Finally! It has been a week since school ended. It was a rollercoaster ride of a week for me. I went through finishing all work for the school year, finding a new apartment, and enrolling into a master’s program while figuring out where to get the money to study. All in a week. O diba? Pero nagjollibee parin si ate mong girl. Now let me rephrase that. “Girl, strong independent woman ka pero kailangan mo na si Jollibee!”
And so I went to Jollibee together with my friends. Jollibee is located at Seafood City, a Filipino supermarket in Chicago. This supermarket has a wide variety of Filipino products and it really brings Filipinos closer to home. A bit more expensive but why not for a lingering whiff of Pilipinas diba? Aside from the grocery, it also has a food court offering a variety of Filipino dishes. Lechon, Sisig, Barbecue, and Turon to name a few. It also houses a Filipino cake shop called Red Ribbon, a bakery called Valerio’s, a remittance and a shipping center. Just recently, Seafood City also opened its doors to Max’s restaurant, a famous Filipino restaurant also known for its fried chicken. I’m telling you, Seafood City is like the door to the Philippines. Major Narnia vibes!
Not a fan of Coconut Jam when I was in the Philippines but since I moved to Chicago, it has been a staple in my breakfast, merienda (afternoon snack), and late night binge. Have you tried Coco Jam on Skyflakes?! Oh my gosh! But that’s for another blog post. For now, si Jollibee ang bida! Jollibee is a fast food restaurant founded in the Philippines. It is known for its crispy and juicy chicken and Filipino-style spaghetti. Filipino- style spaghetti is different from the traditional Italian spaghetti. Ours tastes sweeter and is cooked out of a different set of ingredients. Instead of tomato sauce, we put banana ketchup and aside from ground pork/beef, we also put hotdogs. Yum! I literally grew up eating Jollibee. I celebrated my 1st and 7th birthday there. Heck, I even did a TV ad for Jollibee when I was a kid! Isn’t that crazy?! I guess my point is Jollibee has been an integral part of Filipino households. It is one of the ultimate Filipino comfort food and so I am just elated that this Filipino restaurant is in Chicago!
Jollibee and me on my 1st birthday. 
Strong family bonds made through food. 
Jollibee on my 7th birthday. So interesting to see how we partied before. All prim and proper with matching Barong Tagalog and Filipiniana! 
Jollibee. Konti na lang. Crush na talaga kita. #dalagangpilipina 
That short TV stint for Jollibee. 
I still look like that when buying at Jollibee. LOL.
Ordering was different since the restaurant is only open for take outs and delivery. People are practicing social distancing as well even though the city has moved to Phase 4. One thing that I have confirmed during this pandemic is that no mask can cover the bright vibe of Filipinos. There were fewer people but you’d definitely see their smiles radiating through their eyes and their usual noisy remarks and greetings! Because of the current restrictions in place, ordering took time so if you are planning to buy, make sure to go early!
My friends and I ordered the usual 2 piece chickenjoy and a big serving of spaghetti, partnered with pineapple juice and since it was a hot summer afternoon, Halo -Halo. Halo- Halo translated in english as “mix – mix” is a filipino dessert. It is a bunch of sweet desserts: sweetened beans, sweetened jackfruit, corn, banana, jelly, coconut strips, ube (purple yam) dumped at the bottom of the cup, covered by shaved ice and then topped with scoops of ice cream and a spoon of leche flan. All of those wonderful things is drowned with milk and all you have to do is “mix mix” them all together and enjoy! We were also supposed to get peach mango pies. Ha! Something that I do not usually get when I was in the Philippines but now would definitely silently sulk for if not available. Hahaha! So they were not available. It’s okay. More excuse to come back right?
Halo Halo 
Pineapple Juice
We went back home and enjoyed the food in our backyard. There’s definitely a difference between the Jollibee here in Chicago and the one in the Philippines. First off is serving size. Portions are larger here. Back home, a regular meal consists of a piece of chicken and a side- either rice, spaghetti, or palabok. Here, a regular meal consists of 2 pieces of chicken and a huge portion of your preferred side dish (rice, spaghetti, palabok). Another one is the menu. There were things in the menu that are only available in international stores. Some of them are the halo-halo, adobo rice, and chicken burgers. They are definitely not in the home court’s menu. At least bring the adobo rice to the Philippines and bring the tuna pie here! Haha! Last is taste. The chicken, while thankfully staying true to what it is known for – crispy and juicy, tastes different from the OG chicken back home. The spaghetti is a tad less sweet. It seems like they’ve used tomato sauce instead of the banana ketchup to better suit the tastebuds of the consumers here. I have to ask the crew next time I visit if my speculations are correct! Nevertheless, the food was good and everything hit home!
Overall, we were just happy to be sharing food that reminds us of home. As a child, I never truly understood when family members who come home from abroad request to eat at Jollibee or request to have a certain Filipino home-cooked meal prepared. I have simply thought of them overreacting towards food but now that I am experiencing it first hand, I see that food really does connect with one’s culture and identity and when you are in a foreign country and you’re having a hard time to assimilate, food from home helps in grounding yourself back. Moreso, more than the flavor, what it really reminds you are those moments shared with your family and friends and the feeling you had while enjoying the meal together – the overall feeling of joy, warmth, love, and belongingness, which really is the ultimate pill to a homesick Filipino or anyone that is away from home. Back in the day, my aunts and uncles would wait for their contracts to end in order to get a taste of Filipino food and I couldn’t imagine how they survived homesickness. I am just grateful because things are different now and way more accessible so it’s not hard to find a Filipino restaurant in another country like the US. Actually, apart from Jollibee, there are a lot of other Filipino restaurants around the city and I cannot wait to share them with you!
That’s it for now! Will do a more in depth review of Jollibee’s menu for sure so definitely wait for it! Ikaw, what do you usually order from Jollibee? And if you haven’t tried Jollibee yet, coming across this website is a sign! Do it and please tell me all about your experience!
Nagmamahal,
The Grateful Filipina