7.098
12 (Tue) April 2016
Uncle John’s Fried Chicken
2.0
from Mini Stop [takeout]
in my apartment
-Malate, Manila-
solo
In the Philippines, fried chicken is a national dish. Essentially the same thing as American-style fried chicken: minimally seasoned, breaded and deep-fried, served with gravy. One key difference here is that it’s always accompanied by steamed rice (see for example 5.314 Pusit Adobong) – ALWAYS, like how a burger in the States is ALWAYS accompanied by a bun. This trio of chicken + gravy + rice is arguably the most ubiquitous fastfood meal around – certainly at KFC, where it would seem to comprise 90% of all orders (see for example 5.247 Original Recipe Fried Chicken…), and to a slightly lesser extent at Jollibee (see for example 5.015 2-Piece Chickenjoy Meal) and McDonald’s (see for example 5.036 1-Piece Chicken McDo…). As befitting a proper meal, it’s eaten with a fork and spoon : carved out bits of chicken, topped with a dollop of gravy, mixed in with the rice. The standard portion is one piece (Filipinos appear to remain relatively slim, despite their predilection for junk food, because they eat it in small quantities).
When I emerge from the store, I give away the gravy and rice to a homeless family on the street – they probably think that I’m crazy, giving away the best part.