Ever since Boyfriend and I discovered BonChon, we have been devouring their chicken like it wasn't double-fried. When we found out that Chicken Charlie, a home-grown chain that also specializes on double-fried chicken, finally has a branch in Katipunan, we immediately made plans to visit. They were still on a soft-opening so the service was a bit slow. Also, Chicken Charlie promises freshly prepared fried chicken so you'd have to wait for 10-15 minutes before they serve your food.
Cheesestick Dynamite (60/5 pcs) Definitely not your ordinary cheesestick, the Cheesestick Dynamite has a whole green chili, filled and surrounded by creamy cheese inside a delicate wanton wrapper. I should warn you though, this appetizer is incredibly hot. And by hot, I mean it can literally burn your tongue when you bite into it as soon as it lands on your table - not the spicy kind of hot. I was expecting more kick from the chili but the spiciness was very subtle. It was still good though, the chili has a slight bitter taste that fares well with the cheese.
Wings (235/10 pcs.) Chicken Charlie's double fried chicken was great. They were able to remove the layers of fat on the skin, making it incredibly crispy. There are two choices for the sauce, soy garlic or hot sweet. Boyfriend and I went for a combination since we wanted to try both. Since we've had BonChon several times already, we can't help but compare. We like BonChon's soy garlic sauce better because it has stronger and more distinct flavors, but Chicken Charlie wins in the spicy chicken category. However, the only thing we didn't like was that their chicken is a bit oily. Usually, when Boyfriend and I eat chicken, whether fried, double fried or buffalo-style, we would fight over who gets the last piece. This time around, we were giving each other our share of wings because by our 4th piece, we can already feel the oil creeping inside our body.Oiliness aside, Chicken Charlie offers a great (and cheaper) local alternative to BonChon chicken. They have branches in Banawe, San Juan, Malate, BF Homes and Katipunan.
