Beggar’s Chicken at the Shang Palace of Makati Shangri-la
Posted by Noemi | Under Restaurant with 626 views
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Thursday Sep 18, 2008
One of the most delicious and the most unusual dishes I have ever had is a specialty of the Shang Palace Restaurant at the Makati Shangri-la. The dish is called the Beggar’s Chicken, which I think is a rather inappropriate name - there is absolutely nothing beggarly about this elaborate and well-prepared dish.
Legend has it that a starving, homeless beggar from a small rural Chinese town could not bear the hunger pangs any longer and stole a wandering chicken from a nearby farm. He killed it, built a small fire, and started preparing his meal. Suddenly, a group of the emperor’s elite guards came galloping by on their horses. Knowing that they’d be immediately suspicious of how a lowly beggar came to posses an entire chicken, he covered the chicken in leaves and mud then threw it into the fire. The baked chicken that he was able to salvage was, according to him, the most tender and delicious chicken he has ever had in his life.
The Beggar’s Chicken is served inside a large bun, which the waiter slices open for you as soon as it reaches your table.
Before the chicken is baked in the oven (inside the bun), it is seasoned with herbs and spices then wrapped in a fresh lotus leaf.
The chicken is so soft and tender, it feels as if it can melt right in your mouth.
And look, this one came with a wishbone!
it looked the part, but i’m a bit iffy if the fact that it’s inside a bun made a huge difference in taste. it’s like an awkward variation of french baker’s soup on a bread or something.
how much is this beauty?
looks yummy! may i know how much?