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Best Kung Pao Chicken in New York

“The chilies are meant to be fried until nearly black and fragrant, not blackened by accident — reviewers can tell the difference immediately.”

Kung Pao Chicken

What the real thing tastes like

Real ingredients (via TheMealDB): 2 tbs Sake, 2 tbs Soy Sauce, 2 tbs Sesame Seed Oil, 2 tbs Corn Flour, 2 tbs Water, 500g Chicken, 1 tbs Chilli Powder, 1 tsp Rice Vinegar, 1 tbs Brown Sugar, 4 Chopped Spring Onions, 6 cloves Garlic Clove, 220g Water Chestnut…

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Combine the sake or rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil and cornflour dissolved in water. Divide mixture in half. In a glass dish or bowl, combine half of the sake mixture with the chicken pieces and toss to coat. Cover dish and place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes. In a medium frying pan, combine remaining sake mixture, chillies, vinegar and sugar. Mix together and add spring onion, garlic, water chestnuts and peanuts. Heat sauce slowly over medium heat until aromatic. Meanwhile, remove chicken from marinade and sauté in a large frying pan until juices run clear. When sauce is aromatic, add sautéed chicken and let simmer together until sauce thickens.

Order it here when it has

  • complex mala flavour
  • crunchy peanuts
  • tender velveted chicken

Walk away when you see

  • Westernized versions too sweet
  • very spicy
  • chilies can overpower

Restaurant-level rankings for New York land as the Polydish review engine processes this city's reviews. Explore the dish itself while you wait —

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