Taunton Restaurant Revives Silver City Galleria’s Nostalgic Favorite

One of my fondest core memories growing up in the ’90s and early 2000s was taking a drive to the Silver City Galleria with my parents or friends.

Back then, walking around the mall felt like it stretched for miles. I still remember the pet store on the first floor, where puppies had open pens to run around while kids could stop to pet them. There were bunnies, too.

On the second floor, somewhere in the middle of the labyrinth, was a Yankee Candle shop that you could smell from four stores away.

The Food Court Heaven

The real magic didn’t hit until you reached the food court. The smells of Italy wafting from Roman Delight Pizzeria, the bubbling orange containers at Orange Julius, and of course, the crown jewel: those irresistible free samples of bourbon chicken from Sarku Japan.

READ MORE: The Best Thing to Come Out of Taunton’s Silver City Galleria

The workers had a way of being everywhere. Whether approaching from the left side of the restaurant or ambushing you at the top of the escalator.

No one left without trying a toothpick-sized bite of that saucy chicken.

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Nostalgia With a Bite

It’s like the old saying: you never know when the last time will be that you and your friends play in the backyard before adult life takes over. The same could be said for the bourbon chicken samples at the Silver City Galleria.

To this day, I still dream of them.

A Dream Come True in Taunton

Well, my friends, dreams do come true. While scrolling through Facebook recently, I came across a post from a Chinese restaurant in Taunton that nearly stopped me in my tracks:

“To anyone who misses the Sarku Japan from the Silver City Galleria, BIGWONG Restaurant has Bourbon Chicken from Sarku in the mall !!!!" it read. "Our chicken IS THE SAME RECIPE!!!!!! Same teriyaki sauce!!! So if anyone else has missed the Sarku as much as me, please go to Big Wong Taunton.”

Full disclosure: I haven’t tried Big Wong’s yet, but you better believe it’s at the top of my bucket list.

RIP to the Silver City Galleria

The Silver City Galleria may be gone, but at least one piece of it lives on through the bourbon chicken – and for anyone who grew up in that mall, that bite of nostalgia is worth chasing.