Area24! That one eatery in Kuching that offers squid the size of an adult palm and Manok Gangster, a dish slathered with Carolina Reaper sauce. If you love spicy food, now is the moment to satiate your appetite and try how much heat you can endure with the Manok Gangster sauce; and if you’re passionate about eating good food, come to Area24 for dinner tonight!
Test your spice limit, eat big at Area24
The distinctively hot flavour of Manok Gangster fried chicken sauce will undoubtedly bring spicy cuisine fans back to Area24.
The sauce isn’t made with just any ordinary pepper; it’s made with the world’s hottest pepper, the Carolina Reaper!
Carolina Reaper is a Capsicum chinense plant cultivar. The pepper, developed by American breeder Ed Currie, is red and gnarled, with a bumpy texture and a small pointed tail.
In 2017, it was ranked as the Guinness World Record’s hottest pepper, with a peak of approximately 2.2 million Scoville Heat Units (SHU), a scale used to rank how spicy peppers are.
Even the Bird’s Eye Chilli has an average of 175,000 SHU, so imagine how fiery the Carolina Reaper is.
The menu is appropriately named Manok Gangster because the spiciness is incredible!
If you like spicy food, now is the time to satisfy your appetite and see how much heat you can handle with the Manok Gangster sauce.
Customers will undoubtedly taste varying levels of heat in the sauce, which they can select from one to five and can (potentially) bring them to tears.
According to Area24’s owner, Zaifulbahtiar Bujang, the inspiration for the Manok Gangster menu came from Instagram posts and programmes on food channels that frequently feature spicy food and cuisine.
“I happened to know a supplier in Kuching who sells the pepper. I thought there was nothing wrong with using Carolina Reaper in my menu because the hottest pepper is grown here.
“I’m not sure if any other restaurants or traders use this pepper on their menus.
“All I can say is to visit Area24 if you like spicy food and want to determine how much heat you can take,” said the 41-year-old, adding that customers can get a Manok Gangster set with rice for only RM13.
In a month, he said that he used up to one kilogramme of Carolina Reaper to create his signature Manok Gangster sauce.
Sotong Sambal is another top seller at Area24, in addition to Manok Gangster.
What’s more, you can get squid the size of an adult palm with rice for as low as RM25! Isn’t that a great price for a squid of that size?
Served with homemade spicy sambal and air asam — a type of dipping sauce made from tomatoes, chillies, onions, kerisik (toasted grated coconut), tamarind juice, and a little belacan — the Sotong Sambal dish is absolutely finger-licking good and will fill you up.
When asked what draws people to Area24, co-owner Mohd Safarudin Bujang said substantial portions at reasonable prices, as well as the distinctive flavour of their cuisine, are Area24’s strong points.
According to him, he and Zaifulbahtiar will first serve the food to friends and obtain feedback to ensure that the flavours of each menu match the preferences of the customers.
“We will keep the good tastes while improving the ones that are lacking.
“We will ensure that Western dishes have local flavour characteristics,” said the 37-year-old.
In response to a question about how they choose menu items, Zaifulbahtiar said that they frequently consult one another as well as keep an eye on current trends, particularly those involving massive servings of food.
“Manok Gangster, Sotong Sambal, Lambogini, Sup Kambin, Mee Crispy Tomato, Ayam Percik, Manok Lit, Chicken Salted Egg, Nasi Goreng (Sotong, Kambin, Daging, and Corned Beef), as well as Western Talam and Seafood Talam are just a few of the menu items available at Area24 that are sure to capture your heart (and tummy, of course).
“Western food enthusiasts can enjoy our Western Talam set for as low as RM50, which includes spaghetti bolognese, two chicken chops, one jumbo chicken sausage, six meatballs, french fries, and coleslaw.
“This set is available in three sizes — small (for two people), medium (for four people), and large (for six people).
“Aside from chicken chops, you can also get lamb chops or both (Western Talam Mix).
“Furthermore, our dine-in customers do not need to worry about drinks because they are complimentary,” he said.
Western Talam, for those who are wondering, is a variety of western dishes served on a large tray (also called talam).
It typically includes burgers, french fries, mashed potatoes, potato wedges, salad, coleslaw, fried chicken, grilled chicken, grilled lamb, meatballs, jumbo sausages, and other dishes. Spaghetti bolognese and spaghetti carbonara are also frequently served.
Western Talam is one of the foods you should try if you are a big eater or prefer to spend time with family and friends.
Those who want to try Area24’s delectable dishes can go to Lorong 1, Taman Matang Jaya (food stalls opposite Taka bakery) on Jalan Matang. They are open from 3pm to 10pm, Monday through Saturday.
