Sunshine Charcoal Chicken

Sometimes love takes you to the strangest places.  Where else but Sunshine Marketplace than to indulge my tawdry and shameful love affair with charcoal chicken and chicken salt?

This is Sunshine Charcoal Chicken, originally (I believe) and also still of St Albans, famous for its "Spanish chicken".  It's marinated, butterflied, sandwiched between two metal grills and rotisserie'd slowly over smouldering charcoal.

When they say Spanish, it's Madrid via Manila.  This is Filipino-style charcoal chicken and it's some of the best BBQ chook I've tasted.  It's marinated in what tastes like sweet soy, and it's incredibly juicy and luscious.  I know it looks burnt but it's not, that's just the caramelised colour of the fabulous marinade.

1/4 chicken and chips, $6.50 (BARGAIN)

When the Israelites wandered in the desert and woke to discover a crumbly substance on the leaves of desert plants, which they then ate and called manna, I'm convinced that was chicken salt.  Sunshine Charcoal Chicken shake it on top of their fabulous crunchy chips to order, and won't mind if you ask for extra (guilty as charged).  Oh, and the plastic knife and fork supplied are useless.  Just get into it and use your fingers.

Someone once told me of love, "It doesn't matter what the teacup looks like - it matters how the tea tastes".  Don't be put off by the lush surrounds of Sunshine Marketplace - it's what's on the plate that counts, and it rocks.

Thank you Adrian of Food Rehab for the tip - Adrian surveyed 13 western suburbs charcoal chicken joints (tough gig but someone had to do it!) and Sunshine Charcoal Chicken came up tops.



Sunshine Charcoal Chicken
Food court (shop 4), Sunshine Marketplace, 80 Harvester Road, Sunshine (also at 3 Alfrieda Street, St Albans)
Phone:  9312 5588
Hours:  Not open for dinner


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