Chilli chicken arrived with the Hakka Chinese community in Kolkata and became the signature of every Indo-Chinese kitchen. Our version keeps that street-side character: the chicken is cut into bite-size pieces, marinated with ginger, garlic, white pepper and a touch of soy, then coated in a light cornflour batter so it stays crisp long enough to travel home to Highland, Southcrest or White Oaks.
Everything is cooked to order in the wok at our Wilkins Street kitchen, never held under a heat lamp. That is why the peppers still snap, the sauce clings instead of pooling, and the chicken keeps its crunch. Order it dry as a sharing appetiser, or in gravy when you want something to spoon over Hakka fried rice.
How We Make Our Chilli Chicken
Three steps separate a good chilli chicken from a soggy one, and we do not skip any of them.
Marinated, then double-fried
The chicken rests in a ginger-garlic and soy marinade before it is fried once to cook through and a second time to crisp the crust.
Wok-tossed over live flame
Onion petals, bell pepper and green chilli hit the wok first so they blister rather than steam, then the sauce goes in and reduces in under a minute.
Dry or gravy, your call
Dry chilli chicken is the classic starter for sharing. The gravy version adds a thicker chilli-soy sauce that is made to be eaten with fried rice or noodles.
What to Order With Chilli Chicken
Most tables in our plaza dining room build a meal around it. These are the pairings we are asked for again and again:
-
Hakka Fried Rice – High-heat fried rice with veg, chicken, beef or shrimp and toasted spring onion.
-
Hot & Sour Soup – Peppery, tangy broth with shredded veg — the best warm-up in South London.
