PROFESSING to be lovers of all things hot and spicy, husband and wife Kelvin Wong and Chelsea Yin Ee Wen took the leap of faith by setting up shop in one of Petaling Jaya's most vibrant commercial neighbourhoods. They decided that fried chicken was to be their mainstay; specifically, Nashville-style hot fried chicken, and called their outlet Hot Bird.
Food being his favourite subject, the normally reserved Indonesia-born Wong suddenly comes alive when he shares: "Our signature hot oil comes from cayenne and smoked paprika. We add more cayenne to increase the heat."
Adding, he elaborates: "For the Super Hot variety, habanero peppers are used. It has an almost-sour taste, but you can't really taste it because of all the other flavours coming in. As for the Burn, Baby, Burn heat level, there are ghost peppers in there, which is pretty hot. It has a berry and floral-like flavour."
Chuckling, Yin chimes in: "Be careful when you're smelling it. Don't let it get up your nose, or you'll end up coughing."
For the "Reaper", Wong shares that he uses specially imported California Reaper from the United States to spice up the chicken. "It's possibly the hottest peppers around," he continues, adding: "Its floral notes are very noticeable. You'll first taste the floral note before the heat kicks in. Many people find it hard to take the heat."
But why Nashville-style hot chicken? I ask, curious.
As fate would have it, the duo met while studying at the University of Melbourne in Australia, and had spent a lot of time frequenting restaurants in Melbourne. "We love spicy food," explains Yin, adding: "Kelvin (Wong) loved Belles Hot Chicken in Melbourne, but it was impossible to find a similar experience here in Malaysia. That's how the idea for Nashville-style hot chicken came about."
COMING TOGETHER
Wong was training in culinary arts and Yin was studying engineering when they first met in 2014. Meeting through a mutual friend, Wong confides it was love at first sight for him. "The fact that she was also a foodie was the icing on the cake."
Being fond of bespectacled guys, Yin recalls that Wong looked sleek with his neatly combed hair and geeky sunglasses. "It wasn't love at first sight, but during our first meeting, I felt comfortable with him and we connected right away," she shares, smiling.
When Yin graduated in 2015, she returned to Malaysia and landed a job in the sales and marketing division of a property company. Meanwhile, Wong remained in Australia, working in various food establishments.
His resume includes the legendary Lucy Liu in Melbourne Central Business District, and Rockpool Bar & Grill in Melbourne that was started by high-profile Australian chef Neil Perry. They maintained a long-distance relationship for three years.
They eventually tied the knot in May 2019 and opted to settle in Malaysia. They're now the proud parents to a daughter named Hazel.
SYNERGY AND GOALS
Despite Wong being the only one with the experience of running kitchens, they still wanted to start their own business. During the initial phase of the nationwide Movement Control Order (MCO) in 2020, Wong experienced pay cuts. "There was a mutual understanding between me and my employer to keep the business afloat."
But successive MCOs brought on prolonged pay cuts and questions about his future. "The birth of our daughter changed our perspective on working and living," elaborates Wong, adding: "Could we rely on our employers to take care of our daughter? We thought that at least with our own business, we could reap the rewards of the efforts we put in."
Chuckling, he adds: "Everyone loves fried chicken, right! Frankly, anything tastes better when fried! We wanted to serve something that everyone could enjoy."
The couple have their respective roles to play. While Wong focuses on food quality control, Yin has her eyes on marketing and administration. Shares Yin: "We have weekly meetings just to update each other on work-related matters."
Suffice it to say, their business hasn't been without its challenges. Being business owners requires them to wear various hats — from service to kitchen preparatory work. "I'm not going to lie. It's not easy," confides Yin.
Adding, she says: "From accounting to recruitment, to payment, to and front of house service, you cover everything. Staffing is an issue for us. We had to step in to cover many times. No one knows the business as well as its owners. We've sacrificed our personal time and sleep ever since starting this business."
Nodding, Wong says: "I've always been engrossed within ensuring that we satisfy everyone, but that's not possible. Additionally, what we think is good food may not be what our customers think. I tweak the recipes according to what they like. Being owners of the business gives us the flexibility to make decisions quickly."
MALAYSIAN PALATE
This flexibility enables Wong to adapt recipes for the fried chicken to cater to the local palate. During the initial stages, they put copious amounts of California Reaper into their recipes.
Recalls Yin: "We tried it and it was terrible, much as we love spicy food. We decided to tone down the heat level for our customers. When it was off the menu, we even made customers sign a waiver form! Now it's back on the menu. It's fun to see customers getting through the Reaper. We do occasionally worry about them and offer them a glass of milk to help get through the meal!"
Malaysians are particular about their fried chicken, shares Wong. "The three pillars of Nashville-style hot chicken are saltiness, sweetness, and spiciness. It's supposed to contain more sweetness to tone down the heat. The initial recipe was three times sweeter. But customers complained about the sweetness, so we tweaked the recipe."
Elaborating, he says: "Nashville-style hot chicken is meant to be doused with hot oil that's flavoured with the spices we use, like cayenne and garlic. You can't get Nashville-style fried chicken without that signature hot oil."
On how popular the Reaper is, Wong replies: "When we first opened, the Reaper started off as a secret menu. We wanted to create a trend, where people would utter a secret word and then we'd serve them with the Reaper. Surprisingly, they could take that kind of heat level."
"Hot" is definitely the signature here. Advises Wong: "If you're feeling daring or want something a bit more exciting, go for Super Hot. That's my favourite. If you feel adventurous, go for Burn, Baby, Burn. But, if you like a challenge, it's the Reaper."
On whether it has all been worth it, Yin confides: "It's been fun and challenging at the same time. In my previous job, I was meeting and liaising with various suppliers and planning events. These skills have come in handy here when I deal with our customers."
Running a restaurant has meant no more free weekends for the couple, but Yin is resolute. Smiling, she concludes: "We really want to do something for ourselves and for our family's future. It was tiring at first, but we're slowly seeing the fruits of our labour, thanks to our dedicated and hardworking team. We've made many sacrifices to take care of the business. We've watched it grow from nothing to something. And this gives us the biggest sense of achievement."
HOT BIRD
WHERE: 83 Ground Floor, Jalan SS 21/1A, Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
OPERATION HOURS: Opens daily; from 12pm to 2.30pm and 8pm to 9.30pm.
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