Asian fast food sensation Jollibee arrives in London but does it live up to the hype?
Welcome to Jollibee, how may I take your order
This is how I imagine fast food used to be. Or maybe thats just what I remember from being fed too much American television as a child.
Either way its reality at Jollibee, Asias biggest home grown fast food joint, which opened its doors to thousands of waiting fans over the weekend in Earls Court.
Only the second branch in Europe, and arriving with queues of up to 18 hours at Saturdays London opening, the Filipino chain boasts a somewhat unusual signature dish of fried chicken and spaghetti that wouldnt be out of place in Manila.
To make matters even more interesting, the restaurants namesake and mascot is a large red bee.
Whats all the fuss about?
On its own, Jollibees food is up there with the chicken of KFC and the cheeseburgers of McDonalds — no mean feat.
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The fried chicken is tender but not too greasy, and comes with a small pot of gravy thats perfect for dipping in bits of crispy skin.
The Heinz-like spaghetti sauce is sweet and served with chopped hot dogs mixed in, and makes you feel like a kid again.
The cheeseburgers, or Yumburgers as they are known in the Jollibee universe, taste like a cross between McDonalds and Shake Shack with a Thousand Island sauce chucked in.
Taken piece by piece, Jollibee might seem like the weirdest fast food joint youve ever seen. An odd mascot, TV advert service and peculiar but cute meal names.
But put together and experienced in sum, it all makes sense.
In an age of nostalgia, where we clamour for retro games consoles and cereal cafes, Jollibee slots right into our childhood, even if it was never there to begin with.
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