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.
As of July 2024, there are now four Jollibee locations in British Columbia. Two are in Vancouver and two are in Surrey. There are a total of 29 Jollibee locations across Canada.
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.
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, known in Canada as Jolly Crispy Chicken, 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 and University Transfer Program student Diego recommends peeling the skin off and saving it for last as the best way to enjoy the chicken.
Photo by GoodEats YQR on Unsplash
Next, we asked the students to try the Jollibee 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 Associate of Science Degree student Kenneth jokingly stating that you can make a lollipop from the spaghetti if you froze it and put a stick in it. Myat, another University Transfer Program student, 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. Fellow Associate of Science Degree student 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, an Associate of Arts (Business) Degree student, 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 favourite to least favorite. Surprisingly, or perhaps unsurprisingly, everyone except Diego placed the spaghetti last in their personal rankings, with the chicken and pie taking first or second place.
| # | Mehdi | Tamara | Kenneth | Ai | Myat | Diego |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ? Chicken | ? Pie | ? Chicken | ? Pie | ? Burger | ? Chicken |
| 2 | ? Pie | ? Burger | ? Pie | ? Burger | ? Pie | ? Spaghetti |
| 3 | ? Burger | ? Chicken | ? Burger | ? Chicken | ? Chicken | ? Pie |
| 4 | ? Spaghetti | ? Spaghetti | ? Spaghetti | ? Spaghetti | ? Spaghetti | ? Burger |
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 our international students to food from different cultures!
If you’re a current student at AC who loves to try new food, contact us at social@alexandercollege.ca and you may have a chance to be featured in a future blog and video.
Alexander College acknowledges that the land on which we usually gather is the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We are grateful to have the opportunity to work in this territory.
Alexander College acknowledges that the land on which we usually gather is the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We are grateful to have the opportunity to work in this territory.
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