When in Manila and craving Korean fried chicken, try visiting one of the newly opened, quick serve restaurants in Pasig, Clucky’s. A family owned and run business, Clucky’s brings a secret fried chicken recipe from a small food chain in the U.S. directly to the Philippine fast food scene and takes the Korean fried chicken to new heights!
The Clucky’s Logo
What’s this small food chain from the U.S., you ask? It’s Mad for Chicken, a thriving business with three of its outlets already situated in New York. Mad for Chicken boasts jucier meat and thinner, yet crispier crust. The secret? The business, as well as its Philippine counterpart, believes in the use of fresh, local produce everyday no matter what. They never freeze meat, for the act of freezing and thawing destroys the meat and makes for lackluster fried food.
Korean fried chicken or seasoned chicken has been an irresistibly delicious dish for some time now, and Filipinos love to eat it with white rice. Clucky’s offers several budget meals to satisfy the Filipino appetite. The Mad for Chicken partner also likes to spice things up by introducing new products every few months, so watch out for those!
Two of Clucky’s owners have graciously allowed me and my good friend to sample their treats, and we were both pleasantly surprised that their tasty offerings are one notch more flavorful than, well, the leading brands.
House Salad (Php 70 for the solo, Php 119 for the larger portion)
A plateful of Clucky’s House Salad may set you back by a few pesos, but the crunchy, bite-size leaves of lettuce and the generous adornment of fresh slices of fruits in season mix well with the nice and tangy Sesame Ginger Dressing. Partaking the house salad is a refreshing way to start your Korean fried chicken expedition.
Yummy grape and melon chunks
Parmesan Fries (Php 49 / Php 85)
Nobody likes soggy, oily fries. A serving of Clucky’s parmesan fries is a tell-tale sign that the food establishment knows how to use a fryer. Each thick fry is coated with enough amount of grated parmesan cheese and spices to make you want for more. Each order comes with a small tub of delicious spicy mayo sauce!
Easy to devour in minutes!
Bulgogi Rice Topping (Php 139 / Php 149 with 12 oz soda or iced tea)
A bowl of freshly cooked, tender beef and white rice can fill an empty stomach in a jiffy. The dish is light, and although I would personally prefer a little more sauce on my rice topping, the well-marinated beef slices makes up for it.
Sesame seeds top an already filling dish.
Kimchi Fried Rice (Php 139 ala carte, Php 149 with 12 oz soda or iced tea)
Clucky’s Kimchi Fried Rice shows you exactly what you would get if you took a less spicy version of homemade kimchi and some familiar Pinoy staple. The dish comes with your choice of tofu, chicken or sausage bits, so even your cute vegetarian for a date can try the lip-smacking goodness of Clucky’s fried rice.
Wings Basket (small bucket Php 239 / medium 459 / large 679)
As Clucky’s tour de force, each chicken wing is trimmed to ensure a well-coated, juicy piece of meat. Unlike the competition, the meat tastes fresh and well-marinated. The Korean style of frying was done pretty well, too, since the crust is noticeably crispier. You can order a basket of spicy or soy garlic wings. Watch out for the spicy version, though, it packs a wonderful punch.
For Php 139, you get 4 pieces of wings, a cup of white rice, a side portion of corn salad and a 12oz cup of soda or ice tea
Chicken Tenders (bucket starts at Php 119)
Boneless, tender pieces of chicken are fried Korean-style! Soy garlic or spicy—take your pick. The chicken tenders are best paired with the honey mustard sauce.
Two pieces of chicken tenders, a cup of white rice, corn salad on the side and a 12oz cup of soda or iced tea will set you back Php 109. Add Php40 for an extra breast strip.
Fish Fillet (bucket starts at Php 119)
Clucky’s new offering, the Fish Fillet, makes you go through a thin, crispy crust before revealing a tender, cooked-through piece of dory fillet. It also comes in two flavors: soy garlic and spicy.
For Php 109, you can get two pieces of fish fillet, a cup of rice, some corn salad on the side and a 12oz cup of soda or iced tea. Add Php40 for an extra fillet.
Chicken Burger (Php 65 ala carte, Php 119 meal)
Clucky’s chicken burger is by far the best tasting, quick-serve chicken burger I’ve ever tasted. The lightly toasted bun blends well with the crispy chicken tender and fresh lettuce. Try it for yourself and let me know what you think in the comments!
You can have it sliced into two if you feel like it
Premium Gelato (a cup for Php 69)
These homemade tubs of love come in four flavors: Banoffee, Coffee Choco Crunch, Dark Chocolate and Oreo Cheesecake. My friend and I were only able to try Banoffee and Dark Chocolate (made of Belgian chocolate!) Both flavors are so nice and creamy, I’m sure the other flavors are just as good if not better.
Alcohol
You can even spend some time with your friends at Clucky’s! Have a great time with a bottle or two of Hoegaarden, Stella Artois, Red Horse, San Mig Pale Pilsen or San Mig Light.
Eager to try all of these delectable items? Why don’t you join When in Manila’s Clucky’s Giveaway and treat your family and friends just in time for Christmas?
Nothing makes food taste better than an enjoyable time with your friends and family, especially When in Manila.
Clucky’s
G/F Rockwell Business Center Tower 2
Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City
https://www.facebook.com/ilovecluckys
Business Hours:
Monday to Thursday
7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday
7a.m. to MN
Saturday
MN to 9pm
WIN Php1000 GC at Clucky’s Chicken: Possibly the Tastier Korean Fried Chicken
