Fried chicken. Yes, fried chicken! There’s something about fried chicken that makes it one of the world’s most popular and most favorite comfort food. Kids and adults love it. Kids, especially, can eat it every day and not feel “umay” with it.

The Filipino palate’s attraction to fried chicken is so intense that fast-food chains, 24-hour convenience stores and even casual dining restaurants have to include it in their menu because customers will surely look for it. Aside from a good burger and a smashing spaghetti, its Fried Chicken will spell the difference between success and failure.

So, what exactly is the charm of fried chicken?

Chef Michael Santos, corporate executive chef of the Vikings Group, which includes the popular Vikings buffet restaurant and The Alley by Vikings, believes that it is deeply-rooted in one’s childhood and the role fried chicken played in important celebrations.

Says he: “I feel like it’s part of our childhood. fried chicken, for us Filipinos, reminds us of celebrations that took place in our childhood years. The taste, juiciness and crunchiness of fried chicken is, for me, the holy trinity of fried chicken.”

This is why chef Michael makes sure that the restaurants under the Vikings Group always have fried chicken on hand for diners to enjoy. At The Alley, there are at least five to six different kinds of fried chicken that are on rotation and, at any one time, diners will find two kinds in different stations of the daily lunch and dinner buffet.

Chef Michael is proud of The Alley’s top four fried chicken variants — Shanghai Chicken, Chicken Tebasaki, Chicken Bang Bang and Chicken Wings with Three Kinds of Sauces.

Shanghai Chicken is a Chinese dish made with tender chicken pieces cooked in a savory soy sauce with garlic and ginger. The chicken is stir-fried or braised until it is juicy and then coated in a slightly sweet, glossy sauce.

Chicken Tebasaki, meanwhile, is a Japanese dish of crispy, deep-fried chicken wings. The wings are coated in a sweet and savory glaze made from soy sauce, sugar and sake, a combination that gives the wings a rich, flavorful taste. Sprinkled with sesame seeds and black pepper to add a bit of spice and crunch, this dish is known for its balance of sweet, salty and slightly spicy flavors.

Diners who like their fried chicken spicy go for Chicken Bang Bang, which is crispy fried chicken tossed in a spicy sauce.

Fried Chicken Wings with Three Kinds of Sauces is exactly what its name says it is. It is a dish of full chicken wings that have been fried to a crispy and golden doneness.

Then there is Crispy Garlic Chicken, that is served with house-made chili sauce.

To cater to the cravings of diners, these are what chef Michael has on the buffet spread all the time.