Frankie's New York Buffalo WingsG/F City Golf Plaza,
Dona Julia Vargas Avenue, Pasig City
+63 (02)227-3233
The drumstick part wasn't my favorite chicken part when I was a kid, the neck and wings were my favorite then because one reason: the skin. Now, I pretty much prefer the thigh part, but I still love the wings. It was last year when I started liking buffalo wings - even served this dish for Christmas - but I admit I still haven't found a place devoted to buffalo wings (a place that serves wings in different flavors), until I heard of Frankie's.
Located at City Golf Plaza, it's a place that is very new to me, but for the love of chicken wings, I knew I just have try it, so brother and I went to check out the place.
The place may not be that big, but it can house quite a lot of people - perfect for barkada bonding and dining with the family. Overall aesthetics is simple, which helped in giving a sense of space (making the place look bigger).
The wait staff were courteous and friendly, and they were alert and quick when customers asked for their presence. The time brother and I arrived, there weren't a lot of people yet (because the place opens at 4pm and we arrived nearly 6pm), but more and more people came in as time progressed.
On the walls are different artworks / images related to New York; all awesome selections, but the one image that stood out for me was this image of John Lennon. Now, I don't know if the owners chose this because they're John Lennon fans or maybe because he's wearing "New York City" T-Shirt, or maybe both. Personally, I am a big Lennon fan, so this I appreciated a lot.
Food didn't take that long to be served, but diners are welcome to use this Foosball while waiting for their food, or maybe have a little game in between meals. Seeing this reminds me of the TV Series, "Friends," which I think is also shot in New York.
On to the food. Their menu was (still) short as they're a new place, which opened last September. People behind the place are still developing possible menu items, but even if their menu is short (for now), what they offer is still something that would wow the diners.
Nachos. I am quite used to eating my nachos with salsa (or even with chopped up fresh tomatoes and bell peppers) so when this was served I felt there was something missing... but this was okay. I appreciated the amount of ground beef, and I loved that there were more beef and cheese/aioli under the basket. Brother loved this so much, he possibly ate 3/4 of it. :)
On to the main star of the dinner - the Buffalo Wings. Currently, Frankie's offer six flavors (but there will be new flavors coming very soon), and brother and I were able to try four:
Frankie's Classic Buffalo Wings. Of all the Buffalo Wings I tasted, this has got to be the spiciest. It wasn't extremely spicy, but it does have a kick! Dipping it in the aioli made it tastier, but I personally prefer my wings as is. My brother, who is a big fan of spicy food said this dish knows how to please the diners, but both of us found it quite funny that there were people who were requesting a degree higher on the spice area. Wow!
Honey Mustard. Brother's favorite of all the flavors we tasted. The sauce was sweet, yes, but I loved that I still could taste the goodness of mustard, without the tangy flavor. Though not my favorite flavor, it came a close second.
Frankie's Special. Another simple but great dish. It had a hint of cinnamon or maybe five spice, so eating it made me feel at home, as we (at times) coat our chicken with these spices before frying it. I also liked how it was super crispy, but not really that crunchy. This didn't come with a dipping sauce, but I dipped it in the aioli just like how we do it at home.
Garlic Parmesan. My favorite flavor! Do you know the feeling when you eat your spaghetti at home and you would sprinkle a lot of parmesan cheese just because you love to taste the awesome goodness of parmesan? I could compare that to this dish. Each bite screams parmesan, and the hint of garlic and the bits of herbs made it so much better. It was a little oily (maybe because of the cheese as well), but I didn't mind it. Of all the flavors, this was the one I hope to re-create at home...if only I know how to.
Eating the wings, one can use the knife and fork provided, but they also provide plastic gloves so people can use their hands while eating their wings. Some people have issues with using plastic, which is why Frankie's have a wash area so diners can wash their hands before eating their wings using their bare hands.
"Different strokes for different folks," it's true. Not everybody likes Buffalo Wings as is, which is why Frankie's also offer rice meals - featuring strips of chicken fillet, which also came in the same six different flavors for the wings.
Boneless with Rice (in Classic Buffalo Wings sauce). The serving is enough for two people to share. Which I liked between this and the wings considering both are the same flavor? The wings, of course! But I am a big rice eater, so if I will go back to Frankie's, I will go for this - in Garlic Parmesan flavor.
BBQ Chicken Burger. Currently, they offer three kinds of burger: Frankie's Original, Buffalo Chicken, and BBQ Chicken Burger. This had the same sauce as the Hickory BBQ Buffalo Wings, so eating this gave brother and I a taste of how the Hickory BBQ Buffalo Wings were. One thing to commend about this burger was the two big chunks of chicken fillet. Eating this was already a meal in itself, and I just love the lip-smacking sauce! The fries that came with it were great, too! I mean, who wouldn't love big cuts of French Fries?
Spaghetti Bolognese. It may be quite surprising to see a few pasta choices at a place serving Buffalo Wings, but I appreciated Frankie's for putting this on the menu. As I have said, not everybody likes Buffalo Wings, and some people are even allergic to chicken, so having this on the menu just gave those allergic to chicken a reason to dine with their friends and/or family at Frankie's.
As for this particular spaghetti dish... it wasn't the sweet style that us Filipinos are accustomed to, which was why I liked it a lot. It was meaty and chunky... and the sauce was generous. The serving was actually good for two people to share, but I can certainly eat this just for myself.
New York Cheesecake. Despite full tummies, brother and I still had some room for desserts. Time and time again, I tell that I am not a big fan of cheesecake, but this I really loved, because it reminded me of the one I ate at
Stagecoach Saloon, which I raved about. The slice was thick, and every bite just screamed cream cheese! I just love it. The slice may look burned, but we didn't mind it. :)
Obviously, my brother and I weren't able to finish everything we had on the table. The wings we weren't able to eat we took home for mom and sister to share. My sister and I both loved Garlic Parmesan, brother loved Honey Mustard (he still devoured on the leftovers, even took sister's share when she couldn't finish it - she's not a fan of sweet flavor in supposedly savory food), while mom loved Frankie's Special.
Frankie's New York Buffalo Wings is located at the ground floor of City Golf Plaza along Dona Julia Vargas Avenue in Pasig. The things I loved about this place? Number one would be the value for money. Half a dozen wings (regardless of the flavor) is only p143, while a dozen cost about p273. I can't help but compare it to Jollibee Crispy Wings, which was quite expensive at p80 for two pieces. Well, it came with either fries or rice, but still... two pieces at 80 pesos? Take me to Frankie's instead.
Second would be the size of the serving. All of the dishes offered at Frankie's are good enough to share, and most definitely, their chicken wings aren't spring chickens at all. While it weren't gigantic, their wings do have enough meat for diners' eating pleasures. If there would be somethings I don't like, it would have to be the location - simply because City Golf Plaza is two to three hours away from where we live (depending on the traffic). Also, they don't have WiFi yet, but I am sure in time they will have it.
For more details about Frankie's New York Buffalo Wings, please like their Facebook page -
www.facebook.FrankiesNYwings, or follow them on Twitter - @frankieswings.
We all know the feeling of coming home to savor your favorite home cooked meals. Chef Sandy Daza will share his home cooked favorites as the guest chef of The Maya Kitchen on November 24, Saturday, 9am to 1pm.
