The roast chicken at SP Chicken is one of those dishes that’s so simple, and yet so crammed with satisfying flavours, that it almost feels like a magic trick. Despite having had roast chicken literally hundreds if not thousands of times over the years, the chicken here still manages to surprise and delight.
I don’t know, man. There’s something about it. It helps that it’s perfectly cooked; it was incredibly tender, even the white meat (I ordered half of a chicken since there’s no quarter option — it seemed like too much until I took my first bite, and then it wasn’t nearly enough).
And whatever the seasoning/marinade is compliments the chicken perfectly — it enhances the meat’s natural flavours without ever getting in the way.
It was also stuffed with something, and I’m not sure what it was (an internet search says lemongrass and garlic, but there was definitely more to it than that), but it was a punch of flavour and absolutely delicious.
The chicken comes with two different sauces — one sweet and spicy, and the other sour and potent. They’re both absolutely fantastic, though that chicken is more than delicious enough to stand on its own.
I got a side order of a Thai classic, the spicy green papaya salad. This was just as impressive as the chicken: it was crunchy, spicy, nutty, garlicky, a little bit fishy, and sweet, but with a nice punch of sourness to round things out. You think that chicken can’t be topped, but the salad actually comes close.
Location: 9/1 ถนน สามล้าน ซอย 1 พระสิงห์ Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50200
How to find it: It’s a bit tucked away on a side road next to some hotels, but if you’re in the right area it’s not difficult to find.