When Spicy Chicken Isn’t
May 21st, 2009 by Alex
This is Chang’s Spicy Chicken.
It isn’t that spicy.
That doesn’t mean it wasn’t tasty. The dish is served up with about two dozen tender chunks of chicken breast, lightly breaded and pan-fried so that the edges are slightly crispy. The whole thing is battered in a sweet glaze, reminding me of a cross between honey and duck sauce. It’s a good taste. The spice comes from a few red pepper flakes that are embedded in the glaze (rather than ground into), such that you won’t feel much of a tingle until you finish the whole plate.
I know I’m getting more tolerant of spicy foods, but I’m wondering how much of this is a labeling problem. Chang’s doesn’t label the hotness on a scale like some restaurants do, but hopefully there is a range.
On the menu, the dish has the “spicy” indicator next to it. Perhaps it’s more like the McDonald’s warning labels about hot coffee. Perhaps Chang’s needs to label dishes that have any sort of pepper in them to avoid being sued? I guess I could have asked to make or more spicy. Or added additional pepper sauce that was leftover from our lettuce wraps. The menu says “the addiction is hard to break,” but if you’re craving something spicy this isn’t going to be your fix.
I commented on your other post…I’m glad you agreed. PFC spicy chicken is not spicy chicken the Asian way. It taste more like a very fake tasting orange chicken cooked up by someone learning to cook…WTF. I want my money back.