Family bonding in Jollibee

I flew halfway across the globe to breakfast at... JOLLIBEE!

Yes, my first breakfast in the Bay Area was, unbelievably, at one of the most recognizable restaurant brands of the Philippines. That, after stocking up on cheese-flavoured french fries and cheeseburgers in the Philippines just a few days before I flew in fear of missing the local fastfood.

I ended up in Jollibee because while my brother and my dad were thinking of places to eat at such an early hour (we had dropped my mom off at her office), the name Jollibee cropped up. I didn't believe that there's now a branch near my parents' house because the closest one, three years ago, was a few hours away. I even entered an argument with my brother who knew the place better. So just to prove their point, they brought me to Seafood City in Concord, CA.

Lo and behold! It was as if I never left the Philippines... as if I never left my hometown! Seafood City had some of the other famous Pinoy food brands too: Chowking, Red Ribbon, Goldilocks. Aside from the well-known brands, there's a restaurant called Manila Sunset. I heard the bulalo is good but it's hardly a good idea to try it out at breakfast.The customers eating at the time we were there were mainly Filipino-speaking Filipinos as well.

As I munched into the familiar flavours of Jollibee's Crispy Bangus, I remembered the good old days when Jollibee Crossing Calamba used to be our family's place to eat on special occasions (like birthdays) and to celebrate high grades in grade school.

Jollibee also used to be our school's field trip hop-on point for students living in Calamba. With all that time spent there, my siblings and I grew up playing in the playground in that branch.

Beginning with such familiar food, I have a feeling that this visit will be like being home away from home... only with outdoor air-conditioning (I realised later that I arrived in winter).