About a year or so ago, Chicking opened in Malaysia during the Raya holidays (or thereabouts, I remember having a late lunch here with Kemu and Rin). When they first opened, they were so new, they didn’t even set up their drinks dispenser! As a new outlet, my friends and I were willing to forgive their tardiness in service, especially since they were relatively cheap. However, while they were cheap, their food was bad.

I remember Kemu saying that her nuggets tasted like leftover in the open air nuggets that were just heated up before they served it to her. The coleslaw too, was exceptionally bad and definitely not fresh. The fried chicken was limp and didn’t resemble fried chicken at all. Needless to say, we all gave the place a wide berth after that. I’ve been coming back to Tropicana now and then and each time I passed Chicking, I noticed the place was almost empty.

Even during dinner time. And if you’re empty during dinner in Malaysia (UNLESS you’re serving really niche food like chicken backside dipped in wine and served with cheese) then you know that the place has really bad food. Malaysians will even tolerate bad service for good food but never bad food for great service. We’re elitists when it comes to food.

So, what’s the point of this entry?

As you could have guessed by now, I’ve decided to give Chicking a second try. And I think thereafter I’ll pass on it forever.

The good stuff?

The food has improved. At least there’s a certain crunch when I bite into my fried chicken, and the meat does taste like fried chicken. The portions are so-so; for the price you pay it was enough to fill my stomach. All in all, it tasted like fairly decent fried chicken. The meal I took was a Royal Snack, as they called it. One piece chicken, two pieces chicken strip, a bowl of rice and a drink. I changed the rice for mash because I didn’t feel like chewing (much).

Here’s the thing though. After you get through the superficialities of the chicken sounding crisp when you take it apart with your fingers, you realise that the chicken itself is bland. There’s no taste in the chicken (not even of oil like in the mamak) and worse, the seasoning tastes like flour. It’s a meal to fill the stomach if you had no other option, and I’m kind of regretting eating here cause, well, I’m in Tropicana City Mall. There’s always a better option.

Lesson learnt: No more Chicking after this. Possibly never again.