90 for à la carte) contains battered calamari and shrimps that are fried to a scrumptious crisp. The rice box also includes kimslaw on the side. The word “kimslaw” is a portmanteau of “kimchi” and “coleslaw”. At 4FINGERS, the kimslaw is fermented on-site every day.

The B.F.F. (RM15.00 for à la carte) is the bestselling chicken burger at 4FINGERS. The crispy chicken chop is sandwiched between halves of a sesame bun, and accompanied by fresh mushrooms and roasted garlic sauce. Like the fried chicken, the burger patty is available in either seasoning.

Moving on, the Chicken Katsu Sandwich (RM15.00 for à la carte) is prepared using fried Chinese buns (炸馒头). Inside each bun is 4FINGERS’ signature chicken with a sizable portion of kimslaw and iceberg lettuce. Each serving comes in 2 pieces.

As for iced drinks, Signature Honey Yuzu (RM5.60) is prepared in a cocktail shaker. The drink’s citrus tanginess makes it a perfect beverage to quench thirst.

All 4FINGERS outlets in Malaysia have halal certification. The franchise emphasizes on using fresh chicken and natural seasonings to prepare food. 4FINGERS does not use monosodium glutamate (MSG) or other artificial flavorings in its recipes.

Name: 4FINGERS Crispy Chicken
Address: L1.06, Gurney Paragon Mall, Persiaran Gurney, 10250 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-293-8741
Business hours: 10:00am-10:00pm
Website: http://www.4fingers.com
Coordinates: 5.43576 N, 100.31164 E
Directions: 4FINGERS is located at Level 1 of Gurney Paragon Mall. The restaurant is adjacent to Cho Dong Jib. Gurney Paragon has a multi-storey parking garage.

Restoran SYW is one of the few such shops that have air conditioning, making it relatively comfortable compared to many restaurants nearby. There are also extra dining spaces upstairs. However, the upper floor is only used when there are too many customers.

We ordered a plate of Barbecue Pork + Roasted Duck Rice (叉烧烧鸭饭, RM8.50). The restaurant’s signature roasted duck (烧鸭) has a waxy coating to begin with. Marinated with herbs, the duck is quite scrumptious. We would have ordered roasted duck drumstick (烧鸭腿) instead but it is not available at the moment.

Meanwhile, the barbecue pork (叉烧) is delectable too. We also enjoy the oily rice (油饭) as it goes pretty well with duck and pork. As for condiments, the chili sauce has a substantial degree of saltiness.

A meaty dish is best paired with Chinese tea. Served in a tea bag, Tie Guan Yin (铁观音, RM2.00) helps to cleanse the palate after a heavy meal.

While this is Restoran SYW’s flagship shop, there are two more outlets at Taman Ipoh Jaya and Bandar Baru Medan Ipoh.

Address: 63, Jalan Mustapha Al-Bakri, 30300 Ipoh, Perak
Contact: 05-241-3771
Business hours: 10:00am-8:00pm

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The bean sprouts chicken here uses bearded chicken, whose flesh is yellowish and tenderer than regular chicken’s. The bearded chicken (胡须鸡, RM11.00 for single portion) is served with light soy sauce, sliced cucumber and chopped scallions. It also goes well with homemade chili sauce.

Ipoh’s bean sprouts are said to be blessed with pristine water from limestone hills, making them exceptionally plump and juicy. The juicy bean sprouts (芽菜, RM3.00 for single portion) are briefly blanched to preserve their crunchiness.

The boiled chicken can be eaten with hor fun (河粉) or chicken rice (鸡饭). We opted for the former (RM2.00). The flat rice noodle is delightfully springy. In addition, the clear chicken soup in which hor fun is served in is quite strong in flavor.

Although Lou Wong’s bean sprouts chicken is reasonably good, it is not impossible to find other restaurants that can cook equally well. The tables are served by elderly staff members whose patience is in short supply. So it is advisable to make up your mind before placing orders.

Address: 49, Jalan Yau Tet Shin, 30300 Ipoh, Perak
Contact: 05-254-4199
Business hours: 10:30am-12:00am
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BBQ Chicken used to have an outlet at New World Park. But due to lack of publicity (I think), the store quietly slipped into obscurity then closure. Although I am still visiting the Klang Valley outlets ever since, it is a pleasant surprise to see BBQ Chicken back in the Pearl of the Orient.

This new outlet is located at Elit Avenue, one of the upcoming commercial areas in Bayan Baru. Today is its third opening day. As expected, the place is packed with customers by noon. Penang folks are really a curious bunch of people.

This Korean franchise restaurant specializes in different kinds of chicken recipes, such as grilled, fried and sous-vide cooking. Although there are 11 types in total, only 3 types are available today. One notable aspect of BBQ Chicken is the use of olive oil in its kitchen. To retain freshness, chicken is only chilled, never frozen.

If my memory serves me well, the Korean Charbroiled (순살양념갈비, RM17.90) is among the better ones at BBQ Chicken. This dish consists of a piece of grilled chicken thigh with rice and salad as side dishes.

The boneless chicken thigh is marinated for 24 hours beforehand, using a special blend of soy sauce and spices. As a result, the chicken is bursting with sweet-savory juiciness, succulent and appetizing throughout. My main concern with the chicken is the presence of cartilage, which manifests itself as a nasty surprise when biting the cutlet.

To be honest, the heap of rice on the side is very bland. If I were to call the shots, I would have used butter and garlic to improve its gastronomical appeal. But given the fact that the franchisee is bound to stringent cooking procedures, I doubt there is room to make such changes.

Finally, the vegetable salad is dressed with mustard. No complains here, but nothing really to shout about either. I think Nando’s gives significantly better variety of side dishes.

According to the menu, other recommended dishes at BBQ Chicken are Jerk BBQ (통다리바베큐치킨), Golden Chicken (황금치킨), Gangjeong Chicken (강정치킨) and Hot Hot Drums (매운닭다리치킨). I will defer these dishes to my next visit.

Address: 1-1-22, Elit Avenue, Jalan Mayang Pasir 3, 11950 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-611-6312
Business hours: 10:00am-10:00pm
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Ini Kari Lah is a restaurant within the grounds of The Cerebral Palsy (Spastic) Children’s Association Of Penang. The name is a play on a political catchphrase used during the 2013 general elections. In addition, the restaurant’s name reflects its signature dishes: curries.

The chef of Ini Kari Lah has over 40 years of culinary experience under his belt. His specialties are creamy curry and dry curry. Focusing on homemade recipes, the menu is a combination of Malay, Chinese and Indian dishes. Ini Kari Lah is a halal-certified restaurant and also caters food for the center.

Shortly after being seated, a plate of Murukku (RM1.50) is served. We did not actually order any starters, but I guess it is a matter of courtesy to accept what’s served on the table.

Norwegian salmon is used to prepare Curry Fish Head (咖喱鱼头, RM38.00). Served in a claypot, the curry also contains vegetables like tomato, onion and mint leaves. In terms of flavor, I prefer the curry’s spiciness to be more intense.

The dish of Home Stew Chicken & Bean Curd (秘制李卤味, RM12.00) is reasonably good. I think the key contributing factor is the gravy itself.

Curry Fish Ball (咖喱鱼旦, RM15.00) uses the same curry base as salmon. Again, I think I prefer spicier curry.

Lychee Sweet & Sour Fish Fillet (荔枝甜酸鱼片, RM15.00) is an interesting dish. Both the gravy and fillet are nicely done. However, I think the influence of lychee is somewhat deficient.

The final dish is Daily Vegetables With Chicken Floss (鸡丝蚝油时菜, RM8.00), which I think is reasonable in terms of taste.

Sago Ice Cream (西米露雪糕, RM5.50) is served as dessert. The ice cream has consistency at the midpoint between gelato and sorbet. This dessert is refreshing and I enjoy it very much.

As for drinks, Stevia White Coffee (咖啡甜菊叶, RM4.50) uses stevia leaf extract as a sugar substitute. Gram to gram, stevia has lower calorie content compared to cane sugar.

We also ordered a glass of hot Homemade Loh Han Guo (罗汉果, RM2.50) and iced Honey Lemon Juice (蜜糖柠檬, RM3.50).

The outlet in Queensbay Mall was our destination today. I had a friend to accompany me in this poultry feast.

My friend, who is not used to spicy food, ordered the 1/2 Peri-Peri Chicken (RM26.90) in Mild flavor, which is the second-lowest setting. I must commend Nando’s for its spicy marinade, because the meat is so juicy even to the bones! The portion is also quite large, unlike the “spring chicken” size served by KFC.

The meal comes with two sides, which my friend picked the Corn-On-The-Cob and the Mediterranean Rice. The corn is a bit burnt on one side, but the rice is soft and just nice.

In addition to the chicken, there was an option to add a bowl of Peri Soup (RM5.90). We didn’t find it particularly special, so there was nothing to shout about.

I wanted to be more adventurous, so I ordered the Espetada (RM30.90). The Espetada is a Portuguese dish using a skewer. Chunks of marinated chicken and peppers were grilled over fire and served with the skewer hanging up-side-down from a hook. I selected the Hot spiciness setting, which is the second highest. The meat is juicy indeed!

Ordering this dish also included a choice of two sides. I prompted selected something different: Chips and Peri Potato Salad. The Chips were a little too dry, while the Peri Potato Salad was just normal.

For drinks, we had the Bottomless Heaven & Earth Ice Lemon Tea (RM5.90). It’s good that the drinks were refillable, because we needed all the help we could get while battling the super-spicy peri-peri (African bird’s eye chili)!