Its crackling, crispy skin is hard to resist. The tender meat beneath is a flavorful cure to even the most fastidious of appetites.

Loved by many, fried chicken is one of the most popular dishes around the world. In Indonesia, fried chicken was popularized by the fast-food franchise Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) when it opened its first outlet in Jakarta in 1979.

Twenty-two-year-old university student Eggy Darmawan was savoring his lunch: a plate of rice with a fried chicken drumstick, to which he had added chili sauce. He said this was a common meal for him as he loved fried chicken. That day, however, Eggy was not having lunch at a KFC outlet or a large fast-food restaurant chain.

He was at his favorite local fried chicken stall located in an alley located along Jl. Syahdan in West Jakarta.

Called Rocky Rooster, the 3 meter by 3 m stall has only four tables and 10 plastic chairs. There is no air conditioner.

“It doesn’t taste very different from the fried chicken sold in the big, franchised restaurants. It’s quite tasty and cheap," Eggy said.

For Jakartans like Eggy who love fried chicken but have a limited budget for eating out, small fried chicken vendors offering drumsticks starting from Rp 10,000 (69 US cent) is a preferred go-to option for lunch or dinner.

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