Chicken thighs are marinated in a batter of Chinese wine, soy sauce and cornstarch, then double-fried — once to draw out the flavor of the batter and again to make the skin extra crispy. The chicken is coated in a sweet chili glaze of chilies, lime juice, lime zest and fish sauce, then laid on a bed of roasted banana ketchup, a Filipino staple born of a wartime tomato shortage when bananas were plentiful. Pickled onions, a mix of basil, mint and cilantro, and a little jalapeño finish the plate.
Washington DC
Immigrant Food
Filipino Fried Chicken
Chicken thighs / Chinese wine / Soy sauce / Cornstarch / Oil / Sweet chilies / Lime juice / Lime zest / Fish sauce / Bananas / Apple cider vinegar / Ketchup / Pickled onions / Basil / Mint / Cilantro / jalapeño
Signature Dish
From Prep to Plate
At Planet Word, Immigrant Food turns global flavors into a mission of "gastro-advocacy." Host Seth Tillman sits down with Chef Sary Escobar to sample Filipino fried chicken glazed in homemade banana ketchup, plus the restaurant's famous pupusas with curtido and Belgian fries with garlicky aioli. Discover how a menu inspired by immigrant stories found the perfect home inside a museum devoted to language.
A flavor-packed dish that revels in sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami.
Mike Kostyo, Flavor & The Menu
