Lim Fried Chicken (JB): 42-year-old crispy fried chicken joint with curry cheong fun, 10 mins from checkpoint

Who would have thought a simple hawker stall, run by a Melakan couple selling fried chicken and nasi lemak, would become so successful 42 years later?  Curious who I’m talking about? It’s the owners of Muslim-friendly Lim Fried Chicken, now with 16 outlets across Malaysia.

It all started when they travelled to Kuala Lumpur by motorbike, with the hope of acquiring a livelihood. However, their journey didn’t start smoothly; they often had so many unsold chicken pieces it amounted to an entire chicken. Thankfully, their gung ho spirit allowed them to achieve their goal, and so much more.

We swung by their Johor Bahru outlet at Taman Melodies, just a 10-minute drive from the checkpoint and a stone’s throw away from KSL City Mall — good news for us, Singaporeans!

What I tried at Lim Fried Chicken (JB)

If you’re expecting fries or wedges (yawns), Lim Fried Chicken (LFC) doesn’t serve the typical, boring Western combo. Instead, it boasts a fusion twist, pairing Malaysian-style fresh, farm-to-table fried chicken with rice or noodles.

We were excited to tuck into the LFC Signature Whole Leg Chicken Rice + Fried Egg (RM16.90). The gorgeous fried chicken leg stood out like the life of the party, complemented by a mound of rice, sunny-side up, sambal, and slices of Japanese cucumber.

Let me take a moment to shine the spotlight on the chicken leg — it was fried to golden-brown perfection and was as huge as my face!

Thankfully, it wasn’t all just looks and no substance. Unlike other fried chicken joints that coat their chicken in ridiculously thick batter, LFC hardly had any. The skin was thin and fried to an unbelievably crackling crisp. If we were eating this in a library, we’d probably get chased out.

The flesh didn’t disappoint, either. It was tender, moist, and most importantly, well-seasoned (something many places overlook). If spice lights up your universe, don’t forget to dunk the chicken into the sambal that’s unapologetically fiery.

If you think LFC serves just plain rice, think again. Each grain of chicken rice had the fragrance of pandan leaves, flavoured with notes of ginger and garlic.

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For curry enthusiasts, I highly recommend the Curry Sauce Cheong Fun with Whole Leg (RM16.80). The same fried chicken leg from the previous dish sits on a bed of silky cheong fun drenched in rich curry, then dusted with sesame seeds.

Curry cheong fun is becoming a common offering at many places, but finding one that tastes authentic is still a challenge. I’m glad the version here hit the spot. The curry was complex and slightly smoky, perfectly toeing the line between savoury and spicy.

We also gave the Spicy Dry Tossed Noodles (RM8.90) a try. The mee pok-like noodles with tau geh were topped with a fried egg, chunky sambal, and fried shallots. A bowl of soup with 2 fishballs was served alongside.

The sambal looked like it meant serious business, but I bravely dumped the whole lot in and gave it a good toss. The dark soy concoction beneath gave the noodles a rich brown hue, making it look just like a bowl of chilli ban mian.

The noodles were springy, and as someone who handles spice well, the chilli took its time before unleashing its maximum burn across my tongue. I enjoyed the experience but my dining partners were scrambling for their iced drinks.

Use the sambal sparingly… you’ve been warned!

The fishballs provided a nice contrast to the noodles, and I really loved how peppery and comforting the broth was.

You can complement your meal with side dishes like Curry Mutton (RM30) and Curry Fishball (RM8.90). Our Sambal Sotong (RM28) contained briny pieces of cuttlefish that were umami, and the generous gravy was delicious when spooned over the chicken rice.

Final thoughts

With fried chicken of this calibre, it’s no surprise that Lim Fried Chicken has expanded all over Malaysia. Fragrant rice, delicious curry chee cheong fun, decent sides… what’s not to love about this place?

I genuinely hope they’ll set up shop in Singapore someday — it’s time more people got to experience this Malaysian-style comfort food at its finest.

Expected damage: RM15 – RM45 per pax

* This post is brought to you in partnership with Lim Fried Chicken.

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