The words Kam Heong translate as “fragrant” and this heritage Malaysian and Singapore dish is just that. What makes the Kam Heong Chicken at Ipoh Malaysian Cuisine so special is that it is based on owner Daphne Toe’s mother’s family recipe from Ipoh, a major culinary capital in the state of Perak. Daphne’s mother, who lives in Ipoh, regularly supplies her daughter with this special Kam Heong curry powder to augment the ingredients of shallots, dried shrimps, garlic, curry leaves, lemongrass, red chillies, dark and light soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese red wine and sugar. All of these ingredients form the rempah (spice mix) in which the chicken pieces are marinaded before frying. The curry powder ingredients elevate the dish to next level fragrant: a mix of turmeric, coriander, lentils, fenugreek, chilli, cumin, ginger, fennel, cloves, nutmeg, dill, cardamom and pimento. A veritable fragrance fest indeed. Before they are fried, the marinated chicken pieces are coated with beaten egg white, then dipped in cornflour. Trust me when I say that Kam Heong Chicken is the ultimate fried chicken: crispy and packed with spicy flavour. At Ipoh you’re given a choice of boned or boneless chicken pieces (for my money the boned pieces are the tastiest.) Given that so much fragrance can rarely be achieved in one dish, Ipoh’s Kam Heong Chicken surely deserves a place in this year’s Iconic Auckland Eats.