Fervent for the Ring of Fire (Jean's Chilli Chicken)
Jean's Chilli Chicken is an iconic part of Eastwood NSW. It's a bistro found inside of Eastwood Hotel Pub on Rowe Street which has firmly cemented itself as one of the best 'buldak' ('불닭' or 'fire chicken') establishments in Sydney. (RIP original buldak joint in Strathfield NSW circa 2015).
Since it is in a pub, there's the standard flair of pokies, sports on big TVs, and usual suspects. Don't let that fool you, grab a beer whilst you wait for the good food and blend in.
Now some of you may be familiar with buldak, or tried buldak flavoured foods (such as Samyang's Hot Chicken Flavour ramen) if so, you'll know you fall in either category of people:
- People that try buldak and do not have a good time
- People that enjoy buldak but also sound like peter griffin when he hurts his knee whilst doing so
Jean's 'Chilli BBQ Chicken' is a dash of that above. Just enough for you to feel the heat but with additional smokey tones and caramelisation to keep you wanting more.
When you order it, it'll come standard with a bunch of sides, which are served first like entrees and largely nothing to rave about taste-wise. If you are peckish, ration it. You will thank yourself as they come in handy later in the meal.
The chilli BBQ chicken is served on a hot plate that comes out sizzling and, bubbling, if you get the cheese variant. (It bubbles like lava! and yes you made the right choice, the cheese is worth the extra $3)
From here it is pretty hands on, you'll need to chop up the chicken with the provided scissors, then roll the rice balls yourself (it's traditional to cut up the chicken and mix some into the rice balls)
At this point of the meal, you'll notice the locals shouting at the TV screen, the faint noise of the 5 dragon features in the distant gaming room and the terrible pub music (who chooses this playlist?) but with a single bite of that chicken, it all just washes away.
The chilli sauce is that beautiful balance of smoky seasoning, subtle honey like sweetness and chilli which harmonises well with the entree sides. The creamy pasta, kimchi or radish just clears the palette and gets you ready to take the plunge again and again with each bite. I love it.
Now, one thing I want to share with you is that I am a firm believer that:
"Chilli is food for the unsettled soul.".
If you find yourself stressing, feeling anxious, in pain, or even angry at something, try eating really chilli food. You'll forget about all your problems and find yourself in the now, there, in your beautiful moment of Zen, finding the balance between reality and consciousness, palette cleanser and chicken. The night will eventually end, and you will have had a great day.
You'll wake up the next day, feeling a little lighter and brighter. Your inner child will thank you for the spiritual and culinary journey you went on. Then, shortly after, you'll need to excuse yourself to the bathroom. You'll now realise that you're re-living the dinner you enjoyed the day before, although this time, without the side dishes to douse anything out.
A reminder that with great power, comes great responsibility.
What should I order? (For 2, ~$50)
- Jean's Chilli Cheese (Comes with rice balls, pasta and pickles)
- Steamed egg soup
- Optional Soju or 'Jean's Chilli Chicken' beer
Verified "fuck-me-up"
What is a 'fuck me up'?
A fuck-me-up is a meal that takes you to a level of content bordering the limit of excess or pain. Kind of like a long island iced tea, it's "good-but bad-but good".
Jean's Chilli Chicken is found at Eastwood Hotel, 115 Rowe St, Eastwood NSW 2122
Published October 2021