Jollibee - Crazy Fast Food

I took McKinna to lunch over a month ago, and we ended up at a KFC in Summerlin. Near the driveway to the KFC was a sign for Jollibee, a bright red drive through sign with a happy bee on it. I had never heard of this place an dmade a mental note to check it out when I had the time. Well, I had the time and was very happy to have gone to see it.

Some Background:

Jollibee is a Phillipino fast food place. I am told by friends who have been to the Phillipines, that this is as ubiquitous in the Phillipines as McDonalds is here.

The Interior:

Brightly colored, to say the least. Keep in mind, I had no idea what Jollibee was when I first got there. You can understand my confusion when I saw combo meals of fried chicken and spaghetti on the menu. Hamburgers on rice. Dogs mating with cats. Ok, maybe it wasn't that bad, but the combinations certainly made me feel a little bit disoriented.

The layout was also interesting. There was a drive through window and one or two registers on the left and then there were another one or two registers and what looked like a dessert side of the restaurant. The kitchen area seems abnormally large. I had to read the menu for about five minutes before I finally gave up and just asked the lady at the register to order me a genuine Jollibee experience. She recommended something I had never heard of before. She said it had smoked fish, pork and egg with some noodles. I said ok. I asked for a diet soda and cake. She offered me some sweet potato cake (was it Ube?) and I accepted.

Now for another oddity. The menu over the drive through and next two registers had combos with rice and maybe fries. There was a soda fountain in the restaurant as well. The menu over the register I ordered from offered cake and a soda in the combo. However, I got a CAN of soda, not a fountain drink and no fries or rice. I am not sure, but I think there might be two different menus and two different combo schemes in this restaurant. I mean, really, this place is DIFFERENT.

If any of my readers (and I think I know both of you, so I know the answer already) are communications majors, this restaurant is really an exercise in the definition of reality and the symbolism or language we have unknowningly developed in communicating our lunch. I experienced a significant culture shock even though I was only feet from mainstream America. I felt like I was trying to read from right to left.

The Food:

You can see from the pics, the main dish is unique looking. It was one of those times, like when I was eating sweet breads, that I just didn't know what I was eating. It was ok. I will probably eat it again sometime just to be sure I have fully experienced it.

Even better, though, was the cake. The ube (if I am remembering this right), makes a great cake. It was light, fluffy, moist and . . . purple? I am so disoriented in this restaurant, that I start to believe that literally, anything is possible. Maybe ube makes cake purple. Maybe this isn't purple because of artificial colors. I have no idea. But don't forget, I liked it.

The Verdict:

I don't know what to say. If you want to have your expectations turned on their heads, go to Jollibee. I didn't go, but I'll bet their toilet water swirls the other direction when you flush. It just seems like everything that can be different there, is. Next time I am trying spaghetti and chicken, or a burger, to determine if it is good, or just different.

Finally, I don't want to criticize, but come on people. Look around. There are places like this near you, if you look. I have a friend who works in the same parking lot as the Jollibee. He hadn't heard of this place. Open your eyes people, there is culinary adventure staring you in the face!