Jollibee has been making a great impression on foreign foodies with their langhap sarap goodness, as the Filipino fast-food giant’s staple product, Chickenjoy, won the title of ‘best fried chicken in America’ as judged by international food website Eater.
Eater, owned by Vox Media, has been recognized multiple times for its content by the James Beard Foundation Award, which honors excellence in cuisine, food writing, and culinary education in the United States.
Eater’s Deputy Editor, Lesley Suter, who gave the final verdict for the fast-food fried chicken battle, described Chickenjoy’s skin as “tectonically crunchy as advertised”, with the chicken itself “satisfyingly light, flavorful, and supremely moist”.
Suter further says the signature gravy “completes the dish…proudly showing its Filipino colors with a hefty dose of sugar. On its own, the gravy is unremarkable bordering on weird, but but slathered on a bite of Chickenjoy, the sweetish gravy brings out a whole other realm of flavor”.
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Jollibee’s Chickenjoy was pitted against 15 other well-known brands of fast food chicken in the U.S.: McDonald’s, Shake Shack, Bonchon, Popeyes, KFC, Burger King, Church’s, Wendy’s, White Castle, Chick-Fil-A, Fuku, Bojangles, Wingstop, Panda Express and Del Taco.
As of date, Jollibee has over 5,800 stores across the globe, with more than 80 stores in North America.
Its flagship store in New York City’s Times Square officially opened this August 18, being the fourth one located in the Big Apple.