Recently, I was tagged along to visit Wee Nam Kee at Edsa Shangri-La Mall and try the new dishes added to Wee Nam Kee's menu called New Culinary Treasures of Singapore. Wee Nam Kee is a Singaporean restaurant that has been serving the best Hainanese Chicken for more than 25 years now. Their branching out here in our country proved to be successful as they now have eight branches that includes Ayala Triangle Gardens, Serendra, Glorietta 2, Alabang Town Center, Promenade Greenhills, Trinoma Mall, Shangrila East Wing, and the new Fairview Terraces Mall.
I remember the first time I dined at Wee Nam Kee Serendra Branch, I was deeply impressed with their rendition of Hainanese Chicken including the Hainanese Rice but was saddened by their Lechon Macau. Despite the little disappointment, I resolved to go back at Wee Nam Kee to try some of the items on their menu. So, when my friend Richard invited me to join them on their visit, I gladly said yes.
Come the scheduled lunch, I almost begged off. Our visit happened right after the Typhoon Glenda. Our area in Antipolo City was still out of electricity that time and since I was too smart, I was not able to charge batteries for my cameras. Yes, all three of them. I already sent my regrets to Richard that I wouldn't be able to join them because of my situation but he was kind enough to offer me his other camera so that I may join them still. I grabbed the opportunity and braved the traffic jam and the roads littered with the aftermath of the typhoon from Antipolo to Ortigas. It was worth it.
Wee Nam Kee's branch in Shangri La is a tad smaller than that of Serendra's but it also possess the sheer elegance their locations are known for. Tucked at the level one of the Shangri-La Plaze East Wing, near Jamba Juice so, the easy access is the back entrance fronting Shangri-La Hotel. The new dishes are said to be rolled out in every branch of Wee Nam Kee here in Manila.
Our lunch started with a serving of Crispy Mantou Bread with Condensed Milk for appetizer. I have always been a fan of this combination. I admire having fried mantou bread with chili crab dish but the sweetness of condensed milk could also make this simple bread downright enjoyable and satisfying. The crisp outer covering of the mantou lent an exciting flair in every bite, hence, I wasn't able to stop at one piece.
Upon learning that these beef strips is laden with sate sauce, I knew from the get go that I would definitely enjoy Wee Nam Kee's Sautéed Beef Fillet with Sate Sauce. I love the deep flavor of sate and the fact that the beef was tender and easy on the bite made it all the more thumbs up worthy.
When some of our lunch mates that day gave me a heads up that the chicken dish with salted egg on it will blow my mind away, I never doubted it. I am a fan of salted egg. Always have and always will. Hence, the Salted Egg Chinese Style Fried Chicken indeed blew me away. The chicken bites were tender and had the light grainy texture brought about by the salted egg incorporated on the sauce. It was so good that I deem it can be a reason enough to revisit Wee Nam Kee again soon.
Wee Nam Kee's Cashew Coffee Spareribs was yet another new dish that made me a happy camper that afternoon. The ribs were tender and the coffee taste was very apparent but not overwhelmingly so. The cashew was a thoughtful addition that lends an interesting texture and a nutty taste to the dish.
A prawn dish incorporated with fruits was something I rarely enjoy. I love my prawn simply steamed and if not, I love it with lots and lots of cheese. But this Prawns with Lychee and Peaches of Wee Nam Kee was a welcome change. I never thought that the combination would work so well but days after our lunch at Wee Nam Kee, I was incessantly toying with the idea of recreating it at home.
I would not use the photo of this Prawn Paste Chicken Wings as a cover photo of this blog post for nothing. It was the most addicting chicken wings I have ever eaten recently (and I eat a lot, on a daily basis). The chicken was crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, just like any other chicken wings I loved. But what made this dish extra special was the prawn paste incorporated into the mix to make this already savory dish even more palatable. Love at first bite, it was.
I do not have an aversion to fish nor to vegetables that is why I was half expecting that this dish called Tamarind Lemongrass Fish Fillet Stew can sit well with me. The fish fillet was fried first with thin batter covering making it more compact even when doused with a lot of sauce. I am not a big fan of tamarind taste but this one has just the right amount of that distinct taste to it, so it was okay for me. This dish was not mind blowing but it can be a good option for those who wants to try a hearty fish dish and skip other meaty dishes.
Having a taste of Wee Nam Kee's Wok Fried Chicken with Cashews and Sun Dried Chili made me realized that my threshold for spicy food is slowly increasing, which is a good thing. Otherwise, I will pass up on trying this spicy dish and would miss a chance to experience its goodness. The chicken bites were crisp and tender at the same time. The sauce leans on the savory side of the deal but it does have hint of sweetness to it. I tried having a bit of the sundried chili and I didn't die from it. As a matter of fact, I ended up liking the dish. I'm giving the cashew some credit for an added texture, but even without it, this dish can do really well.
Wee Nam Kee's Spicy Sambal Noodles may look like our usual local noodle dish called "palabok" but trust me when I say that it is more than that. Since it uses sambal sauce known for its spicy flavor, it has the capacity to make you turn away from it or finish the entire serving and ask for more. As for me, I did finished my fair share of this dish and asked for second helpings.
Visiting Wee Nam Kee without having their Chicken Hainanese would be pointless but our goal that afternoon was to stuff ourselves with the new offerings. Good thing though that part of the new menu is Hainanese Chicken Curry Noodles. It is essentially a laksa noodle dish with curry on it and topped with - wait for it - Wee Nam Kee's Hainanese Chicken. Yes. So, tell me, what's not to love?
All the viands we feasted on were great in itself but although we were on a Singaporean restaurant, we were still Pinoy at heart, hence, rice needed to happen.Heaping bowl of steamed rice may be ideal but Wee Nam Kee's Pineapple Fried Rice with Pork Floss did a great job in satisfying our cravings for that staple dish and made it even more satisfying. The savory sweetness of this rice dish plus the interesting flair in texture and flavor brought by the pork floss hit the right spot making it a meal on its own - that is if you could managed to stop yourself from feasting on the new dishes, in that case, we cannot.
These are just some of the new dishes added at Wee Nam Kee's menu. There are plenty of others more such as Pork Spring Roll Bouquet, Prawn Rolls in Beancurd Skin, Singaporean Fish Noodle Soup, Hainanese Curry Fish Fillet, Butterflied Tilapia w/ Chili Crab Sauce, Honey Garlic Spareribs, Stewed Pork Belly w/ Steamed Buns, Fried Milk Ala Mode. There are new items on the beverage list too such as the Milo Dinosaur, Strawberry Passionfruit Cooler, and Green Tea Vanilla Freeze.
Despite the fact that my first experience at Wee Nam Kee did not yield a stellar result, truth be told, I find it hard not to love Wee Nam Kee. Their Hainanese Chicken I must say was the best I have tried while some of the items on the menu impressed me as well. Needless to say, I will skip the Lechon Macau but I will keep on coming back.
Wee Nam Kee Shangri-La
Level 1 East Wing
Shagri-La Mall
Shaw Blvd. cor EDSA
Mandaluyong City
Contact No.: 625-4853
Facebook: /WeeNamKeePH
