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Malaysians really do know how to run a food trend into the ground — and right now, pistachio is still in the Billboard Hot 100. Ever since the pistachio kunafa blew up worldwide, the rich, nutty green filling has basically made its way into everything here. Desserts, coffee, croissants, ice cream… and now, ayam gepuk.
Instead of stopping at sweet treats, Ole Ayam Gepuk decided to take the trend somewhere completely unexpected by throwing pistachio into their menu. It sounds a little ridiculous at first, but also weirdly like something Malaysians would absolutely be into. What else can I do other than trying it myself?
What to order at Ole Ayam Gepuk
At Ole Ayam Gepuk, the ayam gepuk meals come in 4 different set options, labelled from A to D. The first 3 sets come with raw cabbage, but I ended up going for Set D instead because it included gizzards and deep-fried cabbage — which immediately sounded like the better deal to me.
If you’re curious about the viral pistachio sauce, it’s an extra RM2 per scoop. You can also add refillable soft drinks for RM2.90. Altogether, my meal came up to RM20.40, which honestly didn’t feel too painful considering how generous the portion was.
That said, the pistachio sauce portion was a little stingy at first. One scoop disappeared surprisingly fast once everything arrived, so we ended up ordering another serving on the side just to properly try it with the whole plate.
The sambal was decent overall, though definitely more focused on heat than flavour. The chillies were blended quite coarsely, while the cashew leaned smoother and oilier in texture. The spice builds up slowly and lingers, so spice lovers would probably have a great time with it.
As for the pistachio sauce, the texture was pretty similar to the cashew mixture — finely blended with a noticeable layer of oil sitting on top. On its own, it oddly reminded me of a nutty honey sauce. It could probably work on both desserts and savoury food depending on how it’s used.
But once mixed together with the rice, sambal and chicken, the pistachio flavour itself kind of disappeared into the background. The sweetness stayed, though, which made it taste surprisingly close to kicap manis. So if you’re expecting a strong roasted pistachio flavour throughout the meal, this might not fully deliver.
The chicken itself was solid. You don’t seem to be able to choose specific parts through the self-order kiosks, though maybe the counter staff can help if you ask nicely. Mine wasn’t overly seasoned, but it was still flavourful enough with a crispy exterior and juicy meat inside. Some parts were slightly tougher, but overall, it was still satisfying to eat.
The tempeh and tauhu were probably the most forgettable parts of the plate for me, while the gizzards turned out tougher than I’d hoped. However, the deep-fried cabbage ended up being one of the highlights. It still kept a nice bite and sweetness to it instead of being fried into tiny lifeless carcinogenic scraps like some places tend to do.
Who Ole Ayam Gepuk is best for
Ole Ayam Gepuk is probably best for people who just want a solid ayam gepuk meal in a comfortable, no-frills setting without needing to think too much. Everything’s done through self-order kiosks, so the whole experience feels pretty quick and fuss-free once you walk in.
How to get there?
Ole Ayam Gepuk currently has a few outlets, including Subang Perdana and Wangsa Maju. We visited the Wangsa Maju branch, which is probably easiest to get to by car.
That said, parking can be a bit of a headache depending on the time you go, so maybe don’t show up already starving and impatient. The area gets fairly busy, especially during peak meal hours, so expect to do a couple of rounds before securing a spot if you’re unlucky.
Do we recommend Ole Ayam Gepuk?
If you’re around the area, honestly, yes. Ole Ayam Gepuk is still a pretty decent spot for a hearty ayam gepuk meal, especially for the portion and price you’re getting. A few things didn’t fully work for me personally — mainly some of the side items and the pistachio flavour not coming through as strongly as expected — but overall, the meal was still enjoyable.
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