I got my first taste of Buffalo chicken wings at a local casual dining chain many years ago. They arrived at our table slathered in a sweet and spicy sauce on a basket lined with wax paper. On the side was a blue cheese dressing and finger-length cuts of celery.

I didn't care very much at first about the celery but the combination of spicy chicken meat and cool, cheesy dressing was a flavor pairing I immediately liked.

When I heard that Birdhouse at the food court of Uptown Mall had recently launched--count 'em--six flavored chicken wing variants, I wasted no time and went straight to the mall.

The wings served at Birdhouse are much larger than the usual. We sampled all six including the spicy K-Bomb, Roasted Garlic Parmesan, Bacon Mac & Cheese, Smokehouse BBQ, Cheese & Caramel Popcorn, and Pepper Cream.

I have to hand it to the folks behind Birdhouse for coming up with an imaginative pairing like Cheese & Caramel Popcorn (topped with real popcorn!) but my personal favorite was the Pepper Cream wings that had that zing I was looking for. Paired with the store's "Dirty Rice," it was the perfect tasty meal before catching the latest Hollywood blockbuster at the cinemas one floor down.

Birdhouse is at The Food Hall, 4/F Uptown Mall, 36th Street corner 9th Ave, Fort Bonifacio. Call +63 917 554 3825.