We’ve been fans of Chicken Chingu ever since we tasted their delectable Korean fried chicken last year. With a light batter, their chicken is crispy on the outside yet moist on the inside, and it is oh-so-flavorful. Since it’s boneless, they’re easy to just pick up and eat – you won’t even notice how much you’ve had ‘til you run out. If you drink alcohol, we highly recommend having some cold soju or beer with it – which they also have available for delivery!
Photo by shutteryum
What makes Chicken Chingu so delicious, though? Aside from a passion that the owners share as friends, their chef really knows what he’s doing. Chef Justin Tee won second place at the 2014 International Taste of Korea contest, trained and studied at the Culinary Institute of Korea for a year, and opened and managed a Korean restaurant in Makati in 2018. With that background, he has set his eyes on developing and bringing authentic Korean flavors to the Philippines – and he did that perfectly through Chicken Chingu.
Photo by shutteryum
With Chef Justin consistently expanding the menu and bringing new flavors to our tabletops, it really isn’t any wonder why Chicken Chingu was able to expand so much despite the hurdles that has come with the pandemic. (Did we mention their menu items are really affordable, too? You’ll definitely get your money’s worth!)
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While Chicken Chingu offers popular Korean fried chicken flavors, like Classic, Honey Soy, and Garlic; they also offer Butter Parmesan, Sriracha, and Yangnyeom (with different levels of spiciness to suit your palate). Their flavors come about due to customer demand and they only use authentic Korean ingredients and recipes so you can be sure that what you eat offers the ultimate Korean experience.
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It’s almost hard to believe that Chicken Chingu only opened their first store on March 13, 2020. They have come a long way since then. Their first store was located in a prime site right across from Ateneo surrounded by condos and student dorms. Even with very little in the way of marketing and low brand awareness as a newcomer, they had great sales within the first couple of days.
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After just two days post-opening, however, NCR was placed under lockdown and their customer market and sales plummeted. There were times when they didn’t even have enough to pay their staff. Transportation was difficult, too. Still, they didn’t give up. They believed in their product and simply lay low for a few months with low sales and then opened new outlets even with the MECQ in place.
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Despite not knowing when the pandemic would end, the team behind Chicken Chingu didn’t wait and kept expanding. By their first anniversary, they had six stores to their name with the goal to make quality food accessible to more people. Even with so many challenges present, they moved forward whilst ensuring that they kept their customers satisfied.
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“This is what it takes to start and grow in the middle of a crisis,” they share. “A great product, courage and innovation, a committed team, and the willingness to accept criticism and solve problems. There will never be a perfect time to open a business and there will always be challenges. You just need to know how to face them.”
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With such an inspiring team behind such delicious products, it’s hard not to fall in love with the brand even more. Chicken Chingu isn’t all about chicken, either. They also have other Korean food and drinks to satisfy your tummies. Check out the branches and offerings today!
Chicken Chingu
Katipunan / Sct. Tobias / Aurora / Poblacion / BF Homes, Paranaque / Taft
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChickenChinguPH/
Instagram: @chickenchinguph
