A few months before BonChon and the other Korean chicken joints came to the Philippine shores,…read morethere was Chicken Charlie. The first time I tried it was in this branch in QC. There was a long line and a long wait just to get one box of the soy garlic chicken. With one bite, I understood why. The chicken is so crunchy, the whole deal seemed unreal. Close your eyes when biting and you wouldn't even know it's actually chicken. That is until you cut into the juicy, flavorful meat. The first experience was simply unforgettable. To this day, I get really bad cravings for their chicken every time I remember how good that first bite was. I love how creative they've become with the menu. There's the usual chicken portions -- they have value meals with one-piece, two-piece or chops, they have a chicken basket with 3, 6 or 12 pieces, they have it in a burger bun, they have it in a bowl with rice, they have it on top of greens, you can even get your chicken with noodles.

I'm pretty sure Chicken Charlie was here way before the whole Bon Chon craze. I remember being…read moretreated here by my aunt during the first week that I just got back from the U.S., and I told her that I wanted to try something new (of course by then, I've had a good dose of Jollibee). Their chicken wings are double-cooked, and served as either soy garlic or spicy. They serve various meal items for chicken wings at a cheap price (at least cheaper than the competition), and somehow I like their version just a bit better. I always go for the spicy option, and I wasn't disappointed at all. It's hot enough to want an extra serving of rice, but not anywhere near tongue-burning sensation. If given the choice to choose between the two, I think Chicken Charlie offers a better flavor and price range than its competition. Also, they have Dynamite Jalapeños - hands-down winner for me!

Busy place, but got seated pretty fast. Really good chicken, tad bit dry, but tasty. Had the side…read moreof Kare Kare with bagoong, loved it...

If you love sweet, savory and healthy. This is the place for you…read more All their food is grilled on an open flame. You can order simple white rice or java rice (it has spices). You can select grilled fish or chicken. I say its healthy because for a fast food place, this place is much healthier than a french fries and a grilled hamburger. You get plenty of food for just a few US dollars. Now remember, I am an expat visiting the Philippines, so this is my perspective. But my family that took me here, love this place too. So although it is a fast food chain, the locals consider this local food. Simple, affordable, and fast. I highly recommend the halo halo, but only if your stomach can handle the water... halo halo is made with crushed ice. I'll be back. oh yes I'll be back!

Mang Inasal will cater to anyone who wants a decent meal on a budget. With their unli-rice service…read moregoing around the restaurant, you're sure to eat more than your recommended daily intake for carbohydrates. Any of their menu items are a choice to eat, especially when you add the chicken oil and a bit of chili-toyo-mansi. I personally love their Pecho, mostly because I like breast meat (it also makes me feel like I'm eating the healthier, less-fat portion of the chicken). Mang Inasal's pork sisig isn't bad either, but I feel like the serving sizes are getting smaller with each visit (probably due to an increased rate of commercialization). Their dessert menu is also pretty good for the price; getting an order of Halo-Halo for P75 is a steal nowadays. Sometimes, I would really prefer going to Mang Inasal rather than your local fast food favorite, but the crowds present during peak hours are sometimes too much to manage, and I would rather settle for the other restaurant next door.

By far, best korean chicken wings I have ever eaten no matter what country I have eaten it at. From…read moreNYC, Bangkok and Manila, the taste has remain consistent. In the Philippines, no matter if you order via app or online, the food is delivered hot, juicy and on time. My favorite so far is the soy and garlic flavour. Crispy on the outside and soft white meat in the inside. The meat is not dry when Deep frying the wings. And to quench your thirst, I recommend getting pineapple juice. Fresh juice over ice. Korean fever has definitely hit the Philippines and Bonchon is at the top of the list. Eumsig mas-issda. Translation, the food is freaking delicious!!

Manila got hit with Korean fever and we never really recovered. From hairstyles and dance moves, to…read morekorenovelas and whole pockets of the city converted to Koreatowns, the Korean craze is not just a phase. When you have their fast food chains gaining strong foothold in the Filipino market, you know it's more than just a fad. Korean culture, and its fast food equivalent Bonchon Chicken, is here to stay. PROS: For P155.00 for a 2-piece chicken rice meal, it's just 5 pesos more than the leading fast food chicken two piece meal; The sweet-savory soy garlic coating of their chicken is truly distinctive, making me say "Lasang Bonchon" for whatever other food comes my way with similar characteristics; Those wonderful chicken pieces come in a lot of different flavors; They offer a whole range of other food as well like seafood and snacks. CONS: The insides of the chicken isn't really as tasty as its crispy exteriors; Rice servings that aren't quite enough for the Pinoy tummy. TL;DR: For a distinctive fast food fried chicken experience minus the usual golden-brown breading, go for the delicious soy garlic Bonchon chicken.

I'd only heard of the famed hainanese chicken from one too many food documentaries all over…read moreYoutube. Never did I think I'd actually be able to taste it for myself without the obvious leaving Manila. I can't speak for authenticity but Hainanese Delights makes pretty good chicken. Even if we're talking "just chicken", it's fairly good chicken. It isn't dry nor is the fried variant oily. The rice is all you can eat (and not just plain white rice, too) as is the grated ginger and soy sauce that comes along with your chicken. If chicken isn't your thing, they have other things too. The noodles are a bit on the light side so don't forget to season liberally. They also have set meals for groups of five. All in all, it's a pretty good deal and a fairly light yet filling meal.

First time here, and overall a great experience. The menu was impressive with lots of selections…read more Unfortunately, it's not the most vegetarian-friendly restaurant--there are only a few options--but the ones available were actually very good. Our waitress was very helpful and attentive, which made a big difference. Even though the place was busy, the food came out surprisingly fast. Looking forward to coming back and trying more!

There are two King Chef restaurants in this Banawe St, but this one specializes in dimsum. What I…read morelike about dimsum is that it is easy to prepare and can be eaten anytime in the day. The restaurant is known and active for late night dinners, as they have a special promo starting 9pm. You wouldn't believe how the line is long even at midnight, it's like people don't sleep. During the day, they started to have breakfast, lunch, and tea time promos. Now, that's like eating at promo price every time. Their offerings is a variety, from siomai to buns to rice rolls, toppings, congee, and noodles, you have a wide range to choose from and everything tasted great. Some notable dishes I like are plain congee (don't really like toppings), taro puff, raddish cake, and chicken feet. Service, on the other hand, is quite disappointing as servers are not friendly, and they disappear when you need them the most.

Just like how I remembered it! We came early because we realized mid trip we haven't had Mang…read moreInasal yet and we didn't have any time during the day, but I am happy we were able to. We didn't get to do their signature unlimited rice (Unli Rice) because hindi kami sulit pero kumuha Kami ng unlimited sabaw (unlimited soup). The chicken was cooked to perfection with a little bit of char. It was tender and Smokey. Very flavorful. When you eat here, you have to get the chicken oil all over your rice. This goes perfectly with a toyo mansi sauce. I believe you can get chili peppers too. Just ask for it. For the dessert, we had halo halo and I believe was a caramel con heilo. They were both so yummy. Halo Halo is a classic but the caramel con heilo knocks it out of the park. I love how the flan goes well with the saba bananas and ice cream. Can't wait to visit home again, and come back to the Philippines and of course Mang Inasal.

Palabok, lumpia tokay and the most amazing chicken and rice! This ranks with Nando's Peri Peri for…read moreme as far as the base marinated chicken when it comes to flavor!!! Sweet and smoky balance, great to eat with rice and chicken oil. I loved the crunchy lumpia and the flavor of the bean sprouts dipped in the vinegar was fresh and tasty. Palabok had three best sauce so far. I like the pork chunks and the strength of the savory sauce!

This KFC was pretty clean and spacious enough! It had it's own AC, which is a huge plus considering…read moremost stores don't typically have AC but more fans. They had a second floor, but it was closed when I visited. As for their food, it was warm and fresh! It gets really busy during lunch hour since the location is near schools and workplaces, so be aware if you're planning to dine in for lunch.

If you've been looking for a fast food resto that's both inexpensive, fast-serving and…read morequality-ensured, then choose Jonas Pares! Their newly-renovated resto gives it a fresh and cleaner look, but quite smaller compared to what it looked like before. Maybe it's because more and more customers dine in at any time of the day! They specialize in Beef Pares with Fried Rice, but chicken, pork, siomai, siopao and other Filipino food staples are also available. They also serve some doughnuts for dessert which deserve a try even just once. Their food is great for fast consumption especially when you're veeeery hungry. Order extra rice just because you can! Tip: if with a group, it's recommended to share a single Sliced Beef Pares with Rice because it may look enough for one, bit it can definitely be shared by two people. Or scratch that, order a single one and devour it all by yourself! Let's see which one of your friends can stand up first after your meal.

I witness this grew from a small corner to a big restaurant. Among the fast food, this is the…read morecleanest so far. A typical chinese food, prices can range from $2-4. Whenever you get to try it, order Pares.