A Tale of Two: Fried Chicken Sandwiches in Bonifacio High Street (Fowlbread vs. Shake Shack)
Good things come in pairs.
This is true in the foodie world. In my experience, there are duopolies for a certain dish or locations where only a couple of dishes dominate the food landscape. So I thought of launching a new series called A Tale of Two, which are made up of articles that compare and/or appreciate a pair of dishes or food establishments. I’m excited about this series because I get to try two of everything. And if there’s a winner between the two in the case of comparisons, my tummy emerges as the ultimate winner! LOL.
So the first article is about 2 fried chicken sandwiches in Bonifacio High Street, an open-air mall in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in Taguig City (I just realized that’s it’s an inception of cities). They are from Lowbrow Casual Restaurants’ Fowlbread and New York burger chain Shake Shack.
Criteria
For me to compare apple to apple, I only got the sandwich versions that have roughly the same components. I judged the sandwich with these:
Fried Chicken: It has to start with this, of course! I looked for crunch, flavor, juiciness, and tenderness. It doesn’t matter if it’s made with breast or wings.
Buns: It won’t be a sandwich without the buns. I looked for a fluffy and nicely sweet bread.
Other Components: I tried to see how the other components, such as the pickles and sauce, add to the overall flavors and textures of the sandwich.
Take note that I had both sandwiches prepared at the same time. By the time I got my sandwich at Shake Shack, which I ordered over the counter, my sandwich at Fowlbread was ready for pick-up (thanks to Foodpanda that I got my food when I wanted; not sponsored).
So let’s start with the first one…
Fowlbread’s Basic Fried Chicken Sandwich
Fowlbread boldly claims to have the best fried chicken sandwich in Manila. I got their Basic Fried Chicken Sandwich, which (and I want to make this perfectly clear) is obviously not the food spot’s best version. They have an O.G. Fried Chicken Sandwich, a Basic upgraded with a chicken skin cracker. Again, I want to compare apple to apple. The chicken skin cracker might make all the difference.
So here’s what I think of the Basic Fried Chicken Sandwich:
Fried Chicken: The piece is made with chicken breast and is hefty, with a nice crunch and a hint of spice. It’s slightly juicier than Shake Shack’s.
Buns: I think the bun is brioche and it’s fluffier than Shake Shack.
Other Components: I like their pickles, which give crunch and sweetness. But it’s “magic Fowlbread sauce” is also sweet. Combining the pickles and dressing is an overkill and it’s not magical! LOL.
Shake Shack’s Chick’n Shack
I waited more than a year for Shake Shack to introduce Chick’n Shack in the Philippines. They released it back in July. Since the nearest branch to me is in BGC, I thought of also buying from Fowlbread and compare the two. So it’s the Shack’s chicken sandwich that inspired me to start the A Tale of Two series. LOL!
Anyway, here’s what I think of the Chick’n Shack:
Fried Chicken: Like Fowlbread’s, Chick’n Shack’s fried chicken is also made with chicken breast and is hefty as well. It has a similar breading but I think this one has more spices. Unfortunately, it lacks juiciness. I think it’s the challenge of using chicken breast.
Buns: Like the burgers, the Chick’n Shack uses potato bun, which is fluffy but denser than Fowlbread’s.
Other Components: It has pickles and shredded lettuce, giving a nice crunch. The dressing is nicely tangy. The letdown are the pickles, which is sour. I was looking for some sweetness.
The Verdict
It’s a draw! LOL.
Both are good but I felt that each sandwich has strengths and weaknesses. The fried chickens are both at par with one another and the buns weren’t a point of contention. The deciding point was in the other components. I like Fowlbread’s pickles but not its dressing, and I like Shake Shack’s dressing but not its pickles. If only one has both a sweet pickles and a tangy dressing (which is my preference), then there will be a clear winner.
Are you Team Fowlbread or Team Shake Shack? Do you know of a fried chicken sandwich that’s worth trying? Comment them below!
Fowlbread
Address: B3 Bonifacio High Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Operating Hours: Daily, 10AM-8PM