Western Korean 'hand-painted' crispy chicken, anyone?

Many people say that all chicken food items taste the same. But 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken begs to disagree as it introduces a more delicious way for Filipinos to enjoy the good old crispy chicken.

Hortaleza (in the middle) along with 4 Fingers executives

Since the food establishment opened its doors to the hundreds of diners at SM North EDSA in December 2011, it has been serving sumptuous chicken coated with soy garlic and spicy sauce.

"It's a very edgy, very unique way of preparing everyone's favorite crispy chicken," said Alfonso Hortaleza, president of Mindblowing Delicious Food Corporation (the company that brought 4 Fingers in the country).

What separates 4 Fingers from other restaurants is its coating technique of “hand-painting” the chicken with the customer's choice of sauce. It's Korean-style crispy chicken stays crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

4 Fingers crew demonstrate how to "hand-paint" chicken with sauce

"We use only the highest quality ingredients which are all sourced locally except for the sauce, which are imported from Singapore," Hortaleza told TWIST on the sidelines of the restaurant's press launch recently.

It isn't only the chicken which draws the crowd inside. The 180-square meter resto (which can seat some 110 people), stands out from the crowd with a setting reminiscent of the New York subway scene complete with graffiti walls, a mural reflecting Koreatown, old industrial lighting, and ultra-hip music playing in the background.

“What people don't realize is that the amount of sauce applied to the chicken can make the world of a difference. This is where our hand-painting technique comes in," the 24-year-old entrepreneur said.

Asked to explain why the resto was named as such, Hortaleza said there are three reasons. First, there were four original founding members. Second, chickens have four fingers. Lastly, people tend to use four fingers when they eat their chicken.

Introduced in Singapore in 2009, 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken was created by four foodie friends with a shared passion for fine food and wine. Using a secret recipe that infuses various Asian spices and flavors, the foodie friends cooked up the 4 Fingers concept.

To date, there are 4 branches worldwide including one in the Philippines, one in Indonesia (and another one soon);  and two in Singapore. Hortaleza said they plan to put up at least three more branches in the Philippines by the end of the year.

If, for any unfortunate event, chicken isn't what you are craving for at the moment, don't fret. 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken also offers side dishes and ready-to-eat food such as Kim Chi Coleslaw, Katsu Chicken Sandwich, Calamari and Shrimp, Tofu Salad, and Seafood Rice Box.

“The significant growth of the Philippine food service industry in the past year and Filipinos’ knack for good food are opportunities that brought us here. We also recognize the huge interest and demand for international chain stores in the country, especially those that offer non-traditional Filipino food,” said Jord Stefan Figee, one of the original 4 Fingers partners who flew to Manila to launch the restaurant.

Follow 4 Fingers on Twitter (@4FCCPhilippines) and Like them on Facebook (4 Fingers Crispy Chicken Philippines).