a bite of brownie

During ReiMart’s visit to Manila, we went to Century Mall (which reminds me, he should have written restaurant reviews from there!), we passed by this upscale food court, Hole in the Wall. Inside, we saw a variety of chef-owned fast food joints and it’s quite refreshing to not see the usual fast food chains (but I don’t hate any of them, really) like that one with a red, life sized bee for a mascot, or that one with a creepy clown who have oversized red shoes, or even where fried chicken, I have to agree, is finger lickin’ good. One of the joints there, Bad Bird, offered umami fried chicken that might just click.

And I guess they are making a name for their own because that very fast food joint is now at the 3F of SM Megamall’s new wing, the Fashion Hall. Looking at the menu, they offer umami fried chicken in 3 spiciness level: Safe, Spicy, and Chemical. I got the Corn and Coleslaw Plate because I just wanted fried chicken in all its goodness, no rice or other carbs to make the flavor any lesser. That came with two umami fried chicken and they let you choose two different flavors, too! I looked the server in the eye and asked about their chemical and there was warning in her eyes that told me not to take it (or maybe I was just a little chicken LOL). So I asked for the safe and spicy.

When I got the plate, I was pleased with the serving size. Two umami fried chicken (safe was the lighter colored one), a bowl of steamed and buttered corn removed from the cob and topped with bonito flakes, and a bowl of kimchi coleslaw. I started to eating the spicy fried chicken so I’ll have the safe fried chicken on standby in case my tongue gets fired. However, the spiciness for me was just ok, not really that spicy to blow me away so by then I kept wondering how spicy was their chemical one. It’s also reminiscent of another fast food joint’s fried chicken which sadly until now, I can’t remember. Anyway, as I moved on to the safe fried chicken, it was more lackluster than I expected and somehow reminded me of Pritos Ring chips (anyone remember how that tastes like?). The corn was under seasoned and the coleslaw was ok.


Verdict: 2/5
Definitely overrated by the reviews online. They have a nice wall art and interiors in the restaurant but the food is just so-so. Oh and I want to note their serving plate/paper, it was oil resistant! Haha! Anyway, apart from that, this meal is something I would switch for the fried chicken from Kentucky any time of the day. It’s just way overpriced for something so ordinary. Proceed with caution, or I guess to just try the chemical fried chicken.