Canton-Z Chicken Rice: RM5 chicken rice, siew yoke & char siew with long queues at Taman Indah 

Barely a week from my last garlic roasted chicken affair, I found myself craving for the taste of chicken rice once again. And I knew where exactly to go: Canton-Z Chicken Rice.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this little chicken rice joint located in Taman Bukit Indah, Kuala Lumpur, they are well-known in Klang Valley for their juicy and tender roast chicken. 

Frankly I was a little lost when I arrived. There were two other chicken rice shops in the vicinity and I was quite worried I might stumble into the wrong one. So if you are just as confused as I was, Canton-Z Chicken Rice is right opposite a food court and it displays a green banner. 

And yes, a plate of chicken rice here will cost you RM5. I believed it cost RM4.50 a few months ago. A mix of pork and chicken will rack up to RM8. 

As I took my seat, I noticed there was a non-stop flurry of customers, many who even brought their own containers to tapau the meal. There were also huge pots of rice cookers at the side, no doubt to cater to the onslaught of customers. 

What I tried at Canton-Z CRP & Chicken Rice

I ordered my usual fare: a portion of chicken, siew yoke and char siew. In less than five minutes, a generous plate filled with three kinds of meat, rice, soup and the usual chilli sauce (RM15). I was stunned. Even back in Penang, it wouldn’t be easy to score such a meal at an extremely affordable price tag. I couldn’t believe my ears and eyes. Even my friends in Penang were surprised to hear how affordable the meal was. 

I took a bite of the soy sauce laced with bits of fried garlic roasted chicken. The roast chicken had already soaked up a lot of the soy sauce and well, it was the juiciest bird I’ve had in a while. I could practically see the skin glistening with soy sauce and juice. I added a dab of the chilli sauce to it and well, was blown away once again. I could taste the freshness of the chillies with a little zest from the lime juice. 

Hungry Bacon serves all things pork like nasi kerabu babi percik, BBQ ribs & pork shoulder chop

When it comes to char siew, I’ve always been picky. Most restaurants either make the sauce too sweet or the meat is simply too lean. I placed the unassuming-looking slice of char siew into my mouth and instantly was transported to a sweet heaven. I could feel the meat melting in my mouth, coating my pleasure senses with joy. How could something so innocent looking taste so good? It was one of the best char siews I’ve had from a chicken rice shop ever (and yes, that includes my coveted Penang island). 

I eyed the siu yoke sitting amongst its two meaty siblings. Could this be as tasty as the previous two? Have I really found the holy trinity of chicken rice shops? And you know the test— that magnificent crackle of the pork skin is what differentiates an elite siu yoke from the common folk. The louder the sound, the more solid proof that it has been roasted to perfection— salty and crunchy on the outside, on the inside.

And yes, it crackled on the outside and I could taste the lingering saltiness. Canton-Z Chicken Rice has truly done what I thought was impossible, bringing the three meats together. The meal was so good, I polished off the entire plate. 

Final thoughts

If you ever plan on visiting Canton-Z Chicken Rice, a little heads up— the food here sells out by 12.30pm to 1pm. I’m not even remotely surprised. With such affordable prices and good food, who wouldn’t swing by here? They also offer free flow of soup for diners— I swear, this stall just keeps blowing my mind. I also found out that the owner of Canton-Z Chicken Rice, Ken Ong runs another chicken rice restaurant in Pudu— Hong Kong Taste 1975. After this experience, my heart’s telling me to pay that stall a visit too!  

As I sat writing this, my thoughts kept wandering to the melt-in-the-mouth char siew. Who knew this dish could be so addictive?

Expected damage: RM5 – RM10 per pax

Wong Mei Kee: Charcoal roast pork so juicy & crunchy it sells out in 3 hours