Carlo's Bacolod Chicken House Express (Makati City): My New Favorite Spot in Metro Manila for Chicken Inasal

Last summer, I was privileged to do a collab with FoodieMommaPH (see our collab here and here, and my article here). My wife and I toured Khee Leoncio, the FoodieMomma herself, around Makati City and showed her Filipino food spots that the city is boasting of. Our final stop is Carlo’s Bacolod Chicken House Express (C.H.E.).

At Carlo’s Bacolod Chicken House Express

I thought of bringing Khee to Aida’s Makati, the Chicken Inasal place that originated from Bacolod, which is the birthplace of the dish. I’ve visited both its Bacolod and Makati branches, and both serve amazing Inasal. But since we’re coming from Pat-Pat’s Kansi, C.H.E. is nearer.

Khee Leoncio, the FoodieMomma, shooting chicken *inasal* as they grill

To the uninitiated, the term inasal came from the Hiligaynon word asal, which means skewed. So an inasal is anything skewered. At first, only the breast, thigh, and wing parts of the chicken were used. Eventually, the others parts were also utilized. Unlike the usual marinade that’s made of soy sauce and calamansi (Philippine lime), an inasal uses a different kind. While the marinade ingredients vary, I think the staples are calamansi, garlic, ginger, and sinamak or coconut vinegar.

Honestly, I haven’t eaten at C.H.E. prior to our visit. But I’m confident that it’s good because it has the stamp of approval of Chef JP Anglo, a Bacolod native and the man behind the modern Filipino restaurant Sarsa. C.H.E. reminds him of his hometown.

Moreover, I learned that the owner is the son of the owners of Chicken House, the inasal chain in Bacolod. So at C.H.E., the inasal is as authentic as it can get.

We almost ordered every item in the menu. We got both Paa (leg quarter) and Pecho (breast), and both are tasty and tender, with a crisp and nicely charred skin. I just prefer the leg quarter because it’s juicier.

Top to Bottom: *Paa* (PHP130) and *Pecho* (PHP130)

An inasal meal is best eaten with rice. We got the Garlic Rice, which has toasted garlic bits on top and has the consistency almost similar to Thai sticky rice that’s eaten with Gai Tod (Thai fried chicken). I’m actually impressed by their rice.

Of course, we can’t neglect the chicken oil, which is a staple condiment that’s drizzled over rice and inasal items. I think C.H.E. make the best one. It’s rich that I think there’s butter in it. It will make you order another rice!

We also ordered other skewers: Creamy Atay (liver), chewy Baticolon (gizzard), and fatty and juicy Isol (chicken butts). They add texture to the entire experience!

Top to Bottom: *Baticolon* (PHP45), *Atay* (PHP50), and *Isol* (PHP55)

Carlo’s Bacolod Chicken House Express serves delicious food, from its chicken and other skewers, to its rice and chicken oil. It’s now my favorite chicken inasal spot in the Metro (sorry, JTs Manukan). I highly recommend this spot to you!

PS Don’t forget to watch Zoy To The World and FoodieMommaPH’s review of Carlo’s Bacolod Chicken House Express here.

Address: 114 K Savana Market, Metropolitan Ave. cor. Chino Roces Ave., Makati City, Philippines | Operating Hours: Daily, 10AM-10PM | Contact No.: 8897-8432 | Facebook