Jollibee Philippine
The number one fastfood chain in the Philippine is Jollibee. The official tagline of Jollibee is the Tagalog phrase "Langhap Sarap!", which literally means "delicious aroma". The uniqueness of Jollibee stems from the fact that it has produced an array of fastfoods catering to the Philippine (Filipino) taste bud.
You may be wondering what this Philippine taste bud is all about. At the onset, we must say that it is hard to describe the Philippine taste bud but in a few words, this taste bud is all about flavor, spice and tastefulness.
The Filipino tongue prefers the salty, sweet and sour, spicy and flavorful dishes, as opposed to the bland taste that many other people prefer.
Jollibee has had the secret formula that makes Filipinos want to visit this fastfood chain more than any other fastfood chain in the country.
In our travels abroad, we have have heard Filipinos craving for Jollibee while in Europe and the United States. If it were possible to smuggle a few orders from Jollibee to anywhere in the world where there are Filipinos, we are sure that this business will have a really big market.
Another characteristic of the Filipino tongue is its preference for rice meals, that is, meals with rice of course! When someone asks you whether you like "real food" or not, the question simple means whether you like a meal with rice or not.
At Jollibee Philippine, a favorite rice meal is that of the "chickenjoy". This refers not to a happy chicken but the happiness you will have when you eat the chicken. The Jollibee chickenjoy is deep fried chicken that is delicious up to the bones, hence Jollibee Philippine's other tagline "Sarap to the bones!", literally meaning "delicious up to the bones".
And yes, the other word you should learn when it comes to Philippine dining is the word "sarap" or its equivalent variant "masarap", meaning "delicious". You would hear this word a lot, when you visit the Philippine.
Since the Filipinos love dining, this is one word they surely love too. Jollibee meals are masarap, especially the rice meals. One thing that would strike you curious would probably be the beef burger served with rice and gravy. Yes, before your eyes pop out in disbelief, you better try this dish from Jollibee and taste for yourself the tastefulness of burger and rice.
In the Philippine, whenever there is a debate on where to dine, one choice is always Jollibee. If the debate cannot be resolved, Jollibee becomes the default choice. Yes, there things such as as a default restaurant in a society that loves to dine.
Another unique Jollibee Philippines meal, is its version of the spaghetti. Oh, the spaghetti tomato sauce is at once tasteful, semi-sweet and mildly spicy, catering to the tongue of kids, and mind you, even adults like me.
Jollibee also serves "Happy Meals", very appropriate for kids. Happy meals are kiddie meals that would include some freebies for the kids, such as toys and figurines.
When in the Philippine, you might hear the word "malasa" during dining gatherings. The term "malasa" literally means tasteful or flavorful. Of the many adjectives that describe the food served at Jollibee, we think that this is one of the most appropriate.
For first timers, you have to try out the hamburger that is served at Jollibee, called the yumburger. The burgers are really yummy and come in many forms.
For those with large appetites, you have to try out the "Champ" burger. One difference that the Jollibee burgers have with the other burgers served in other fastfood chains is the fact that the beef is so tasteful.
While writing this article, my tongue seems to want to utter "yum, yum, yum" for those yumburgers while my brain wanders through the nearby Jollibee restaurant a few blocks away.
The smaller burgers might surprise the foreigner as small. I myself find it small but there's no stopping you from ordering 2 or 3 of those burgers, still at very reasonable prices.
One thing you should never ever forget to try is the Jollibee "palabok". (Note that the "palabok" is a unique Filipino dish and not peculiar to Jollibee. Various palaboks can be found anywhere in the Philippine.)
We do not know where the word "palabok" came from but this meal refers to noodles mixed with shrimp and other sea food, egg, "palabok" sauce, and crushed chicharon (dried and fried pork skin).
The "palabok" is far from being pasta. It is not pasta! This is neither the typical noodle meal like the Ramen (of Japan) but is truly a unique Filipino dish. Try the Jollibee palabok and you will have an idea on what the Filipino taste bud is all about.
The Jollibee mascot is a yellow and orange bee, jolly and cheerful, hence the name Jollibee. Whenever you go to Jollibee, eat your heart out and try out its different dishes. You will probably not crave for it in the future but you will realize that the meals are really "langhap sarap!" and truly "masarap!"
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