I stumbled across Chef Patrick Go’s post on my feed about this new chicken place that had just opened in BF Homes, Parañaque. Now, chicken places here are a dime a dozen, but the photo made me do a double take. That skin. How did it look so crispy and juicy at the same time?! And that’s how I accidentally discovered the newest cloud kitchen concept, Aguirre Fried Chicken. Katakawan lang talaga.
After doing a bit of research, I found out that this particular chicken shop is owned by Chef Kel Zaguirre, the same talented genius that brought us Locavore. Plus points – there was no way I was going to be disappointed in this bird. So I sent them a DM on Instagram and ordered The Aguirre Hot Box (₱750) which consists of their signature spicy whole fried chicken, their house blend banana catsup, pickled radishes, garlic spread, fried saba, and dinner rolls. The rolls looked a little small – and there was no way that was going to compliment an entire fried chicken – so I ordered extra Dinner Rolls (₱50 for 4 pieces) as well as their Cucumber Coleslaw (₱100) and Mashed Potato Gravy (₱50). I ordered and paid online and had my box picked up and delivered to my doorstep. This was literally their second day of operations, and already they were pretty impressive.
Finger Lickin’ Good… So Spice!
A word to the wise – when they said spicy, they meant it. Their chicken spatchcocked and brined for 20 hours to make sure all the flavors seep in right to the bone, before being seasoned with whole chili flakes and fried ’til caramel brown. Just look at the tan on that baby! The chili wakes up the tastebuds, but only really goes skin-deep, so if you’re not big on heat, you can give the top bit away to someone like me, who lives for the stuff! With all the fat cooked away, all you have is crispy, Korean fried chicken skin with juicy meat sitting right underneath, just waiting to be discovered.
Each box comes with instructions on how to best enjoy your #FriedWithPride with sides:
- Take a piece of chicken and a bread roll
- Smear garlic paste on your chicken and bread roll
- Dunk your chicken in their Signature Banana Catsup
- Take a bite of your Aguirre Fried Chicken!
- Follow up with white pickles
- Now take a bite of your bread roll
- Enjoy the party in your mouth
- Do it all over again!
That was incredibly precise. My guess is either a controlling Capricorn or anal Virgo wrote the instructions. I was never any good at following them, and ended up picking at the spicy chicken skin (the best part!) and sandwiching the meat. The garlic paste is pretty strong, too, so a little goes a long way. I love the balance of spiciness with the sweetness of the banana catsup and fried saba, and the pickled radishes to offset the cloying oiliness. Both the cucumber coleslaw and mashed potato gravy were underwhelming – one was too watery and didn’t taste like anything while the other was way too stodgy. But again, this was literally their second day of being open so I’m going to assume they were still figuring things out. The sides aren’t that expensive either, so expect the portion size to match the price point. I just wished I had ordered more dinner rolls.
The Conclusion
I really enjoyed this cloud kitchen concept. While I did find it pricey at first, after learning about how much work goes into one order, I have a better appreciation of what it is that I’m buying. You really can’t go wrong with the chicken, but the sides can definitely be improved. I also hope that they add more fried bananas down the road – it really helps temper the spiciness of the hotbox chicken. Would I order from them again? You bet your sweet ass I would. They have an “All I Want for Christmas” promo (₱1,500) that includes one whole chicken, potato gratin, strawberry-peach macaroni salad, fudgy cookies, and a bottle of Hoegaarden Rosée beer, and I’m crossing my fingers it’ll be available for new year’s eve!
