A Food Review on Jollibee Grilled Pork Tenders

I’ve always had this issue when it comes to eating grilled pork in certain restaurants (read my previous food blog post)—you see, there’s nothing worse than eating a supposed-to-be-honest-to-goodness marinated grilled pork but with the hardness of a rubber tree. I had gone through a lot of restaurants, sometimes even those that are considered as fine dining, but I am constantly disappointed when it comes to anything grilled—either they come out too tough for my teeth to sink into or too rare that there’s literally blood oozing out of the meat, and that to me is really yucky! Forgive me for using really disgusting details, but I believe it is really necessary for me to point this out so that restaurant and fast food owners/managers would be giving more attention to the quality of their food, in both presentation and good taste.

I had recently seen the Jollibee TV advertisement on their newest food product called Jollibee Grilled Pork Tenders. I had been looking forward in trying it out; unfortunately, it’s only available in selected Jollibee outlets for now. Last Sunday evening, my fellow blogger and friend, Darryl Dial-Villena of www.foodamn.blogspot.com had to catch up for the very late dinner after watching Polecats at the Philamlife Theater in U.N. Avenue. I’ve finally had one in Jollibee Rizal Park branch in T.M. Kalaw corner Orosa Streets in Manila.

When it comes to tenderness, true to its claim, the pork is indeed very tender. It’s consistently easy to chew and cut even with a plastic fork. It literally sinks into my teeth. Yes, the pork wasn’t a challenge to chew. The only downside, in my opinion, was the taste. I don’t know how it’s done, but it’s supposed to be well marinated either in a special sauce or it is served with a barbecue type of sauce. It had actually taste so bland and insipid. It lacks the caramelized color I’ve been looking for grilled pork tenders and it is served with only soy sauce and calamansi (Philippine Lemon). If not for the lack of flavor, this dish would have been a dentures’ dream.

I wish that the people from Jollibee, particularly those that are serving this dish in selected Jollibee food chain branches, would be able to improve the quality and taste of this Jollibee Pork Tenders because what good would a pork tenderness brings if it tastes so bland? The flavors had to sink right into the pork (that’s why it’s recommended to marinate them overnight) before you grill them so that when you serve them to the customers, it had that smoky honeyed barbecue taste. And please, serve a sauce on the side, so that the customer will have an option to either smothered his/her pork tenders with sauce or hold it out.

An order of the Jollibee Pork Tenders is available at P81 for a value meal with plain rice and an 8 oz. soda of your choice. 

Disclaimer: I am not compensated for this blog post. Opinions expressed are 100% my own.