When Taiwan's popular shop in Shilin Night Market- which is mainly known for its humongous breaded chicken fillet- opened its blue garage door in the country, Filipinos of course were more than curious to have a bite. And that include my sisters and I. Being that those two beautiful cray-crays have been on a strict no-pork food principle for almost over a year, our main and uniting food pleasure have been chicken and the many different creative ways it is cooked. We've been writing, bumping, and then rewriting again "Eat at Hot Star" on our foodie calendar but could not find time (and energy) to drive all the way to Pasay.
When Hot Star teased about a new branch opening, I had a gut feel that it would be in Katipunan. And in Katipunan, it was! As soon as the place was ready to take in eager customers, we made sure to schedule a sure date for this food date. Located at F. Dela Rosa street, the side street of KFC and Regis center, right above 7/11 and across Moonleaf and Go! Salad bar, Hot Star's youthful industrial ambiance greets you and takes your order.
The mechanics: Order at the counter right across the door. You will be given a buzzer as soon as you have paid. This buzzer will serve as your "cue", informing that your chicken is ready to be picked up. And then, of course, you can pick it up at the Pick-up counter (the picture above). That easy. And that orderly. :)
Do not expect lounge-y chairs or big sofas. The place though is easy and fuss-free. They do have diner booths for those who want a little more privacy and comfort, but is almost always occupied with people staying longer than the meal calls for.
The menu is very precise. Refusing to dilly-dally and confuse customers, the food is centered around the large chicken breast fillet: Original, Crispy, Barbecue. Apart from the classic orders, they have Chicken Popcorn for those with lite appetites, Spaghetti for those sudden pasta cravings, Breaded Fish Fillet for the more health conscious, and a number of sides (mushroom soup, mashed potato, chicken skin) to go with your Chicken. They also have Large Chicken/Fish Sandwich, which I'm hoping to try next time.
They dont't have much for dessert but enough tidbits of palate cleansers or what we Pinoys call "pangtanggal umay"- crunchy fruit salad, ice crush (Almond, Black Gulaman, or combination), and soft serve ice cream cone with same flavors as above.
Hot Star's Crispy Large Fried Chicken P110.00
Hot Star's Original Large Fried Chicken P110.00
Hot Star's Original Chicken- with chili powder P110.00
Large drink P45.00
They offer unlimited gravy, which is fantastic. But their rice is small- not proportional to the size of the viand, which is not great. I love their personal touch of providing a 'get your own' brown bag should you need one for taking home a part of the chicken that you weren't able to finish off.
My sisters loved it, of course. It is affordable, filling, and tasty. As for me, even though I love it equally as they do, I am still recovering from my umay and may take a month or 2 before I eat one again. It's a palate thing, I guess.
A highly recommended pig out and hang out place given its price and ambiance, Belles and Beaux of the Boulevard!
