The smoky, slightly sweet, deep-roasted garlicky aroma of the BBQ fried chicken cutlet floats through the restaurant — a smell that Good to Eat Taiwanese Cuisine executive chef and co-owner Tony Tung says is distinctive for those from Taiwan. 

“If you’re Taiwanese and smell this, you will immediately feel like you’re going to the night market,” Tung said. 

This is a classic dish from Taiwanese night markets, and one that Tung said was a big part of her childhood. After school, she and her brother would split one chicken cutlet before they went home. 

Making the street-market specialty is a multi-step process. First, you punch the chicken down so it’s even. Once the chicken is ready, it marinates overnight in soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, egg, white pepper, and sweet potato starch. After marinating, the cutlet is covered in sweet potato starch again and deep-fried. Then the cutlet is dipped in house-made sweet soy sauce before it’s grilled and brushed with Taiwanese sha-cha-style barbecue sauce. After the cutlet is done, it is sliced and topped with green onion and sesame seeds.

The sweet potato starch gives the fried cutlet a mochi-esque, satisfying chew, while the added grilling makes sure the outside stays crispy. Tung said the dish pairs best with the Original Pattern rice lager or Kirinzan sake. 

Good to Eat chef and co-owner Tony Tung prepares a BBQ fried chicken cutlet on the grill at the Emeryville restaurant. Credit: Tovin Lapan/East Bay Nosh

When people ask me where to eat in the Bay, Good to Eat always makes the list. Almost four years after leaving its pop-up days at Original Pattern Brewing behind for an Emeryville brick-and-mortar space, it’s clear GTE has expanded and grown its vision. GTE is not just dumplings anymore, shedding that part of the name. Tung said that she first made the chicken cutlet for a summer barbecue the restaurant hosted the first year open in Emeryville. Luckily, Tung made the dish a staple of GTE’s frequently evolving menu. 

You will not want to miss a taste and a chance to smell this chewy-yet-crispy, Taiwanese street food. Bring a friend to split it just like Tung used to — which will leave room to try other menu items alongside.

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