SUMPTUOUS SUNDAYS: Hot Star

I don't know about you, but I LOOOVEEEE fried chicken with a passion; it's a comfort food that will always capture our hearts and a treat we can never go wrong with. I recently discovered Hot Star, a fried chicken joint that offers another version of my favorite food, but this time around, it's 12 inches longer.

SRSLY. They have a 12- inch long chicken.

For starters, Hot Star is a popular Fried Chicken joint originating in Taiwan; it opened in Manila about 2 or 3 years ago and is mainly a pop- up eatery in the busiest areas of Manila, waiting for chicken- starved tummies and souls. They do have restaurants too and one of which is at Eastwood City.

PRICE RANGE: Signature Chicken: P145.00; Sides: P45.00; Chicken Cut-Ups: P139.00; Dessert: P15.00

BBQ CHICKEN SKIN

What's lovable about this is it has a tasty soy glaze enriched with the flavor from Sesame seeds; what's more is it doesn't feel oily in the mouth and stays crunchy for more than 30 minutes!

ORIGINAL LARGE CHICKEN 

I put the spoon in the photo for size approximation. No kidding, their fried chicken cuts are GIGANTIC that your can share it with 2 or 3 people! I'd also advise you to share the large chicken because the taste kinda' gets to you after some time just because it's huge.

You might be thinking that the 12- inch chicken is all batter; here's a photo to prove that it's 90% chicken. Hot Star uses imported chicken meat; they do not join chicken pieces to form this 12- inch goodness, but rather pounds one whole chicken meat to expand it so that the flavour will be continuous within the meat.

The chicken has an "Asian" taste, meaning it's boasts of spices and a tangy taste; you can eat it on its own; personally, I love it with white rice!

 The signature large chicken dish comes in various flavors too; this is Chili Pepper.

STICKY RICE

A signature of Hot Star. It's sticky, lightly salted rice with pork bits; they said it goes well with the signature chicken cuts; it does, but it's pretty heavy on the tummy so I would share the large chicken if I'm going to eat it with this. Personally, I would prefer white rice over this because it's a bit overwhelming.

CHICKEN CUT-UPS

New on their menu. It's basically chicken cuts paired with rice or spaghetti; the chicken cut up tastes pretty much like the signature large chicken so order this instead if the former is overwhelming you.

ALMOND ICE CREAM

This ice cream tastes a little unique (like almond lychee soup in ice cream form), but I like it!

Overall, Hot Star is a cool experience; the 12-inch chicken is really something that you should see for yourself and share with friends or family!

**Hot Star Eastwood is located at Mezzanine Area, Eastwood City Walk 2, Eastwood City. Call them at 997-0271. Visit HOT STAR PHILIPPINES on Facebook for more information about this restaurant.