Jollibee: Outsiders Looking In

Article and photos by Chris Fellini

I don’t often make a habit of attempting to seriously review fast food chains. In fact, this will probably be the only time that ever happens. Jollibee is a little different, though. For starters, the Jollibee in Virginia Beach has been opened for two years and I’ve just heard of it. Many people I talked to had never heard of it either. Jollibee started in the Philippines and there are less than forty in all of America. It’s a staple in Filipino life, but hasn’t much branched out from there. That seems to be just fine for the folks behind Jollibee, but it makes the whole concept seem even more curious to me.

(above right- Halo halo dessert)

Jollibee opened in the Philippines in the mid-70s as an ice cream shop. Soon, they started offering hot dogs and, in the mid-80s, began adding burgers and chicken to the menu. Sure, this sounds like the same story of every other fast food chain. While you might be right, there’s still something vaguely weird about Jollibee. The restaurant chain launched a children’s show in the early 2000s that ran for five years, but instead of being a sinister way to subtly push it’s products, it’s an educational show. That’s right, and educational show, pushing values not product. Jollibee also runs a program to feed disadvantaged youth in primary schools, as well as the Filipino version of Toys For Tots. If you go to their website, you can read very detailed information about their supply chain and commissaries. Now, I’m not trying to espouse the virtues of a mega chain by any means, I’m just pointing out that Taco Bell or Burger King would never dream of being as altruistic as this chain seems to be.

Perhaps the best way to describe Jollibee is transparent, from the detailed info offered up on their website to the in-store posters, which show the food mostly as it is. Missing are the flashy embellishments and oversized menu items that are completely unrealistic. No, it seems that at Jollibee, what you see is what you get. I headed there with two friends of mine, who also had never heard of Jollibee. When we entered the store, it was very obviously a Filipino institution. There were several groups of teenage kids, as well as a few older couples wrapping up their dinners. The space was clean, almost sterile, and the two things I noticed first were the second dining area off to the side that is apparently reserved for birthday parties or corporate functions and the relatively small menu. The idea of birthday parties, let alone corporate functions, at a fast food chain seems  like such a throwback to the 90s. All that was missing was a jungle gym and a ball pit. Unlike American fast food chains, the menu at Jollibee is rather limited. Your options seem to be one of three burgers, spaghetti, fried chicken, or a small slider style sandwich. They’ve got the obligatory kids meal, as well as a few desserts. We ponder the menu as we wait, not quite sure what to expect.

I order a combo meal, which features the Jollibee spaghetti and a piece of fried chicken, as well as a spam sandwich and a halo halo. The spaghetti is certainly not like anything I’m used to. The sauce is considerably sweet, and this is apparently part of the appeal. Banana ketchup, which I am generally a fan of, is used as the base for the sauce. It comes with chunks of ham and sausage tossed in. The sausage isn’t an Italian sausage like I was expecting, but more one resembling a cross between kielbasa and breakfast sausage. Although not terrible, the spaghetti is definitely unique. The fried chicken, referred to as Chickenjoy, comes with brown gravy to dip in, The breading is extra flakey, and comes off in sheets. The taste is reminiscent of pork cracklings. The chicken itself is intensely juicy and tender, almost to the point of making me question whether it’s been cooked thoroughly. The gravy accompanying the chicken is better than most fast food places, but still has that school cafeteria taste. I will say that the fried chicken is better, or at least on par, with what you would find at KFC or Pollard’s. Moving on to the sandwich, I take a bite which is awash in mayonnaise. The simple slider is just a piece of Spam with mayonnaise on a small roll. The spam could be crispier, but the whole thing isn’t altogether unpleasant. In fact, the Spam sandwich is much easier to relate to than the spaghetti. For under $2, I’m not expecting much, but I would probably consider ordering the sandwich again before the spaghetti.

(above left- simple slider/ above right Jollibee spaghetti and fried chicken)

I finish my meal and move to the halo halo. Halo halo is a traditional Filipino dessert featuring various ice creams, shaved ice, condensed milk, and beans and chunks of fruit. The whole thing is a very strange concept, but when done right I’m sure it’s delicious. Unfortunately, trying halo halo for the first time at a fast food chain probably isn’t the smartest way to go. The condensed milk seems to be absent, and I make the mistake of eating the ice cream on top instead of mixing it into the shaved ice first. The kidney beans on the bottom throw me off at first, as this is the farthest thing from dessert I can think of. Although I would be more than willing to try halo halo again at a traditional Filipino restaurant, at Jollibee it reminds me of a frost bitten slushy. My friend got an ube pearl cooler to wash down his meal. This was a much more approachable drink, reminiscent of bubble tea with the pearls of tapioca floating on the bottom. We finish our meals and make our way to the door. Leaving slightly confused, we reflect on our experience while heading back to Norfolk.

Jollibee is not inherently bad food. It’s also not inherently good. It’s definitely an acquired taste, and probably the kind of the thing that you grow up with or visit only when you’re seeing your cousins in the Philippines. For that, it’s got the nostalgia factor. To me, as an Italian American, it seemed very alien to what I was expecting. It’s got all the normal components of a fast food chain, but everything feels a bit surreal. There are definitely many things on the menu that will confuse American eaters, but if you’re feeling adventurous on a dime and you’re in Suburbia, it’s worth a visit. Even if you decide not to go back, at least you can say you went.

Jollibee is located at 4541 S Plaza Trail, Virginia Beach, VA 23462

Jollibee’s website http://www.jollibeeusa.com/