Ayam Bakar Solo: The best authentic Indonesian warung in KL with delicious ayam bakar & satisfying sambal
If you were driving past Taman Sri Sentosa at night, you’d probably whizz past the colourful lights and bright yellow walls of Ayam Bakar Solo without a second thought. To the untrained eye, it looks just like any other warung.
If you’re a Singaporean reading this, you’re most likely used to hawker centres lined with stalls and free seating in the middle. In Malaysia, we mostly have warungs, which are shops that sell food and drinks by the roadside. Think of it as a restaurant without walls. The thing that differentiates a warung from a stall is that warungs provide seating for customers.
When I heard about Ayam Bakar Solo from a friend, I knew I had to pay it a visit. This particular warung serves authentic Indonesian cuisine. It’s manned by Indonesians, and most of its customers are Indonesians who live in the area. Long story short, this is the real deal.
What I tried at Ayam Bakar Solo
With the shop’s name literally being ayam bakar, I obviously had to order their Ayam Bakar (RM12). This dish came with a grilled chicken thigh, rice, soup, sambal kicap, a slice of cucumber, and lettuce. At first glance, this dish might not seem exciting, but one spoonful of chicken will leave you nodding your head in satisfaction. At least, that’s what happened to me.
Visually, the chicken had a nice char to it. The skin had a delicious smoky flavour that you can only get from barbecuing something over a charcoal grill, which was exactly how they prepared this ayam bakar. White waiting for my order to arrive, I watched as the chef used a small portable fan to keep the fire of the grill ignited. It was quite the spectacle.
The chicken was cooked perfectly— tender and juicy. Unfortunately, by the time they had plated the dish and sent it my way, the chicken was no longer piping hot. The flavours definitely overshadowed that thought though, as every bite made me feel like I was at a family barbeque. It was delicious, and tasted homemade.
Add their sambal kicap, and wow! When I think of sambal kicap, I usually envision the runny kind that you eat with bihun sup. Ayam Bakar Solo’s take on it was thick, spicy, and salty. As dramatic as this may sound, the pair was like a match made in heaven. The chicken alone was already super tasty, and the sambal kicap really took this dish to the next level. The amount given may seem small, but a little bit of it packs a punch.
You can’t drop by an Indonesian warung without ordering a plate of Ayam Penyet (RM10). This dish came with sambal penyet, fried tempeh, fried tofu, cucumber, lettuce, and soup. This shop is pretty consistent with the way they prepare their chicken. The ayam penyet was marinated well and equally as tender; the flesh was easy to pull apart.
The sambal here is officially one of my favourites. A lot of stalls selling ayam penyet tend to make sambals that are spicy without reason— no flavour, just sweat and tears. Here, theirs is perfectly balanced. It’s sweet and spicy without being too extreme on either end. I can see a lot of people enjoying this dish as the spice level is just right. You won’t be sniffling, but you’ll be extremely satisfied.
The soup served with both dishes was surprisingly very flavourful. Again, most places use sup kosong as an excuse to serve mildly salted water. I suspect that Ayam Bakar Solo serves the same soup used in their bakso, as it was savoury and full of spices.
Final thoughts
It might be tricky to find parking near the shop as cars line both sides of the road. So, I suggest parking your car the moment you see an empty spot, even if you have to walk for a bit to get to the shop. Chances are you won’t find any free spots nearby.
A huge plus point is their affordable prices. You can easily get a meal for under RM10, which is unheard of in most parts of Kuala Lumpur.
Overall, this humble warung is definitely worth a visit. Despite being next to a busy road, the atmosphere is chill and inviting. Service is fast, and the people working there are extremely friendly. The food I had was great, and just writing about the ayam bakar has me thinking about my next visit already.
Expected damage: RM9 – RM17 per pax
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