Tag: Jollibee

KATSYE Special KBBQ Chicken Sandwich from Jollibee

Published on by Michael NusairLeave a comment

KATSYE Special KBBQ Chicken Sandwich from Jollibee
Location: 800 Boyer Boulevard, Mississauga (inside Seafood City Supermarket)
Website: http://jollibeecanada.com/

I’m going to admit that I’ve never heard of KATSYE, which is apparently a Kpop-influenced “global girl group” that was formed through a reality show (every word of that sentence makes me feel like an old man who is about to crumble into dust).

KATSYE Special KBBQ Chicken Sandwich from Jollibee

So I can’t say I particularly care that KATSYE had something to do with this sandwich (or at least agreed to put their name on it), but Korean fried chicken?  Yeah, that I can get on board with.

Here’s how Jollibee describes this sandwich: “Our crispy, juicy, hand-breaded chicken breast fillet hand-dipped in a sweet soy glaze with a bold kick of heat, topped with fresh cilantro, red onion, and cucumber slices, served on a toasted brioche bun.”

KATSYE Special KBBQ Chicken Sandwich from Jollibee

This was… fine?  The sweet, savoury, and slightly spicy Korean-style sauce was certainly tasty enough, and the sandwich has a nice exterior crunch that’s satisfying.  I don’t think I’ve ever had cilantro on a fried chicken sandwich (certainly not at a fast food joint); it’s a nice touch, though it’s mostly overwhelmed by the flavourful sauce.

KATSYE Special KBBQ Chicken Sandwich from Jollibee

The biggest issues here were that the piece of fried chicken breast wasn’t particularly fresh, with the chicken itself being pretty dry, and more pressingly: that enormous, cold, dry brioche bun.  I’m not sure if it was too dense by design or was just stale (or both), but it overwhelmed the chicken and was a bit of a bummer to eat.

I like the fried chicken pieces at Jollibee, but this was my first time trying a sandwich.  I’ll stick with the pieces.

Fried Chicken and Spaghetti at Jollibee

Published on by Michael NusairLeave a comment

JollibeeLocation: 800 Boyer Boulevard, Mississauga (inside Seafood City Supermarket)
Website: http://jollibeecanada.com/

Jollibee opened locations in Scarborough and Mississauga in the last couple of years, and they were both immediately swamped.  People love Jollibee with a passion that’s unusual in the world of fast food.

I tried visiting the Mississauga location a couple of times when it first opened, and both times the line was way too intense.  But I figured it was safe enough to give it another shot, and yeah, the extreme crowds have died down.  I showed up at around 11:20 AM on a Friday and was able to order immediately, though by the time I left a line had already formed.

Jollibee

I ordered the Crispy Chicken Perfect Pair, which comes with a piece of fried chicken, Jolly Spaghetti, and a drink.

I assumed I’d like the fried chicken (and I did), but the spaghetti was a bit more of a question mark.  It’s topped with meat sauce with chunks of hot dog mixed in, and it’s notorious for being quite sweet.  I was expecting something in line with Chef Boyardee.

It’s interesting; the sauce is, as advertised, quite sweet.  But it’s also tangy, and kind of reminded me of a cross between a traditional tomato sauce and barbecue sauce.  It feels like it shouldn’t work, but it kinda does.  The salty hot dog slices help to round out the sweetness, as does the cheese on top.

Jollibee

The spaghetti itself isn’t exactly al dente, but it’s not mushy, either.  The whole thing is oddly compelling.  I liked it.

The fried chicken is more straightforward.  It basically tastes like KFC original recipe, but with a slightly more subtle flavour.  The chicken was nicely crispy on its exterior and very juicy inside.  It’s a quality piece of fried chicken.

Jollibee

Even the gravy is a bit more unique than you might think; it’s definitely not the typical brown gravy you’ll find at a fast food joint.  It’s a little bit sweet, and there’s a spice in there I couldn’t quite put my finger on.  It works really well with the fried chicken.

I ordered the peach mango pie for dessert, which is crispy and fried, as it should be.  The filling is basically a fruit-flavoured goo (there were maybe like two or three tiny bits of fruit in there), but it’s still quite tasty.  It’s basically impossible to go wrong with a deep fried pie.

Jollibee

Okay: I get it.  I get the lines.  It’s certainly not the best thing ever, but I can see why people who grew up with Jollibee have a deep fondness for the place.  It’s pretty unique.