Kepak Madu Mael is a viral chicken dish in Tangerang’s Pasar Lama culinary district. Ayam kepak madu (honey chicken) is a popular Malaysian specialty. “Kepak” means chicken wing, and the name “Mael” is taken from the character Mail, a street vendor in the cartoon series Upin Ipin.

I first learned about this viral dish from a food vlogger’s YouTube account in 2022. The collection of chicken wings skewered and grilled instantly made my mouth water.

Its deliciousness made me immediately head to Pasar Lama Tangerang with my mother. We arrived there at 4:30 PM WIB. It wasn’t easy to find the Kepak Madu Mael cart among the many food vendors. Unfortunately, the Hainanese rice wasn’t ready that day, so I only bought the two-portion trio package.

After ordering and paying, I left the Kepak Madu Mael cart for about an hour. The incredibly long line made me hungry. I also tried other dishes. Eating while seated was a bit difficult, so we ultimately decided to take everything home.

Last Saturday (August 12, 2023), I had the opportunity to eat Ayam Kepak Madu Mael at Pasar Lama Tangerang again. The great thing was, this time I had the option to dine in. And this is my experience eating at the Kepak Madu Mael stall at Pasar Lama Tangerang.

Kepak Madu Mael Pasar Lama

I arrived here around 1:00 PM WIB. I checked on Google and found that the Kepak Madu Mael Pasar Lama Tangerang stall was open. In fact, it was still closed, hehe. So, Fizah and I tried other dishes that could be eaten immediately.

At 5:00 PM WIB, we returned to the Kepak Madu Mael chicken stall. Yup, luckily, it was open. The place isn’t spacious, only able to accommodate about 15 people. At first glance, the restaurant is clean and tidy.

By the way, the restrooms are clean and quite well-equipped. I noticed they also allow outsiders with permission to use the restroom to urinate. However, the ablution area is open. Perhaps it’s only for the employees, who are all male.

I then went to the cashier to order and pay. The Duo Package and Iced Lemon Tea were my treats. Oh yeah, you can pay here using QRIS. Perfect for me, a cashless person.

While I waited, I observed my surroundings. Next to the table where I was sitting was an informative sign. I drop down below!

Review: Mael Honey Kepak Duo Package

About 15 minutes after paying, our food arrived. The delivery man also gave us plastic gloves to take. “You can take more, sis,” he said. I then took the two plastic gloves.

This Duo set menu looks delicious, right? The taste hasn’t changed either. My palate easily recognizes the tantalizing blend of spices with the perfect sweet and spicy flavor.

The Hainanese rice is also savory, complemented by a clear yellow chili sauce of unknown name. In my opinion, as someone who doesn’t like spicy food, this chili sauce is perfectly acceptable. The first time I tried it, it wasn’t spicy, but the aftertaste was a bit spicy, hehehe.

Kepak Madu Mael Prices

Kepak Madu Mael offers affordable chicken dishes. Customers can choose from a la carte or packaged chicken dishes. Prices for individual Kepak Madu Mael dishes start at just 11,000 rupiah.

The package options are available as a Duo Package (2 pieces of Kepak Madu + Hainanese Rice) and a Trio Package (3 pieces of Kepak Madu). These dishes are priced at 36,000 rupiah and 33,000 rupiah, respectively. Payment via QRIS is available.

Besides honey kepak, there are also other dishes. Among them are ayam percik kelantan and honey lemon marinated chicken. I haven’t tried either of them, but various reviews have stated that ayam percik kelantan is a must-try.

Pause in Serving Customers When Prayer Time Arrives

While I was enjoying my meal, I heard the call to prayer for Maghrib. The sound seemed very close by. I thought it was from the Grand Mosque at the intersection. It wasn’t; it was coming from the enclosed prayer room in the middle of the restaurant.

I noticed that all the employees were male. They wore black uniforms. When prayer time arrived, they took turns leaving their jobs.

I went to the restroom, curious about the scene behind the restaurant. The employees were performing ablution one by one, leading the congregational prayer. Wow, this was the first time I’d seen a restaurant culture like this. I was quite impressed with the owner, who was also the branch manager.

Before I left, I took this photo. Who doesn’t love chicken? You absolutely must try Ayam Kepak Madu Mael. The flavor is guaranteed to please your palate.