Bigg's Diner
L/G SM City Fairview, Quirino Highway, Quezon City
Open Sunday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
(SPOT.ph) Opening with lots of fanfare, the team at Bigg’s Diner have finally landed (for good, we hope) in Metro Manila, bringing a little bit of Bicol to us. They've got an opening treat, too: From November 8 to 10, they're handing out their Crispy Chicken with Rice (P99/one piece) for only P36. You can tell it's not your mom's fried chicken (sorry, Tita) because of the way the meat comes off when you bite it—there's some give, there's some tang, and the crunchy skin is just a lightly salty bonus. But what a welcome bonus it is.
They’ve obviously played this game before, so it’s no surprise that (A) their social media is pretty on-point, and (B) they’ve already taken to the No Straw Policy that many other restaurants have yet to adopt. Still, they maintain a retro vibe with their bright colors and fun sans serifs, even as they prove that the modern dining scene should make room for them. Heck, they even cater, and it'd be smart to book them: No-nonsense, classic meals like Bigg's Baby Back Ribs (P319)—sweet, tender, with sauce that pulls it all together and spills into your rice—and Bigg's Spaghetti (P79)—an easy hit for kids and grownups alike—abound on their menu, so it's hard to go wrong.
Their promises are simple, but they matter: Bigger smiles, bigger chicken—you name it, they’ve set out to do it. Nienie Buenaflor, the founder, is one matriarch who believes in the power of marketing, and has banked on it since Bigg’s first opened.
“Most people will say it’s luck,” says her son Carlo Buenaflor, who heads the business today, “but really it’s timing and preparedness. It’s a traditional mindset to just believe a product will do well, but it is an integral part of the Bigg’s philosophy to run right along with the best of them, if not get ahead of the game.”
But beneath all the frills and thrills, there is a product that does speak for itself. The beauty of crispy, well-brined fried chicken simply doesn’t get old, and Bigg's plans on ageing just as well.
For more information, check out Bigg's Diner's Facebook page.
Photos by Kyle Areño
