Tag: Popeyes

HOT STAR Large Fried Chicken in Alabang

HOT STAR Large Fried Chicken in Alabang

carlocarrasco

If you are looking for fried chicken to eat here in South Metro Manila, there are plenty of places to find them such as Jollibee, KFC, Popeyes and McDonald’s among the many restaurants. You can even find fried chicken meals served in convenience stores like Ministop, 7-Eleven and FamilyMart. Rest assured the mentioned business joints provide a lot of fried chicken whenever you are in Las Piñas, Parañaque and Muntinlupa.

There is one food joint that stand out among them all – HOT STAR Large Fried Chicken Philippines. With its newest branch located inside Festival Mall in Filinvest City, Alabang, HOT STAR is making a comeback here in South Metro Manila. Previously they had a branch along Presidents Avenue, Barangay BF Homes in Parañaque City and I ate there a number of times while they lasted. That particular branch closed down a few years ago so it was nice to see them open a new one in Alabang (note: their space is shared with Dakasi).

The commercial space of HOT STAR with Dakasi.

For the newcomers reading this, the HOT STAR business started in Taiwan and has overseas branches. They are best known for selling the 12-inch fried chicken which has a nugget-like shape but really large and quite filling.

At their Festival Mall branch, I had two stops there. The first time I was there, I joined the line to order myself a meal composed of their signature 12-inch fried chicken (referred to as the Signature XXL Chicken), rice and a drink. When asked for what type and what flavor the chicken should be, I chose the original type flavored with salt and pepper. Soon enough I got served and went to a vacant table.

The 12-inch signature fried chicken of HOT STAR.

Looking at the 12-inch original, salt-and-pepper fried chicken, it really was exactly as I remembered what was served to customers at the previous branch in BF Homes. It was also a bit challenging to cut into pieces given its formation and texture, so there were moments when I had to take the chicken by hand and pull it apart before trying to cut it into pieces with the plastic utensils.

As before, the 12-inch signature fried chicken is pretty tasty on its own. It was tasty enough, I did not bother to use any condiments. What is also notable about it is that it sure has a lot of content of chicken meat to consume. In fact, it was more than enough to fill the stomach. While this might sound unusual to you, this is pretty normal given my previous dining experience at HOT STAR BF Homes. That being said, I had a tasty and really satisfying meal there at HOT STAR Filinvest.

A few weeks later, I returned to the Festival Mall branch mainly to take home one of their newer foods – the Cheese Bomb. After driving home with the chicken from the mall, I got home and placed it on a plate.

This is what the Cheese Bomb looks like on the outside.

On the surface, the Cheese Bomb fried chicken has a different shape compared to the signature fried chicken. It looked ordinary on the outside but it is the cheese content inside the makes the big different not only in terms of content but also on flavor. As I ate the Cheese Bomb, I really felt that fine combined taste of fried chicken and cheese in my mouth and it only made me want to keep consuming until it all ran out. I got my money’s worth.

The cheese of Cheese Bomb exposed.
A closer look at the Cheese Bomb. The cheese itself is tasty.

To put it in short, I can say that the 12-inch signature fried chicken and the Cheese Bomb were both well cooked by HOT STAR Festival Mall and were properly prepared. It is notable that the two fried chicken variants were pretty flavorful respectively which shows that the cooks made them with the utmost care for me. As such, I highly recommend the 12-inch signature fried chicken and the Cheese Bomb to anyone who loves fried chicken. I got my money’s worth and so should you.

So if you happen to be in the Alabang area and you crave for fried chicken, you should visit HOT STAR at Festival Mall. They are on the ground floor level of the mall. Keep in mind that HOT STAR has several other types of food to offer such as spaghetti, rice bowl meals, burgers and fries, and chicken wings to name some. HOT STAR is a standout among the sellers of friend chicken here in South Metro Manila.

+++++

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to distorted views, NO to reckless publishers, and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila-related community developments, engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, visit and join the South Metro Manila FB group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

My Observations: Fried Chicken Meal and Cajun Fries at Popeyes Alabang

My Observations: Fried Chicken Meal and Cajun Fries at Popeyes Alabang

carlocarrasco

20190719_121350.jpg
Popeyes restaurant at Alabang Town Center, specifically located right beside Krispy Kreme.

On July 19 at a commercial space (right beside Krispy Kreme and steps away from Fully Booked) at the area of Alabang Town Center in Muntinlupa City, the newest branch of Popeyes Philippines opened and right from the start it drew a long line of curious and hungry customers.

I personally witnessed many people waiting in line seated as many chairs were provided for their comfort. Once inside, they joined the line at the counters to make their orders and then wait to be served.

As there were so many people, I decided to skip the weekend and try one of Popeyes’ meals on a weekday. Fortunately, yesterday, I found an opportunity to visit the Popeyes ATC branch and the line outside was much shorter. When I sat in line, there were less than ten people ahead of me.

The wait on line at the counters inside the restaurant took longer. I noticed that the Popeyes personnel receiving orders had to answer the many questions asked by the customers who had their turns. During that time, I carefully examined the meals, side dishes and drinks displayed. By the time I got my chance to order at the counter, I quickly ordered a 2-piece fried chicken meal with single rice (and drink included) and their Cajun Fries.

So here is my meal.

20190722_111858.jpg
2-piece fried chicken with rice (still wrapped) and the Cajun Fries.

To make things clear, I did NOT use any condiments as I really wanted to determine if the food cooked by Popeyes were really tasty on their own.

When I started with the fried chicken, I opened the meat to see if it was well cooked. They did their job.

20190722_112000.jpg
The fried chicken cut open.

The result? For the fried chicken, they were tasty on their own. While Popeyes constantly emphasized their “Louisiana taste” a lot, I did not find the flavor of their fried chicken special. When it comes to taste, Popeyes fried chicken is tasty enough to enjoy without any condiments. However, if I may compare, I find the fried chicken of Mini-Stop (under their Uncle John’s sub-brand) clearly tastier than Popeyes. At the same time, I noticed Popeyes fried chicken pieces were slightly smaller compared to what was served at Mini-Stop, 7-Eleven, Jollibee, SNR and FamilyMart. Lastly, I noticed Popeyes’ fried chicken is not too greasy and that’s a good thing.

For what I paid (P167 or more than US$3), the 2-piece fried chicken meal at Popeyes Alabang was filling enough but it could have been better. If you want fried chicken meals that are more flavorful and more filling for less cost, you are better off with Mini-Stop, 7-Eleven and others.

20190722_112544.jpg
Popeyes Cajun Fries.

As for the Cajun Fries, they are tasty enough to be enjoyed without condiments. The texture and taste remind me somewhat of McDonald’s twisted fries I tasted long ago. In a way, the Cajun Fries are more enjoyable than the standalone fries of other fast food restaurants that need condiments to be flavorful. The medium-sized Cajun Fries cost me P57.

I don’t know when to return to Popeyes at ATC but if I revisit, perhaps I’ll try out one of their burger meals.

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Also my fantasy book The World of Havenor is still available in paperback and e-book format. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com