Wild about Buffalo wings

MANILA, Philippines - Now spreading its wings over the metro is Buffalo Wild Wings. And this afternoon, at the newly opened Buffalo Wild Wings in Glorietta 1, Makati, we’re faced with a hot challenge (probably the hottest we’ve ever encountered). A staggering selection of sauces is put before us, batch by intriguing batch, as we stoutly ask ourselves: Can we handle the heat? Should we be Smilin’, Sizzlin’ or Screamin’? These, of course, refer to the sauce samplers you’re supposed to try first to help you decide which chicken wing flavor or flavors to order. Of course, seasoned diners who have been to Buffalo Wild Wings in the US and other parts of the world know their sauces like the palms of their hands. I chicken out and ask for the safe choices, for I tell myself I want to be Smilin’, not Sizzlin’ or Screamin’ (or kickin’). So I skim through the relatively harmless sauces (sweet BBQ, teriyaki, honey mustard, Parmesan garlic), screeching to a halt at medium (described as comfortably hot — trouble is, I’m never really comfortable with hot food). From there, the pepper temperature starts to shoot up to Sizzlin’, as in the Asian Zing where sweet meets heat, a robust mix of chili pepper, soy, and ginger sauce. And the heat builds up — the Caribbean Jerk (a fearless blend of red peppers and island spices), Thai Curry, Hot (exhilarating heat), Mango Habanero (a.k.a. the backstabber sauce because, like a traitor, it starts in your mouth with a fruity mango taste but ends on a really hot chili note), and finally, Blazin’, which is sooo hot you’ll probably need a fireman to put out the fire on your tongue. Fortunately, it comes with this warning: Keep away from eyes, pets, and children!

“It can burn the eyes because it has five chili peppers: Tabasco, habanero, jalapeño, capsicum, and cayenne,” says Buffalo Wild Wings Glorietta restaurant manager Gab Soriano, who walks us through Buffalo Wild Wings’ 18 different signature sauces and seasonings with the help of guest experience captain Zya Isabel Pallatolon.

Gab shares the story of a contest winner who finished an order of wings (six pieces or so) in two minutes — without drinking, dipping, and pulling off the meat. “That means the meat goes straight to the mouth so it’s chili hot and steaming.”

Some like it really, really hot. Some like it dry, too. At Buffalo Wild Wings you’ll never go dry as the choices for seasoning are aplenty — salt and vinegar, lemon pepper, chipotle BBQ, Buffalo, and Desert Heat.

Gab names the resto’s hot sellers among the sauces: Asian Zing, most preferred by Pinoy customers because it combines sweet and spicy; honey barbecue with its smoky, sweet BBQ taste with just a kick of jalapeño; Parmesan garlic with its creamy cheesy taste with a kick of garlic. But of course, the kids love the sweet BBQ, a sweetish, smoky barbecue, just like your good old backyard barbecue.

As for the dry seasonings, the hot faves are: the ordinary salt and vinegar; the citrusy lemon pepper, chipotle BBQ with its smoky BBQ taste, and Buffalo with its spicy cheesy flavor.

After we’re done with the tough job of picking our sauces and seasonings, we get a fresh start with choosing our salad. Make that savory salad. The honey barbecue salad sounds nice — fresh greens, carrots, pico de gallo (chopped tomato, onion, cilantro, chili peppers, etc.), a blend of cheeses, grilled chicken, and BBQ ranch dressing garnished with Buffalo Wild Wings signature honey BBQ sauce).

It’s always nice to start a meal with some bread. At Buffalo Wild Wings, you can have your bread and your pizza, too, in the thin-crust flatbreads. Order the Buffalo chicken flatbread — fresh and crispy off the oven, its near-paper-thin crust is covered with the signature spicy garlic sauce, bleu cheese, chicken, bits of fresh celery, mozzarella-provolone cheese blend. Or the spinach artichoke chicken flatbread smothered with rich, creamy spinach artichoke dip. In thin crust, we trust!

To wrap up — and spice up — another ho-hum day, you may want to try the wraps and Buffalitos. The Pepper Jack Steak Wrap is brimming with seasoned prime rib, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, pico de gallo, and southwestern ranch dressing. On the other hand, the Grilled Chicken Buffalitos is gingerly wrapped in two soft flour tortillas with a blend of cheeses, sour cream, and your favorite Buffalo Wild Wings sauce or dry seasoning.

Buffalo Wild Wings is also big on kiddie meals. Kids will surely love the tempting tenders — juicy grilled chicken tenders served with French fries and kids’ favorite signature sauce or dry seasoning. There are also the cheeseburger slammers served with a choice of fruit cup, carrots, and fries.

At Buffalo Wild Wings, you can customize your food, choose your own protein —  a beefy burger or a grilled chicken? Pick one or two or all of your favorite veggies, add your favorite cheese, spice it up with our favorite sauce or seasoning, and top it with some indulgent extras.

And what goes best with these well-loved American comfort foods? Beer, of course! At Buffalo Wild Wings, you just have to grin and beer it! “We have 15 draft beers — the most number of draft beer (poured fresh from a keg) choices among all the restos in the Philippines,” notes general manager Clint Brian Peck with a hint of pride. “We have domestic, international, and craft beers.”

Buffalo Wild Wings prides itself on serving the perfect draft beer. “Our beer glasses are nucleated or engraved with laser etching (the Buffalo Wild Wings logo is etched at the bottom of the glass),” Brian explains.  “It’s called the Bubble technology which removes the carbon from the beer so you really enjoy the taste of the beer and the aroma, without the bitterness you usually experience with the regular glass. You also don’t feel bloated. Only Buffalo Wild Wings has this.”

Surely, this glass is in a class of its own. Consider these: The large, wide-mouth top allows the beer to breathe and lets your nose enjoy all the wonderful aromas of the malt, yeasts, and hops. A good crown of foam tells you the beer is balanced and properly carbonated. It lets the beer’s ingredients come to life. The thick, heavy base is chilled to the core and acts like a mini fridge to keep beer colder longer.

Brian goes on to relate, “Last night, I had a group of 60-year-old women and I made them a beer sampling. They liked it! They said it was the first beer they enjoyed since 15 years ago.”

And what goes best with beer? Sports! Which you can watch from Buffalo Wild Wings’ wall-to-wall HD flat-screen TVs that capture the vibrant energy of a sports stadium. “Here at Glorietta, we have 33 TV screens (spread all over a 380-square-meter area) and seven cables showing different sports,” says Brian.

He happily announces, “We will also be the first Buffalo Wild Wings branch all over the world (1,100 locations and counting) to have a gaming center, which is not yet available in the US.”

This new branch — the second after the one at Estancia Mall, Capitol Commons, Pasig — features a gaming wall to give sports fans the added fun of playing, challenging each other, and watching Xbox One while dining.

“Oh, yes, our principals (Jim Disbrow and Scott Lowery who founded Buffalo Wild Wings over 30 years ago in Ohio, USA) are always here and they love the place, the service, and people’s reaction to it,” Brian discloses.

You can say that Jim and Scott took one wild idea and made it fly!

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Buffalo Wild Wings was brought to the Philippines by The Bistro Group of Restaurants. Open 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. on weekends, Buffalo Wild Wings now has two branches — Glorietta 1, Ayala Center Makati and Estancia Mall, Capitol Commons, Pasig.