Recreating the wing-eating experience in JSEC without the messiness is a tall order, but West Side Chicka tries to do just that with a contemporary twist: Naming dishes after popular hip-hop artists.

Taste

Each of their dishes contains a cut-up chicken breast fillet that is coated, fried, and then dipped into one of their sauces. The J. Cole is their take on the classic garlic parmesan. It’s buttery without being oily, which is commendable, but the garlic is lost in the dish. A generous sprinkling of parmesan clings to the chicken, but it’s the only note of flavor that this dish takes on as the chicken itself needs to be seasoned better. Meanwhile, the Drake is their attempt at soy garlic coating—a successful balance of sweet and savory. The sauce is a good consistency, sticking well to the chicken. It’s undeniably tasty, but lacks the depth expected from soy garlic.

The coating on the chicken can get tough and inconsistent at times, leaving some parts of the chicken naked. This, thankfully, does not affect the chicken’s doneness. The meat still retains its juiciness, despite the proneness of chicken tenders to dry out quickly. However, their sides of kropek and potato chips are nothing to rave about, as they are standard fare and do not add much to the meal.

Concept

There is a disconnect between the main stall’s idea and the branding it puts out. The connection between hip-hop rappers and chicken wings is a loose one that isn’t reinforced very well in the stall’s overall aesthetic. The idea of bringing the chicken wing experience back to JSEC is a smart move, but the execution falls short of its potential.

Value for money

West Side Chika’s portions are on the larger side for the price of Php 90. Each generous serving of chicken and sides makes this a desirable stall for the budget-conscious Atenean.

Final Verdict

West Side Chicka is a stall that could be great—especially with the wing trend in full swing—but its execution lacks finesse and the flavors it brings are one-dimensional. Overall, what gets the stall ahead is its serving size and concept, but what holds it back is its lack of depth and its disjoint in concept and execution.

Rating: 3.5/5