Jollibee Liverpool review

Tom Beattie brings you his verdict on Jollibee – the Philippine fast food restaurant just opened on Liverpool’s Whitechapel

IT WAS CLEAR that the opening of the Philippines’ largest fast food chain in Liverpool had been much-anticipated amongst the locals.

With a queue of prospective customers stretching what seemed to be half the length of Mathew Street, the fanfare which accompanied Jollibee’s first day of service in the city was nothing short of extraordinary.

You may be wondering what all the fuss is about? After all, fast food chain restaurants have long been a fixture in our lives; there is seldom a street corner in Britain’s town centres, no matter how big or small, not adorned with either those famous golden arches or a silhouette of a certain Colonel Sanders.

Jollibee first came to my attention during lockdown when, like so many, I found myself bingeing on Netflix’s own equivalent of comfort food, Anthony Bourdain’s ‘Parts Unknown’.

The late chef’s own vehement dislike for fast food was well documented, however, the one exception to his dissent, was the intriguing fusion of western and eastern tastes to be found at Jollibee. “I sneer at fast food, revile it at every opportunity, but I am also a hypocrite because to me Jollibee is the wackiest, jolliest place on earth,” Bourdain professed during his trip to Manilla.

Upon setting foot in Jollibee Liverpool there was little to tell it apart from just about any other fast food chain, however such sweeping dismissals were quickly forgotten when I first caught sight of a menu advertising such peculiarities as hot dog spaghetti, ‘Chickenjoy’ fried chicken and, interestingly, a pineapple fried chicken burger.

Eager to get an all-encompassing taste of what this most eccentric of menus had to offer, I decided to sample three of the items which first caught my eye.

‘Chickenjoy’, Jollibee’s most famous menu item, would best be described as a crispy-coated fried chicken in the mould of that famous chain joint. It too can be ordered as individual pieces (starting at £2.30), which I opted for, or in the form of a sharing bucket (starting at £9.90), and comes with a side of aromatic curry sauce.

The sides on offer with every meal, which range from familiar fast-food staples such as French fries and corn on the cob to gravy-covered mashed potato and boiled rice, again display the chain’s refreshing zaniness. Oh, and as is the custom, all of this is usually washed down with pineapple juice (£1.10), which I was instructed is an essential amongst those more equated with the Filipino chain.

After devouring my two pieces of ‘Chickenjoy’, which were not breathtaking but certainly flavoursome, I decided to tackle the hot dog spaghetti topped with grated cheese and tomato sauce (£3.90). Admittedly, it didn’t quite stop me in my tracks, but you would be hard-pressed to find such an array of comforting, indulgent items as this on the menu of any other fast food chain.

My final item, however, displayed the best that the restaurant has to offer and, frankly, was the most comprehensive indicator of what has made the chain just so popular all over the world.

A new addition to the menu, the pineapple chicken burger (£4.80), topped with a delightful zingy hot chilli sauce, tasty American cheese and, of course, fresh pineapple. The dish was a mind-twisting collage of flavours but, I am pleased to report, it worked! The ingenuity of the creation cemented my belief that the chain has a real chance of becoming a cult hit in this city.

Yes, we’ve all tried fast food chains such as McDonald’s and KFC, and Liverpool’s independent restaurant offering is deservedly becoming one of the most envied in the country, but it did occur to me that Jollibee, given its clear absurdity, could well carve itself a niche on Merseyside.

There is little gourmet to be found here but, anyone expecting that has surely has come to the wrong place. Rather, what you will discover is a genuinely divergent take on fast food.

In the words of Mr Bourdain, the place is ‘whacky’, but you’ll struggle to find as wide-ranging an assortment of flavours and dishes on any high street in Britain.

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