Bad Bird's Umami Fried Chicken: Manila's Best

September 28, 2018

Bad Bird's Umami Fried Chicken and flavorful sides are some of the best in the metro.

Bad Bird's Umami Fried Chicken perhaps perfectly defines what true comfort food is like. It's big and it's delicious, with extra crunchy and flavorful skin that will keep you coming back for more. Pair that with any of its equally mouthwatering sides, and you have a meal that is indeed hard to forget.

Bad Bird at Hole in the Wall at Century City Mall
Bad Bird

Bad Bird's Umami Fried Chicken: Manila's Best

    Our experience at Bad Bird


    We first tried eating at Bad Bird's flagship branch at Hole in the Wall, which is Century City Mall’s curated food hall. It was a few days before Christmas and we met up with Khris’ college friends for their annual Yuletide get-together.

    Hole in the Wall at Century City Mall
    Hole in the Wall in Century City Mall

    Anyway, Khris and I noticed Bad Bird because of the long queue and the food looked promising. The first thing that we noticed with Bad Bird's fried chicken, aside from its generous servings, was how well-seasoned and crunchy the chicken skin looked. 

    The chicken skin seemed as if it was rubbed with copious amounts of seasonings, spices, and flavorings. Chicken is my least favorite meat but I got curious about Bad Bird's food items.

    We surveyed the food hall for more choices but it seemed as though our minds were already set for Bad Bird, so we fell in line to get our umami fried chickens. 

    The food


    We ordered Bad Bird’s Umami Fried Chicken and Waffles and Umami Fried Chicken with Dirty Rice. Both set meals had two pieces of huge fried chicken. 

    Umami fried chicken and dirty rice at Bad Bird
    Umami Fried Chicken and Dirty Rice

    We were informed that the spice level can be customized based on your tolerance: safe, spicy, and chemical. We settled for spicy, the level between mild and extremely spicy, which was recommended to us by our server. I thought it was a good choice so as not to distract us from the flavors of the fried chicken.

    We were not disappointed with Bad Bird's Umami Fried Chicken. It was as good as we had expected it to be. We loved how crunchy and flavorful the chicken skin was. It had a thick breading but it was really flavorful. 

    There is definitely no need for a dipping sauce or gravy because all the flavors were already well-balanced. Even the chicken meat, which is tasteless in most restaurants, is infused with spices. 

    Umami fried chicken and waffle at Bad Bird
    Umami Fried Chicken and Waffle

    As for the sides, we loved how good Bad Bird’s Dirty Rice was. It was fried rice with spices, bonito, and Tamago. While the Dirty Rice was scrumptious, I thought the chicken might have gone better with plain rice. 

    I found the combination of the flavors from the Dirty Rice and Umami Fried Chicken to be too savory and could easily tire my palate.

    Meanwhile, Bad Bird’s Waffle with Butter and Maple Syrup is a good choice for sides because it complemented the savory fried chicken well. I thought it was a genius combination because the sweetness of the syrup provided a welcome break from the strong flavors of the chicken.

    Our verdict


    All in all, Bad Bird was a novel concept and its Umami Fried Chicken can be easily recommended for those who love fried chicken or who want to try something new. The price was also reasonable at P250 to P300 plus. That's not bad at all.

    Bar Bird Branches


    Bad Bird has branches in the following locations. If you need to make inquiries, the telephone numbers are also provided here.

    Hole in the Wall, Century Mall

    Telephone number: (+63) 906 096 8653
    Daily: Mall Hours (closed during ECQ)

    SM Megamall

    Telephone number: 7753 9729
    Daily: 10:00am–6:00pm

    Serendra, BGC

    Telephone number: 7900 1355
    Daily: 10:00am–7:00pm

    Robinsons Place Manila

    Telephone number: 8712 7228
    Daily: 10:00am–7:00pm 

    Credit cards are accepted at Bad Bird. They also accept delivery.

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    11 comments

    1. wow! gusto ko nung chicken skin!!!

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    2. I ordered the same thing and I super miss the chicken but I find the chicken coating a little salty. Tho I really love the waffles ♥

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    3. Hmm... Sad coz I cantc eat Chicken na

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      Replies
      1. I am also not a chicken lover but on rare occasions, such as this one in Bad Bird, I eat chicken breast or thigh.

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    4. Wow. I just wrote my review for their branch in Serendra months ago. My brother and I availed their birthday promo of buy1 take 1. Perhaps you can also try it on your birthday month! If you are looking for a classy, more elegant version of Bad Bird, try it at Serendra BGC.

      https://diamondintheroughblog.com/2018/08/16/the-good-thing-about-bad-bird-serendra/

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    5. Wow! Well seems like the name does not really showcase how bad the chicken will be but more like a badass bird for it’s good taste!!!

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    6. My boyfriend likes fried chicken so we'll check if this resto has a branch in the south. Indeed it looks promising! The chicken looks delicious. I hope they consider your comment abt serving it with plain rice instead.

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    7. blair villanueva23 October 2018 at 04:06

      I haven't tried this restaurant, but those chicken looks promising and the servings are good enough.

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    8. While reading this review, my tummy goes rumbling! The chicken and waffle are my faves in the
      menu.

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    9. Ohh Thanks for sharing this. I am just near Century City Mall but I never tried those before. I'll visit the store and have a bite one of these days

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    10. This made me crave for chicken! Sana naman magkaroon sila ng branch dito sa South!

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