IF you have been to the Philippines (or Sabah), you probably must have seen or heard about Jollibee.
Well, this Filipino fast food franchise, famous for its fried chicken, is finally making its debut in West Malaysia and officially opened its first outlet in Sunway Pyramid early this month.
Not wanting to be left out, I join the queue to get a taste of the Chickenjoy, everyone is raving about.
THE SHOP
The bright red shop is quite inviting from afar, with the Jollibee themed song at the background playing on repeat to which kids would probably enjoy dancing to the beat.
A huge red bee mascot (with yellow stripes bottom) dressed in red blazer and white shirt complete with black bowtie and a white chef's hat (really cute!) waves and dances inviting patrons.
The bee - actually symbolises hard work, just like the Filipino people, and.. honey, a taste of sweetness, which many Filipinos enjoy in their main course.
But, if you're thinking about dining in, well the shop isn't that spacious, offering very few tables that can comfortably seat 62 people. My advice, come during weekdays, or go for take-aways.
A little background. Jollibee started as an ice cream parlour selling Magnolia ice cream and expanded to become one of the world's popular fried chicken-chain.
It currently operates a network of more than 1400 stores worldwide, with more than 270 international branches in Asia, United States, Europe and even Middle East.
SWEET MENU
So what to order? As a first timer, of course I go for its best-seller - the original Chickenjoy, and since I am also into spicy food, I order the Spicy Chickenjoy too.
My verdict - I absolutely en-joy-ed the Spicy Chickenjoy! Coated with fiery breading and infused with a signature spicy marinade, it wasn't too spicy that could kill the joy of eating.
I really love the crispness of the outer layer and the juiciness of the chicken which is cooked to precision.
For the original Chickenjoy, I feel like it's a taste that needs getting used to. Yes, it is crispy and juicy, but it is quite mild in flavour.
Each set comes with mashed potato and coleslaw - both have a tad too sweet to my likings.
I also order another crowd pleaser dish which is the Jolly Spaghetti, prepared with house signature sweet-style sauce that is loaded with chunky slices of beef sausage and generously topped with cheese.
Surprisingly, it is very yummy although it has that sweet-tinge to the sauce but the richness really compliments the whole dish.
And for dessert, I go for chocolate sundae - sweet but with a very milky aftertaste.
MORE IN THE MENU
If you're not into fried chicken, there's also The Yumburger, Jollibee's version of the hamburger and a favourite that can be ordered with or without cheese.
Good news for adventurous foodie, the brand will soon launch its Jollibee Spicy Chicken Sandwich - made with a chicken fillet marinated in a secret spicy recipe breaded to crunch-perfection and topped with its own special hot dressing.
Most importantly, all the ingredients used are sourced from halal-certified vendors.
FAST FACTS
Jollibee
LG2.126A, Lower Ground 2, Blue Atrium, Sunway Pyramid Mall, Jalan PJS 11/15, Bandar Sunway, 46150 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
TEL 03-5612 3725
HOURS 10am to 10pm daily
EAT The famous Chickenjoy, Jolly Spaghetti and Yumburger.
PICK I would definitely come again for the Spicy Chickenjoy.
PAY Affordable. Price starts at RM6.60.
MOOD Fun! Has that vintage look, but everything looks new of course.
SERVICE Friendly staff.
I SAY Why not.
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