It is paradoxical that amidst a plethora of highly touted and mainstream restaurants today, the more we develop our natural desire for discovery of something new, off the beaten path —a desire that leads me hunting for hole-in-the-walls.
From the City of no left turns, a simple right turn from the main road of Banilad to Holy Family Village II will lead you to the residences of the Oliva’s where a great but unassuming little restaurant is located. The guards at the entrance gate of the village will tell you to go straight then turn right, then right again, then make a deviant turn to the left (yes, you can turn left here) to reach the maverick Gibbs’ Hot Wings.
Homey, intimate and casual —the vibe that acquaints the guests as evinced on the façade of the restaurant. A greeting of neighborly smiles by the owner, Coy and his son will welcome diners at the door of this 5-table restaurant that can accommodate up to 20 people inside and 12 more at the veranda al fresco with 4 tables. (A new extension will be opening soon.) The art wall graffiti documenting customers’ authentic satisfaction is a seducing invitation that imparts sense of belongingness and embrace. One feels like a good ol’ friend, instantly, ready for the game-night-with-the-boys with the indispensible chicken wings and iced cold beer.
The mats made of cutouts from recycled newspaper give diners a clear environmental conscience just like the absolution the wings will provide on their diet. The refreshed familiarity of the once-big-news on the papers and the low key but radical application of the paper as a mat epitomizes the big ideas of commercialized restaurants versus the impressive ingenuity of hole-in-the-walls.
Gibbs’ Classic Hot Wings
Gibbs’ classic hot wings are served in five levels of hotness, Hot, Original, Insanely Hot, Level 4 and Level 5. One can go safe and get the Hot or be adventurous to try the Insanely Hot. My personal favorite is Insanely Hot, just the right strength that slowly bites within the mouth with no lingering afterburn. Coy is undoubtedly Cebu’s certified new wingman. He absolutely knows what’s hot for you.
The lightly breaded deep fried wings are coated with red hot and spicy sauce with a little hint of sweetness that integrated so well with the house special dip. The meat was juicy and didn’t stick on the bones; it falls off rather easily with less skin breakage by applying little science on eating wings. The more skin the better.
The best part of the wings is of course the wingette. Alas, you can’t have too much of the best because they serve all the parts of the wings in equal proportion.
Gibbs’ Angel Wings
Meanwhile, Gibbs’ Angel Wings are crunchy chicken wings, glazed with cream cheese, & garlic sauce, and topped with parmesan cheese. The coating was solid and crunchy enough to encapsulate the juice but not to prison the flavor.
There are other wings to choose from, as there are other side dishes. Wings variety includes Honey Garlic Wings, Gibbs’ Hot Wings Level 4 and Gibbs’ Hot Wings Level 5 —the hottest of them all. Wings are priced from P175.00 to P205.
Spag n Meatballs
Spag n Bacon Carbonara
Potato wedges (P75.00), mozzarella sticks (P115.00), pasta n’ meatballs (P105.00) and pasta n’ bacon carbonara (P145.00) are also available.
Gibbs’ Hot Wings opens from 11am – 2pm and from 5:30pm – 10pm daily.
HAVE YOU BEEN HERE? RATE IT BELOW.
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