One familiar treat to a Filipino in Hong Kong is Jollibee. This fastfood outlet brings memories back home. That distinctive smell within the vicinity in Central is one remedy of a typical Pinoy homesickness. This is one little advantage for Filipinos in Hong Kong over counterparts in other overseas stints.

When I arrived in Hong Kong in 2001 there were at least two outlets in Hong Kong island, and another in Kowloon if memory serves me right. However, this dwindled down to one sole survivor, the outlet located in Central:

Shop Z4, G/B Eurotrade Center, 13-14 Connaught Rd. Central, Hong Kong
Tel. No. (852) 2522 7930, (852) 2522 7553
Fax No. (852) 2854 1977
MTR Exit A

This outlet is composed of two levels, ground floor and at basement where more seats are available. On Sundays though, these seats are often occupied and one should know the art of securing seats. Just like in many fastfood outlets in the city, the cleaners are usually the elderly people, while the youngsters are confined in the kitchen and cashier sections. While I notice many Jollibee outlets in the Philippines are more accommodating “Hi, hello sir welcome to Jollibee”, front-end staff here are more pragmatic and serves orders quicker.

There are many Filipino eateries in Central district, owing to the fact that this is where Filipinas usually spend their weekends. Many of these food outlets are located at the World Wide House nearby and serve typical Filipino dishes like ginataan, dinuguan, pinakbet, pancit and more. Yet, the distinctive taste of Jollibee offerings makes it a terrific choice.

The general atmosphere is truly Filipino, The fact that the food produced at is very much the same as how we taste chicken joy or Champ burger truly makes Jollibee Hong Kong an authentic Jollibee rather than just a food outlet that borrowed the name and whose food tastes different. My favorites are chicken joy, deep-fried chicken and palabok, rice noodles garnished with shrimp sauce, crushed pork rind and shrimp.

In my earlier years here, typical observation includes the sight of a talkative elderly woman sharing her long experience in Hong Kong while selling wares on the side. Others are even more blunt. They approach you and ask if you want DVDs and CDs they claim are genuine but are definitely bootleg versions. Since many Filipinas have limited options for recreation during the work week, they sometimes don’t hesitate to buy these products.

As in any typical Filipino gathering, you’ll experience the familiar noise inside Jollibee Hong Kong. Laughter among friends, staff yelling for more fresh chicken or fries, or some petty arguments over the phone or seats make up a lively basement.

I may not eat there often but I hope Jollibee continues to serve the Filipino community for a long time. It’s not just the food that makes Jollibee popular. Its presence itself is an endearing reminder of great memories.

Photo credits: takejiro, b8b8ng