Washington Post journalist raves over Jollibee
MANILA, Philippines — American journalist Tim Carman is the latest foreigner to get hooked on Filipino-born fast-food chain Jollibee.
In his Washington Post article, “You don’t have to be a Philippine expat to appreciate the unique joys of Jollibee,” Tim tried different meals in the Filipino fast-food chain.
He also discussed how an immigrant feels home when eating in the fast-food restaurant. He, however, was hooked event he has no connection with the brand growing up.
“It goes without saying that I have no such bond to Jollibee. But one bite of the chain’s chicken — so crisp, so juicy, so American — and I realized I didn’t need a backstory to appreciate the drumsticks and thighs buried in a bucket of Chickenjoy, their breaded flesh spiked with just enough soy to deepen the pleasures. Dunking the chicken into Jollibee’s gravy, a viscous preparation with a noticeable surface gloss, might sound obscene, but you absolutely must do it,” Tim said.
Count me as a fan. https://t.co/Mep0DK0y8l
— Tim Carman (@timcarman) July 5, 2021
“The same gravy comes ladled over the burger steak, which Dungca rightly compares to Salisbury steak. The dish is a pair of ground-beef steaks, each griddled long enough to pick up a little color and grill flavor. The steaks are smothered with that umami gravy and sprinkled with a handful of sliced button mushrooms. The preparation looks one step removed from junior high cafeteria fare, and yet I could not stop eating it,” he added.
Unlike other foreigners who found the Jolly Spaghetti sweet, Tim loved it.
“Then there’s the most divisive dish on the menu, the Jolly Spaghetti, a plate of pasta drenched in a ketchuplike meat sauce, which conceals slices of emulsified hot dog. On first bite, I thought it was sticky sweet. On second bite, I found it strangely alluring. Halfway through, I realized that Jolly Spaghetti occupies its own universe, where its rarity makes the dish an object of great desire,” he said.
Tim also said that the Peach Mango Pie is "the greatest fast-food dessert" in existence.
“As we popped open the slender box that housed our dessert, we marveled at the texture of the fried hand pie, a little crispy, a little bubbly and a little chewy. We talked about the addition of peaches to the gooey filling and whether it was a concession to the American palate. But mostly we wondered if this was the greatest fast-food dessert in existence,” he said.
“We couldn’t think of a better one,” he added.
