Recipes

We’ll just go right ahead and say it—Taft has some of the most memorable college food. We never seem to run out of things to miss, from Ate Rica’s Bacsilog to Tori Box’s Kara-age Pops. Today, we’re reminiscing on another Lasallian favorite: Wai Ying’s Lemon Chicken Rice. The Chinese dish’s hearty portions make it an easy lunch pick; apart from the fact that it’s steps away from the university, of course.

Sometimes, you just gotta ask “Wai Ying?”

Our hack isn’t as sweet as the original, but it still has a sourness to it. We didn’t do much to the chicken itself, which explains why it’s not as flat as Wai Ying’s pork chop-like cuts. However, you can achieve that thickness with a little bit of pounding. Enjoy it over a heaping portion of rice and a glass of lemon Coke. (Are we the only ones who did that last part?)

Wai Ying Lemon Chicken Rice

Serves: 4 people
Active time: 1 hr
Total time: 1 hr
Difficulty: Easy

Lemon Sauce

3 tbsp. lemon juice concentrate
2 tbsp. white sugar
½ tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup water
1 drop yellow food coloring
Salt, to taste

Chicken

500g boneless chicken thighs, about 6 pieces
1 tsp. salt
2 egg whites
1 ½ cup rice flour
1 tbsp. powdered sugar
Oil, for frying
Rice, for serving

Preheat oil in a pot for frying.
To make the sauce, put lemon juice concentrate and white sugar in a small pot over medium heat.
Cook until sugar is dissolved.
In a separate bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water then add to the lemon and sugar mixture.
Cook until boiling and slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
Season with salt, and stir in food coloring if using.
Set aside and keep warm.
In a large bowl, add the chicken thighs, salt, and egg whites, tossing to coat.
Add the rice flour, all-purpose flour, and powdered sugar and coat chicken using your hands until well covered.
Shake off excess flour then fry the chicken until golden and crispy, 5-8 minutes.
Remove from heat and drain on paper towels.
Serve chicken with rice and pour sauce over top.