New Favorite: Hainanese Delights!

After two visits at Hainanese Delights, the hubby and I have started to love it. On both occasions, we ordered the same two food items (Hainanese chicken and kutchay dumplings, only cooked differently each time) and a few more dishes which we all enjoyed. Quality food plus reasonable prices is always a winning formula for us!

During our first visit, it was just the hubby and me. We had Hainanese chicken and kutchay dumplings (both steamed). These were accompanied by their Hainanese rice cooked in rich chicken broth.

The chicken (Hainanese Delights, P139) was lean and flavorful with lesser fat than I imagined it to be.



The three kinds of dip provided (chili oil, garlic-ginger sauce and sweet soy sauce) were quite good, they complimented the chicken's delicate taste very well.



The kutchay dumplings (Kutchay Craze, P110 for 10 pieces), on the other hand, were tasty, meaty, moist and juicy. The dip that came with it made everything more delicious as it had the perfect salty-sweet flavor balance. The dip alone was worth a second visit, methinks. Haha.



On our second visit, the hubby and I were joined by my MIL and my SIL. We settled for their Hainanese chicken again, but this time it was roasted. We also got their kutchay dumplings and went for the fried variety for comparison.

The roasted Hainanese chicken (1/2 chicken was P190), was equally good as the classic steamed one. The skin was a bit crispy, too and the meat was tender and moist and flavorful as well.



As for the kutchay dumplings, the fried variety was crispy and well-seasoned. Dipped in the same awesome sauce, each bite was a delight to our taste buds.



We also ordered their beef and wanton noodles (Beef Bites, P140) and Salt and Pepper Squid (P190). I liked that the noodles were served to us steaming hot with generous servings of tender beef and wanton dumplings. The squid dish was also good with just the right amount of heat from the chili flakes. It was also tender and not rubbery as some squid dishes tend to be.





For drinks, we had their Strawberry Blossom (P75) and Coffee Jelly something (P75), sorry I forgot the complete name. Between the two, we liked the coffee jelly better (in the photo below, it's the one on the left with the darker shade at the base of the glass!) with its moderate coffee flavor and mild sweetness.



And then of course we got the usual red iced tea which was refreshing and not too sweet.



If you want unlimited Hainanese rice, just pay P45 for it. This we all availed to our tummies' desire!



With its delicious food, reasonable prices, the friendly and fast service, the neat interiors and the overall casual vibe of the place, Hainanese Delights is now on top of our list when we want to enjoy Singaporean cuisine in Manila.


with the hubby, my MIL and my SIL

Hainanese Delights
UG/F SM City Manila
Concepcion St. cor. Arroceros St.
cor. San Marcelino St.
Ermita, Manila


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Sunday Lunch at Wee Nam Kee, The District

Yesterday being a Sunday, the hubby and I, along with my SIL, hit the first Ayala mall in Cavite after hearing the morning mass at the community parish. Our lunch was courtesy of Wee Nam Kee, a Singaporean franchise known primarily for its authentic Hainanese Chicken Rice.



If Adobo is for Filipinos, then Hainanese Chicken Rice (HCR) is for Singaporeans. I remember I first tried the Singaporean staple at Ang Mo Kio, a hawker center-style dining place at the Podium Mall in Mandaluyong City. It was delicious. The second I've tried was the one from Kenny Roger's. It was surprisingly good and affordable, too.



Dining at Wee Nam Kee (WNK) felt very authentic to me from the moment we got a table inside the restaurant and were served complimentary tea. The ambience was elegant and cozy at the same time. I noticed though that this particular branch didn't adopt the unique wooden roof design of the other branches in Manila (two separate roofs that resemble that of two different houses with the space in the middle looking like a street food alley). It must be due to the small space of the restaurant. But given the small space, it still can serve a few big families at once.



Of course, dining here wouldn't be complete without trying their HCR and that's exactly what we did. We got their medium set (there are several sizes to choose from) and had it served two ways: steamed and roasted.

Hainanese Chicken, P488 for the medium set

One bite of the chicken and I could easily tell what we got was the real thing. The chicken tasted really fresh and juicy with just a thin layer of fat from the skin. I liked that the insides of the chicken were fully cooked with no traces of raw blood whatsoever. The three of us finished the chicken in no time!

Chicken Rice, P40 per cup

The chicken rice, on the other hand, though not fragrant as I expected it to be, was tasty and had a delicate, ginger-y flavor.

complimentary sauces for the HCR

Eating the chicken with the three sauces (chili sauce, ginger oil and dark soya) further enhanced the chicken's yumminess. Special mention goes to the dark soya which was extra thick and made all our food more palatable.

We also got an order of cereal prawns, sambal kangkong and Hong Kong birthday noodles. For drinks, we had three different ones: cucumber lime fizz for me, barley juice for the hubby and house blend iced tea for my SIL.

Barley Juice (P55) and Cucumber Lime Fizz, P120

My cucumber lime fizz was freshness in a tall glass, perfect for summer. It was actually lime soda with cucumber slices and minced mint leaves. The hubby's barley juice, on the other hand, looked like rice water to me with barley oats underneath the glass. He finished it in no time so I guess he liked it.

Cereal Prawns, P395

There were four juicy and plump prawns in our order of cereal prawns. With the generous serving of cereals, I thought then the dish could be a meal on its own. Since the hubby is allergic to seafood, my SIL and I happily shared this dish. If I may suggest though, I think it would be better if there will be lesser cereals as they tend to cover the prawns fully which makes the dish not so photogenic.

Sambal Kangkong, P199

This vegetable dish was light and hot at the same time. I appreciated the fact that they overcooked the kangkong which made it easier to chew (and digest). This provided a good balance to our otherwise protein and fat-laden meal.

HK Birthday Noodles, P305

The HK birthday noodles came in generous servings of both the toppings and the noodles. I liked how saucy and flavorful this dish was. It had pork slices, quail eggs, squid, bokchoy and the usual veggies. I found the squid a bit overcooked which made it hard to chew. But other than that, everything was delish. An order can be shared among three to five people. It was very filling so if you'd like to try a variety of food from WNK, just get a small portion of this.

Mango Sago Pudding (P185) and 3-Flavor Chocolate Truffle Buchi (P88)

We capped off our awesome Singaporean lunch with two desserts: mango sago pudding and 3-flavor chocolate truffle buchi. I loved the four-layer of goodness that the mango sago pudding provided. The sweetness of the pudding was just right and the whipped cream on the side added a nice touch to the dessert.



My two lunch companions had been in chocolate heaven for several minutes courtesy of the richness of the 3-flavor chocolate truffle buchi. The P88 price tag was so sulit! My SIL said it beat the mango sago pudding in the taste department but I begged to disagree because for me, it was the better one. Haha. To each his own, I guess.

The first Wee Nam Kee branch here in the Philippine opened in November 2010 at the Ayala Triangle Garden in Makati. This particular branch at The District just opened on February 1. They're located on the ground level of the mall, just beside Sumosam and with the fountain attraction just in front of it. It's pretty new but based on the volume of people during our visit, a lot of Caviteños has already heard about its nice offerings that they've been taking their families and friends here to eat.

with Pia Tuviera, WNK manager on duty

Did I mention they have free wifi, too? We connected with family and friends on our fave social media sites while waiting for our food to arrive. It also helped that the service was fast and friendly. Benjie, one of the waiters, went to our table twice to check if everything was okay which made us all feel that he was eager to please.

I missed eating HCR when the hubby and I went to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore for a short vacation in October 2011. We concentrated on their laksas and curries then. Good thing I can now eat HCR whenever I want with Wee Nam Kee just a car ride away from our place in Bacoor.



Have you been to Wee Nam Kee at The District yet? :)

P.S. Thank you to Mr. Linfred Yap, the person who brought the Wee Nam Kee international franchise to the Philippines, for the special invite. We had a great lunch at your restaurant and we plan to go back with the entire family soon!

Wee Nam Kee
Unit 105, Ground Floor, Promenade
The District Mall
Daang Hair cor. Aguinaldo Highway
Imus, Cavite

(+6346) 543-0386
(+63917) 828-5011


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Delicious Singapore Food at Ang Mo Kio!

Last Sunday, we hit the road to visit two prospective principal sponsors for our upcoming wedding. Coming from the house of one of them, we decided to have lunch in one of the restos at the Podium before driving to the other one's residence in Pasig. Upon seeing the inviting aura of Ang Mo Kio with its artsy, Singapore-themed interiors, I just had to drag my two companions inside the restaurant. Soon enough, we were enjoying a light and healthy lunch composed of authentic-tasting Hainanese Chicken, sauteed bokchoy and teh tarik.


cool store concept art


clean, neat dining space


white-washed table (I love vintage-inspired furniture!)

According to the waiter who served our food, Ang Mo Kio means "tomato farm." Primarily, it serves Singaporean dishes at reasonable prices. Our 1/2 Hainanese Chicken that came with two bowls of sauteed bokchoy and two cups of chicken rice, for instance, was priced at just P500. Ideally good for two persons, we made it feed the three of us by getting an additional order of chicken rice. Smart, eh?


1/2 Hainanese Chicken


Hainanese Chicken up close

The Hainanese Chicken was good. It was authentic-tasting as I imagined it to be (which made me miss Singapore and its delicious cuisine in an instant). The deboned chicken meat was tender with just the right amount of fat. It's bland when eaten on its own but once you dip the meat in the three sauces (chili sauce, ginger sauce and sweet soy sauce), you automatically enhance the taste of the chicken a million times. That's what we did!


condiments for the Hainanese Chicken

It helped that the sauteed bokchoy and the chicken rice that went with it had rich taste and texture, too. We had a satisfying meal right then and there.


sauteed bokchoy


chicken rice

Our complimentary soup arrived only when we asked for it. We saw the other tables being served with the same so we thought it was given for free and we're right, haha. Hot as it was, I poured some into my chicken rice to enrich its flavors. It was effective! I finished everything on my plate within minutes. Yum!


complimentary soup

While my two companions had lemon iced tea (P50), I got a glass of teh tarik or milk tea (P70) to complete my Singaporean dining experience in Manila. The milk tea was creamy and had just the right tea flavor. I liked it as it was.


Teh Tarik, P70

We dined at Ang Mo Kio on their third soft opening day. The service was terrible (super slow and the waiters seemed confused and cramming), but we didn't mind. We went there for the food, anyway.


with the fiance

The menu was still very limited, but according to one of the owners Ritchie, more items will be added soon. I guess we have to go back to Podium to see what they are and try them.


open kitchen; chef at work


with Ritchie, one of Ang Mo Kio's owners


Ang Mo Kio restaurant from the outside

If you're craving for delicious Singaporean food at Manila prices, Ang Mo Kio is a good place to visit.

Ang Mo Kio
3/L The Podium
ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center
Mandaluyong City


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