Chicken Inasal — Bacolod style

It’s really difficult to choose a title for this article. I could re-arrange the words Inasal, Chicken and Bacolod, and that would still be a name of a restaurant. There’s Bacolod Chicken Inasal, which has the only website (or, at least, a website I could search). Then there’s Inasal Chicken Bacolod and Chicken Bacolod Inasal, among others. I was about to use Bacolod Chicken Inasal, as this is my favorite, but decided not to use it because others may have their own preference. Southbound, for instance, stakes its claim that Bacolod Chicken House - Still the best inasal!

The mainstays in bacolod inasal restaurants (which also includes JT’s Manukan Grille — yes, JT stands for Joel Torre), are the following chicken parts: paa (thigh), pecho (breast), pakpak (wing), atay (liver), isol, and baticolon (gizzard). Each restaurant has its own set of additional menu items, but the centerpiece is always the chicken inasal. Of course, the gastronomic experience is not complete without dipping the chicken inasal in the sauce — not your regular gravy, but a special concoction composed primarily of vinegar and soy sauce.

According to the site of Bacolod Chicken Inasal: “Our surveys reveal that our loyal customers’ choice as their all-time favorite bestseller still remains our delicious specialty — the chicken inasal!

It’s good that there’s a “survey” to back up the claim that people prefer and go back for the chicken inasal, but it’s not really necessary, as anyone who’d say it doesn’t taste good would probably earn the wrath of the culinary gods. (The photo of your mouth-watering chicken inasal is courtesy of the Bacolod Chicken Inasal site.)

“Chicken Inasal” is “roasted chicken,” just in case you don’t know. In my book, Bacolod Inasal is the king of chicken inasal, in the same way that Lechon Cebu is the king of roasted pigs. If you’re interested in trying out the recipe or ingredients of Bacolod chicken, you could read Heny Sison’s story (“Fowl Play in ‘Manokan’ Country“) of her trip to Bacolod’s Manokan Country (Mang Melchor’s Chicken Inasal). You could try the recipe, but it may not taste like the real thing.

Chicken inasal is a hit in the South and has conquered the palates of Luzon. Ever wondered why? Ah, stop wondering and go try it. Enjoy!

About Teenee

Teenee and the Giyahero love to travel and explore. They are not connected with any of the establishments and products featured in VisitPinas. This is where they join fellow Filipinos in exploring the Philippines and invite non-Filipinos to visit the country. Read more.