If you had told me a year back that “sushi” baked in a tray would be the Philippines’ next big food trend, I would have thought you crazy. But then again, a year back, I would have scoffed at the idea of face masks and face shields as a daily necessity.

So at this point, a dish like Thai restaurant Samyan’s Gai Tod Cake shouldn’t be a surprise at all.

The dish, a creation of award-winning chef ThiTid “Tonn” Tassanakajohn, is their take on the Moo Tod Cake, which is a trend in Thailand.

First, a quick explainer on terms – moo tod is crispy fried pork, while gai tod is Thailand’s take on crispy fried chicken.

Samyan’s Gai Tod Cake is exactly what you’d imagine – the cake’s “base” is a thin layer of jasmine rice, followed by a generous layer of the crispy, salty, spicy, and tangy fried chicken (yes, all those flavors at the same time).

In between and on top of this layer of chicken are generous servings of jasmine rice, green papaya salad, shrimp, and peanuts. It’s topped with another heaping layer of fried chicken and garnished with peanuts, chilis, cilantro, and kaffir lime leaves. The cake also comes with an optional green chili sauce, which you’re meant to mix in the rice and chicken when you’re ready to dig in.

The savory cake is delivered still warm to the touch (even after inadvertently not picking it up from the lobby right away) and in – what else – a cake box. The layers are contained inside a strip of plastic, which is secured neatly with a ribbon (and, okay, some tape).

While the chicken and the other components are good in themselves, it’s the green chili sauce that truly brings the dish together. It cuts through the saltiness of the fried chicken, flavors the jasmine rice, and adds a different kind of sour that complements the papaya salad perfectly. Samyan says it’s good for 4 to 5 people but I’d say 5 is stretching it; it’s best for 3-4 generous servings.

At P890 for a cake, it’s not exactly the cheapest meal option, but it’ll make for a fun and novel gift for relatives and friends (in Metro Manila) who you just can’t meet in person just yet. If you’re buying it for your household or yourself, you’ll be glad to know that the Gai Tod Cake reheats nicely. The chicken stays crispy and more time smooshed together means the green papaya salad’s brine begins seeping into the rice – which, in this case, is a good thing.

Pre-order the cake via this order form or by messaging Samyan on Facebook or Instagram. You can also make pre-orders at Stall #16 at The Grid Food Market in Powerplant Mall, Makati. – Rappler.com