We got ourselves out of the Mexican joint and rode a few meters away from Maginhawa to Homies Pinoy Fried Chicken at 51 C Magiting Street U.P. Village in Quezon City. The place has about a few tables inside so it could fit a good 4-6 groups of 4 on a good day. The outside had whimsical drawings on it signifying a place of abundance, oh yes they are declaring this parcel of land as UNLIRICE country whilst inside, they had framed most of the good reviews they had over the years and got that to be some of the interesting conversation piece while inside the restaurant.
Their type of Chicken likened the home cooked no batter Fried Chicken like Mom used to make. They don't cover it all up with flour, but keep it crispy, lovely seasoned just like the ones you see perfectly cooked at home. The restaurant's owner Mr. Hagen Topacio says the restaurants name hailed from the terms of endearment he used to call his ex. That's cute and all, but wait til you see what they have at Homies!
Oh and this ain't your ordinary chicken house because aside from the good food, they've got quirky ways to ask for EXTRA RICE. See those cute toy chickens in the center? That actually sounds like real chicken when you squeeze it. Now, you don't have to wave your hand out to call the attention of the servers because they'll immediately fill your plate with rice when you do that instead! Although, be prepared to chuckle to because it sounds so funny! People will even look at you silly!
As for the food, there are hits and misses. I didn't like the Lumpia that much because I felt it was a small serving (for the size it shouldn't have been cut into 6) and it was just so so (maybe it needs improvement), not that special. For the price, you can't really complain about it (the lumpia and everything else) because it's dirt cheap as it was made to cater to students around the area. Other than that, you're going to be lucky on some of the really good stuff that they have on the menu. They have a pretty mean Chili (which I loved as it was smoky and spicy), so whatever food it ends up with like this Chili Dog, you're definitely going to love it too! If you want a hotdog fix, they can give those expensive frankfurters a run for their money. It's because of the special CHILI, hands down.
Another thing to be proud of is their Fried Chicken. It's non adulterated, no fuss, no overbearing coating, just all home cooked, seasoned well and mind you, it reminds me of Mom's cooking. You can eve have it compared with Max's restaurant but with their slightly different marinade (special secret recipe) and still get to win because they barely have things going over 100 bucks. Add to that, the meals have UNLIRICE. Value for money? Yes, I think they have accomplished that.
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| Chicken Teriyaki - One of their best sellers. It's on the sweet salty side so if you want something else aside from Fried Chicken, this would be a great alternative. You'll be needing a lot of rice though! |
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| Chicken Curry - It's the Pinoy Chicken Curry but none of those potatoes which Princess Sarah has taken the skin off because they use French Fries instead. I thought it wasn't going to work but it did. It's not spicy though, just right. |
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| Menudo - It's one of the nicest things on their menu because it's just pork pieces and the veggies on a thick tomato based sauce. Simmered for countless minutes to make this one of their hit dishes that afternoon. I don't like liver that much so this was a welcome treat because they didn't put any! |
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| Chili Con Carne - This is my favorite (aside from the Chicken of course) on their menu because it's got the same base as what they have on the Chili dog. The Chili made on this joint would do wonders for them because they had it spicy, no like the others who just made beans and ground thingys on tomato sauce. I must say theirs is up to par with bigger restaurants but at a fraction of the cost. For those who love spicy things like me, I highly recommend this. |
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| Pasta - They have a lot of pastas on the menu like Spaghetti and Carbonara. It's very convenient too because they can whip it up in a few minutes.For those just passing by or wanted to have something to go for work or school, this would be very convenient. |
Homies Pinoy Fried Chicken personifies what good food and value for money is. Thank you so much for accommodating us in your restaurant Hagen Topacio and thank the heavens above for people like you who made sure to serve Pinoy Fried Chicken this good to the masses. I'd be glad to go back their with family and friends. Thank you also to Food Panda for arranging this Food Crawl in Maginhawa Street. Remember, you can order through the Food Panda App by downloading it off the App Store or Google Play. Or if you prefer just go to the web and look up https://www.foodpanda.ph. Til the next restaurant! :)
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