L.A. Restaurant Serving Up Ghoulish All Black Chicken To Celebrate The Halloween Spirit

With October upon us, tis the season to get dark, obviously. This can also apply to what we eat. So if you’re in a high key mood to indulge in the darker side of your cravings this Halloween season, look no further than E.P & L.P in Hollywood, CA, for a macabre meal of all black Hainanese chicken.

No, your eyes did not misread the previous sentence. The popular hotspot is really serving up a chicken that has skin as black as the night and is dubbed the “Ghoulish Chicken.” Essentially this is Chef Louis Tikaram’s deathly makeover of traditional Hainanese chicken, using an all-black Silkie chicken to embrace the theme of darkness.

For particulars, Silkie chicken is a distinct breed that is characterized by their fluffy plumage, striking black skin and bones, blue earlobes, and five toes on each foot, as opposed to the more common four toes on most chickens.

The Ghoulish Chicken will be served at E.P. starting October 26 to 31 and will be accompanied by pickled cucumbers, scallions, chili, and garlic  — all meant to be enjoyed family style.

For preparation, the dark fowl is poached in a murky morass of soy and aromatics, ensuring maximum flavor as rich as its very pigment.

Those wary of the chicken’s startling appearance need not worry about how it tastes, as the result is a triumphant take on traditional Hainanese chicken. Its rich, complex flavor was elevated even more with the side accompaniments of sauce, broth, rice, picked cucumbers, scallions, and ginger all joining in on the festivities.