On February 25, 2022, the Filipino fast-food chain Jollibee opened its first location in BC. This was met with overwhelming excitement, with hundreds of fans lining up outside overnight ahead of the grand opening date just to be able to experience the food.
The grand opening was received so well, in fact, that the restaurant had to temporarily place a cap on how much food customers could order.
Of course, with such a popular and beloved fast-food chain from the Philippines opening in Vancouver, we naturally invited students from different parts of the world to try various food from Jollibee. We selected popular items from their menu from their signature Chicken Joy to their famous Peach Mango Pie.
Reviewing the Jollibee Menu
The students we invited to try Jollibee range from being totally unfamiliar with Jollibee to growing up with the chain.
First up was Jollibee’s signature Chicken Joy, a simple fried chicken. With a crispy crust and a juicy inside, it’s no wonder the dish was well-received by everyone.
Jollibee veteran Diego recommends peeling the skin off and saving it for last as the best way to enjoy the chicken.
Next, we asked the students to try the spaghetti. Unlike the savory spaghetti many are accustomed to in North America and Europe, Jollibee spaghetti is sweet.
Almost every student expressed varying levels of surprise when trying the spaghetti with Kenneth jokingly stating that you can make a lollipop from the spaghetti if you froze it and put a stick in it. Myat notes the noodles used for the spaghetti is closer to Asian noodles than actual spaghetti.
The students gave the Yum Burger positive reviews despite the sweetness relative to other fast-food burgers. Tamara even states that it may be even tastier than McDonald’s burgers.
Many of the students noted the simplicity of the burger, which makes it very tasty.
Last but not least, we had the students try the Peach Mango Pie. Some were apprehensive at first but once they tried it, they all agreed the pie was pretty good. Ai even declared the pie was her favorite so far.
Diego reveals that Jollibee had a tuna pie at one point which caused reactions ranging from disbelief to curiosity from the other students.
In the end, the students were asked to rank the food from their favorite to least favorite. Surprisingly, or perhaps unsurprisingly, everyone except Diego placed the spaghetti last in their personal rankings, with the chicken and burger taking first or second place.
The Language of Food
Vancouver is home to many cultures and likewise, you can find many restaurants serving various cuisines from around the world. Jollibee is the newest addition to Vancouver’s multicultural food scene and we couldn’t be more excited to introduce students to food from different cultures!
If you’re a current student at AC who loves to try new food, contact us at connect@alexandercollege.ca and you may have a chance to be featured in a future blog and video.
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