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.
Unlike its Chinese-American incarnation, there is no frying involved in making this dish. Poached chicken is cut into strips, doused with Sichuan chili oil and topped with sliced scallions.