Bite-sized pieces of chicken fillet are seasoned, tossed in potato starch, fried twice then tossed with a thick sauce made with salted egg powder, coconut cream and curry leaves.
Inspired by the Filipino beef dish called bistek, skin-on chicken thigh fillets are lightly browned and braised in soy sauce with plenty of garlic. The cooking is concluded with the addition of onion rings and freshly-squeezed calamansi juice.
It bears nothing in common with its Chinese ancestor except for the spicy chili-based sauce, but this dish of fried chicken fillets tossed in sweet chili mayo is just as satisfying.