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Food & Brand Photography · Charlotte, NC

VJ's Chicken Inasal: Pinoy Style Barbecue in Charlotte, NC

The cook laughs while holding a fresh skewer of chicken inasal behind the grill

The Story

VJ’s Chicken Inasal serves Pinoy style barbecue from a flame-painted food truck and a charcoal grill under a brown tent with PINOY STYLE BARBECUE printed across the front. On an early May evening in Charlotte, I photographed the food, the setup, and the people behind it.

Chicken inasal comes from Bacolod in the Philippines: chicken marinated, skewered, and grilled over charcoal while it is basted. The first frames are exactly that, skewers on the coals and a brush working the glaze, followed by the cook holding up fresh skewers for the camera with a grin that never really left his face.

Then the customers came. Skewers went across the grill, plates went out to the picnic tables, and I photographed one of the combos the way it arrives: chicken inasal, pork barbecue skewers, lumpia, java rice, and two dipping sauces in a takeout clamshell. We finished with the crew together behind the grill.

The Photos

23 photographs · tap any image to view it full size

Chicken inasal skewers charring over hot coals on a long open grill Black and white photograph of a basting brush glazing chicken skewers on the grill Black and white photograph of hands turning a row of chicken skewers over the coals The cook holds a chicken inasal skewer high under the Pinoy Style Barbecue tent The cook in a black Unli Rice shirt shows off a skewer of grilled chicken with a surprised grin The cook laughs while holding a fresh skewer of chicken inasal behind the grill Smiling behind the grill with a skewer of chicken inasal The cook raises a grilled chicken skewer under the VJ's Chicken Inasal tent The cook hands a skewer across the grill to a smiling customer in a purple shirt Customers lined up at the grill under the Pinoy Style Barbecue tent The cook offers a skewer of chicken inasal to a customer at the grill Black and white photograph of the cook laughing with customers at the grill Overhead view of a takeout combo with chicken inasal, pork barbecue skewers, java rice, lumpia, and two dipping sauces on a picnic table Close view of a combo plate with a grilled chicken leg, pork barbecue skewers, lumpia, and java rice A barbecue skewer held up in front of the Pinoy Style Barbecue tent A glazed barbecue skewer held up against the flame-painted food truck Close view of a glazed barbecue skewer in front of the food truck A barbecue skewer held up over the picnic tables with the food truck and menu board behind it The VJ's Chicken Inasal tent and grill beside the food truck, a customer waiting to order Two customers ordering at the window of the VJ's Chicken Inasal food truck Customers at the food truck window beside its Philippine Street Food sign and menu board The Pinoy Style Barbecue tent and grill across the brick patio and picnic tables Black and white photograph of the VJ's Chicken Inasal crew posing behind the grill under the tent

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