Bacolod Jerk Chicken for Chill Dining

When you hear the term “Jamaican”, you would easily associate it with bold colors, reggae, dreadlocks, chill island life, and of course, meat pies. Here in Bacolod City, we get a taste of Jamaican food and lifestyle at the Bacolod Jerk Chicken — a homegrown restaurant.

***UPDATED***

During our first visit, we didn’t get to try the original spicy Bacolod Jerk Chicken. Instead, we had the regular jerk meals, without the stinging hot sensation. Read about our experience below.

Bacolod Jerk Chicken

Bacolod Jerk Chicken, or BJC, is relatively new in Bacolod, having operated only for the last six months. They didn’t really grandly open this new Bacolod restaurant serving international cuisine. Instead, they keep adding new items to their menu, as they cannot yet handle a big inventory.

The place itself is brightly colored, as it is covered with yellow paint all over. It speaks of the enigmatic Jamaican sun as well as a bright sunshiny perspective of life. For accents, you will find bold splashes of the Rasta colors, namely red and green.

Paintings of Jamaican life by Bacolod artist Gtol Aristorenas. He is also the guy behind the Jit’s Cold Brew Coffee.

By the way, BJC offers its walls as an art gallery for budding Bacolod artists. All artworks on display are for sale. They will be changing their exhibit next month.

Special Events

Aside from the food, BJC gives Bacolodnons a glimpse of the easy Jamaican lifestyle with its music and some of the events they hold there. We chanced upon a dance contest during our visit and it was actually a nice and refreshing experience for hubby and I. It was a nice date night of new discoveries.

Jamaican Food in Bacolod

The highlight at Bacolod Jerk Chicken is, of course, the famous spicy jerk chicken of Jamaica. But during our visit, what we had was the non-spicy version because their plantation of the Scotch Bonnet chili was destroyed. They are still in the process of rebuilding their chili farm. So if you are going to visit for the spicy jerk chicken, I have to warn you that you will not find it yet there. Hopefully in a few more months.

Nevertheless, we enjoyed the jerk chicken, which is served either as breast, leg, or wing part. And it’s only P95. There are also set meals available and everything is so easy on the budget. It helps that their place is not air conditioned, so they can bring the price down.

As the land of Bacolod chicken inasal, the jerk chicken at BJC is something novel but also something that you would enjoy.

Food Tasting

We were invited to Bacolod Jerk Chicken for a food tasting event in my capacity as a Bacolod blogger. I had the leg part while hubby had the breast part. While the breast is bigger, we prefer the leg part because it is thinner and the flavors have seeped through the bones. It is very tasty and herb-y–something that you are not used to having everyday but am sure you will like.

I am all stoked about going back there when they already have the spicy version because my eating partner and I are spicy food lovers.

We also got to sample their fried chicken wings, which I think was honey flavored, and it was also a very good pulutan. It’s very flavorful and crisp on the outside. We also loved their shoestring fries.

But what really caught my attention was their stewed beans, which is served as a side dish for the jerk chicken meal. You can also add another order for only P25. It’s stewed red kidney beans mixed with some vegetables that I assume was peppers. The flavor was mildly sweet and packed with different tastes. It’s a new appetizer for me and something that I really loved. It’s definitely an improvement to the the usual atchara that we usually have with inasal.

Dessert

I didn’t expect them to have dessert, but they actually. It’s a simple toasted coconut bread ala mode, but it hits the spot. You get the tropical coconut flavors plus the crunch from toasting the bread. It’s perfect with vanilla ice cream. Why haven’t I thought of doing this at home? haha

Furthermore, BJC also makes some of the meanest chocolate chip cookies that we have ever tried. It’s only P40 apiece and so worth it! Have with a shot of the Jit’s Cold Brew. Caffeine and sugar fix right there and then!

How to Enjoy the Jerk Chicken

If you have the jerk chicken meal, you will get the chicken part that you like, rice, some pickled vegetables, stewed beans, and a glass of calamansi juice.

While the jerk chicken is already oh-so-good by itself, I realized that I can elevate my dining experience further by mixing the pickled vegetables with the rice and eating that mixture with a slice of the chicken. The burst of flavors in the mouth is so satisfying.

On Video

Here’s our visit to the Bacolod Jerk Chicken in a nutshell, as captured in some footage. Watch the simple video I took below.

I understand that the ambiance of this Bacolod restaurant may not be for everybody. It’s a chill place, but not exactly a bar. However, others might find the place too “rugged”. If you want formal dining in a Bacolod restaurant, then this place may not be for you. But if you have an adventurous spirit and a cool company looking for good and affordable food in Bacolod, then you will enjoy it here at Bacolod Jerk Chicken. Hubby and I did.

Function Room Soon to Open

Bacolod Jerk Chicken is soon going to open their second floor into a small function room. It’s going to be air conditioned. New rates will apply here.

Contact Information

Bacolod Jerk Chicken