Zugba Flame Grilled Chicken occupies a tiny corner of the Hen Long Grocery Store on 104th at 144th. They serve grilled chicken (obviously) done Filipino style along with other Filipino favourites and a few fusion versions of dishes that are quite interesting.
We placed an order and then went and picked up a few groceries while waiting for our order to be prepared and assembled. Hen Long was the first grocery store that I know of to mandate mask-wearing and to my knowledge, they have not had to endure a lot of bitching like East-West Grocery in Vancouver. We applaud their position and the cooperation of their clientele!
Take out is the obvious option here although there are two tiny tables shared between a few food stands. We tried their Bulalo which is a brisket soup with emphasis on bone marrow. This was a very good version with a rich broth and a generous amount of tender brisket. This is such a popular soup in the Philipines that there are restaurants that focus on it just like Ramen joints elsewhere. Put it on your must-try list.
Filipinos love their all-day breakfasts (silogs). I ordered the fried dried fish because Mharie loves it. Its a little too fishy for me although I always try it and keep an open mind. These were crispy little fish filet pieces and the breakfast came with garlic rice, a nice sunny side up egg and a couple of tomato slices.
On the fusion side of things was their Smoked Salmon Palabok. Palabok is a sort of chow mein but the addition of smoked salmon is strictly a local adaptation. Although the salmon was more of a finely ground addition, the smokiness and texture came through. I was quite impressed with this!
And finally, we had their namesake grilled chicken and again, this was quite tasty. Just cooked tender with a sweetish sauce and just a bit of char. More garlic rice (and really, I don't think you can have too much garlic rice) and a soy- vinegar dipping sauce. Very good!
Sort of a hidden gem unless you happen to shop at Hen Long.
Food 4 out of 5
Service 4 out of 5
Comfort 3 out of 5...at least you can shop while waiting
Value 4 out of 5
No comments:
Post a Comment