JOHOR BARU, Sept 14 – What is brined, baked and fried?

If you’re a regular at Happy Union Restaurant in JB, then the answer is guaranteed to be their house specialty, the Golden Luck Salt Baked Chicken.

Their traditional Cantonese style yim gok gai starts with a whole kampung chicken that is first marinated in Chinese herbs, before being wrapped in parchment paper and encased in coarse rock salt. Consider this the dry brine.

The chicken is then baked for an hour before being unwrapped. Served as is, this is already a formidable dish. Many customers ask for the popular “Golden Luck” version, whereby the salt baked chicken is further deep fried for a super crispy skin to complement the tender, juicy meat.

This is a dish that seems to be created for a reunion of old friends. Indeed that is how I feel sometimes, like an honorary member to a gang of former schoolmates, a guest to a dinner party that reconvenes every few months.

Everyone is married now, some with kids. When there is no babysitter to be found, we usually find ourselves at someone’s house, a potluck to make things easier on the hosts.

More often than not, there is always a pair or two of grandparents eager to take on the little ones for a few hours. Then we have a choice of Japanese or Korean, of trying the new Thai barbecue place, or maybe returning to a couple of old favourites.

Which is how we find ourselves — a happy reunion — at Happy Union Restaurant, located at the corner of a quiet row of shophouses. We are welcomed by an old school interior with red tablecloths, paper lanterns and faded Chinese calligraphy.

The restaurant is located at the corner of a quiet row of shophouses. — Picture by CK Lim

Old school interior with red tablecloths, paper lanterns and faded Chinese calligraphy. — Picture by CK Lim

How quaint and charming, in the traditional Cantonese way (rather than something English or bucolic).

We are early for dinner, before the evening crowds descend and the place is a riot of laughter and screams from little children (there might be no escaping these, really).

Speaking of offspring, one of us observes that his son would really like Happy Union’s signature Fried Tofu. Silken smooth on the inside and crispy on the outside, it’s comfort food at its best. Along with a thin but flavourful soy sauce based gravy, this calls for a big bowl of steamed white rice or two.

Happy Union’s signature Fried Tofu is silken smooth on the inside and crispy on the outside. — Picture by CK Lim

The more carnivorous amongst us would bet on the classic Marmite pai kuat (pork spare ribs). For one, the slightly caramelised gravy looks more enticing to those who enjoy their meat sticky and starchy.

The classic Marmite ‘pai kuat’ (pork spare ribs). — Picture by CK Lim

I found it to be slightly underseasoned, however. Too much slurry for the gravy, and not enough fat from the meat; these ribs were too lean and I couldn’t help but wish for thick chunks of pork belly instead.

Which was a pity that we didn’t get to order the dish we wanted — the Steamed Frog Legs with Chicken Essence. Imagine fresh “field chickens” — or tingai (田雞) as frogs are known in Cantonese — steamed to order, seasoned only with a light soy sauce before being doused with a bottle of chicken essence (also warmed up) at the table.

It might be a seasonal ingredient, however, as the restaurant didn’t have the coveted amphibians today. Maybe next time, then.

To fill our bellies, we also ordered a big plate of wat dan hor (rice noodles in egg gravy). An all-round crowd pleaser with lightly fried flat rice noodles coated with an egg yolk rich gravy. Some sliced pork and fishcake, small prawns, fresh leafy greens, a scattering of crunchy fried lard.

 Fill your bellies with a big plate of ‘wat dan hor’ (rice noodles in egg gravy) — Picture by CK Lim

(A little bit more of that last ingredient would have elevated the dish though. Still very decent.)

Nothing compares to the aforementioned Golden Luck Salt Baked Chicken, however. The natural sweetness of the kampung chicken; the subtle flavours from dry brining, which aren’t as salty as the name might suggest; the fiery chilli sauce for dipping the succulent morsels of meat… It’s sublime.

At the end we left the restaurant with happy memories, plenty of catching up successfully concluded, and a not-so-secret hankering for another round of that Golden Luck Salt Baked Chicken. So addictive!

Happy Union Restaurant

128, Jalan Chengai, Taman Melodies, Johor Baru

Open Tue-Sun 11am-11pm

Phone: 018-792 6137

* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.

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