I tried Jollibee for the first time and here's what I thought

Marco Ovies/Daily Hive

You know that we love fried chicken here at Dished, so when I had the chance to get a sneak peek at Jollibee’s 100th North American location, you know I was the first one there.

It is located in Strawberry Hills in Surrey and marks the fourth BC spot for the company and the second location for the chain in Surrey. The first opened on King George Boulevard in Winter 2023.

Right when I walked in, I was greeted with the biggest bucket of chicken I have ever seen. I was a little worried because I am only one person, and if they expected me to finish all of that, they were in for a surprise. The giant bucket of chicken was there as part of the celebrations for Jollibee’s 100th location.

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But enough with all that — you’re here to know what I thought. Spoiler warning: I loved it.

Marco Ovies/Daily Hive

I started my meal with the Jolly Crispy Chicken, which was crispy and made me feel jolly. It came with a side of gravy that I immediately dipped my drumstick in, and oh boy, was it yummy. I loved the coating on the chicken, and it was so juicy. Surely it couldn’t get better than this.

Marco Ovies/Daily Hive

It did.

I then moved on to some chicken sandwiches. I started with the original, which was your classic chicken sandwich: chicken, mayo, and a brioche bun. There was something about that umami mayo that had me hooked.

Then, the spicy chicken sandwich. It’s just like the original except with spicy mayo and jalapeños. I’m a bit of a wimp, so it was a little too spicy for me, but it was still tasty. Out of the two, the original was the winner.

Marco Ovies/Daily Hive

Now, the Jolly Spaghetti. I’d had Filipino spaghetti before, so I knew what I was walking into, and this met every one of my expectations. It was sweet and even had a cut-up hotdog in it. And if you’ve had Filipino spaghetti before, you know that a hotdog is essential.

Before going to this event, my editor Hanna McLean (hi Hanna) told me I needed to try the Peach Mango Pie and thank goodness I listened to her for once. It’s made with real Philippine mangoes, and I’m convinced I could taste the difference. If you haven’t tried these yet, what the heck are you doing?

Marco Ovies/Daily Hive

During my visit, I also sampled Jollibee’s mashed potatoes, which tasted like… mashed potatoes. I wouldn’t go out of my way to order this, but who’s going to Jollibee just for mashed potatoes anyway?

To wash down my meal, I had Jollibee’s Pineapple Quencher, which was also fine. I think in the presence of such great chicken, this drink didn’t live up to the hype.

Marco Ovies/Daily Hive

Overall, my first experience at Jollibee’s was a good one. Dare I say that Jollibee might be my favourite fast-food fried chicken joint?

Jollibee Strawberry Hill opens to the public starting on January 25. If you’re going to be there on opening day, let us know in the comments.

Jollibee — Strawberry Hill

Address: 12047 72nd Avenue, Surrey

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