ATL Ayam Tulang Lunak Crispy

Not very often I encounter Indonesian food so authentic every bite takes me back to sitting by the wooden hut in the countryside of Java eating with my hand while relaxing overlooking lush greenery.
Smell of Terasi or Belacan or in English, shrimp paste wafting as I walked in to the restaurant, already a testament of what sort of food I was in for. The waiter led us to our table and hand us the menu, a notepad and a pen to write our order down to be handed back to the waiter. Then help yourself to napkins and cutlery.
Their signature dish, Ayam Goreng Tulang Lunak is fried chicken with soft bones you can eat. Yes you heard me, the bones are edible! The secret is cooking the chicken in pressure-​cooker then deep-​fried. Served with Sambal on the side, the fried chicken comes in a variety of topping, from deep fried crunchy bits to salty egg sauce to sambal, mild chilli paste which is the one I usually order and it’s crispy and so full of flavour.
If you do order the fried chicken, I recommend the Plecing Kangkung, it’s boiled Asian green vegetables with chilli sauce if you like it spicy or Cah Kangkung Terasi, stir-​fry Asian green vegetable with Belacan or shrimp paste if you’re not a chilli eater.
The price is very reasonable and the service was basic. The waiter was friendly always with a smile on his face. But the best thing about this place is having to eat one of the best tasting fried chicken without leaving any crumbs or bones behind.

I love it when I discover a brand new restaurant that I can share with you all here on Unilocal!
This restaurant is the former ATL Maranatha of Kensington (2013) and ATL Ayam Tulang Lunak — 319 Anzac Parade, Kingsford — which has now closed.
The new restaurant ATL Ayam Tulang Lunak Crispy on Botany Road in Mascot is now open.
The ATL in the business name is the acronym for Ayam Tulang Lunak translated means Soft Boned Chicken.
Since it was my first visit here I had to sample the restaurant’s signature ATL dish — Ayam Goreng Tulang Lunak ($ 8.50) This a quarter piece of deep fried soft boned chicken (choose thigh or breast).
The chicken is slowly cooked in a pressure cooker for hours then deep fried resulting in chicken so tender that the bones are soft and edible. This is served with a chilli sambal — so beware it is very hot for those that don’t like chilli.
Another Indonesian favourite that I had to order was the Rendang ($ 15) served with Nasi Putih «White Rice» ($ 2.50). The beef in this dish is cooked in a rich coconut sauce for many hours. The beef portions were cooked to perfection and were so tender and juicy that it melted in your mouth. I’ll be back for more of this dish again soon — guaranteed!
I also ordered a noodle dish from the menu because the picture looked so good. It was the Bakmi Tek-​Tek ($ 12); a derivative from Jakarta or as most people know the Indonesian name for Mee Goreng. I loved this large dish of fried noodles with egg omelette, prawns, fish and beef balls and vegetables. A good portion size of deliciousness!
My vegetable option was the Cah Kangkung Terasi ($ 12). This was cooked to perfection and had a subtle flavour of the Belacan ‘shrimp paste’ with garlic. A winner if you love this dish.
I loved the complimentary self service tea which is available when dining here.
Already through «word of mouth» the restaurant is busy with former customers and new local customers (myself included), in search of good, flavoursome Indonesian cuisine. The menu has the same selection of Indonesian favourites that were previously offered at the former restaurants.
If you were a fan of the previous restaurants ATL Maranatha — Kensington or ATL Ayam Goreng Tulang Lunak — Kingsford, do not despair because all your favourite dishes are now available again at ATL Ayam Tulang Lunak Crispy at Mascot.
Thank you Peter for welcoming me to your new restaurant and I look forward to visiting again soon.