A Taste of Singapore at Wee Nam Kee

I had my doubts when I first heard that Wee Nam Kee was opening in Manila.

But just like everyone else, I braved the long lines to give this import from Singapore a try.

A trip to Wee Nam Kee isn’t complete without ordering their specialty, Hainanese chicken.

Steamed Chicken Medium (488php)

Close enough to the flavors found in Singapore. Better than most white chicken served in Manila. Chicken is soft and has the right amount of fat.

On a different occasion, I ordered the chicken combination to try the roasted version:

Chicken Combination (248php)  

The roasted chicken didn't taste any different from the steamed variety.



Ginger.Soy.Chili

No chicken should be eaten without a dip in ginger or soy sauce.

Chicken Rice (40php) 

Very flavorful. I don't eat rice but I managed to eat an entire bowl of chicken rice on my own.

Cereal Prawns (375php)

Another Wee Nam Kee must-try. Not oily and I love the generous coating of cereal each prawn had. The cereal coating is especially addicting.

Steamed Prawns with Garlic Sauce (375php)  

I love the strong garlic flavors.



Salt and Pepper Squid (250php)

Fresh and light. Nothing out of the ordinary though.

Wee Nam Kee doesn't disappoint, giving us, Manila residents, a taste of Singaporean cuisine.

Wee Nam Kee is located at Ayala Triangle Gardens Ayala Avenue Makati.

Uninspired Asian Buffet at Crustasia

Last time I checked,  buffets are designed to have the capacity to feed tons of people. Too bad Crustasia missed this memo.

I had the misfortune of eating at Crustasia where one has to wait a considerable amount of time before food at the buffet table is refilled.

Spices

The only section where supply looks bountiful.

Appetizers

Sad looking and uninteresting

Soup

 Warms the stomach.

Siomai

 Not so bad. As the night went on, 4 pieces became 3 pieces per serving though.



Mongolian

I requested this to be cooked  with a lot of spice but I didn't feel any heat.

Kindao Spareribs and Pad See You

To this day, I am still confused what these dishes were all about.

Chicken and Crabs

I wasn't able to try Crustasia's specialty as there are no good parts to be had. Shells, shells, and just more shells for the crabs.

Tilapia and Pad Thai

Pad Thai tasted nothing like pad thai. Fish was good but the real challenge was to catch it at the buffet table first.

Roast Beef

Tough and cold.

Watermelon

Cream with Mango

Banana with Langka

My favorite of the three desserts.

Iced Tea

Comes with the buffet which costs 395++.

While the cost of the buffet is dirt cheap, it's no excuse for the very limited supply of food that we had.

P.S. I learned that Crustasia had its final run of the Asian buffet at Trinoma this weekend. I'm not surprised as the buffet only gives the restaurant a bad name.

Crustasia is located the second level, Alabang Town Center, 772-2968; the sixth level, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, 910-4096, TriNoma, 901-3607; and Rockwell Powerplant Mall, 728-5463.

Jatujak at the Food Court

While I haven’t featured a lot of Thai restaurants in this blog, let it be known that I’m a lover of Thai food.

Unfortunately, Thai food is not as popular as American or Japanese cuisine here in the country.

Times are changing though and I will not be surprised if Thai food soon goes mainstream with Tom Yum Thai setting up shop at Mall of Asia’s food court.

Tom Yum Thai is managed by Jatujak, a relatively established Thai restaurant found in SM malls.

Tom Yum Thai has a limited menu offering the essentials of Thai cuisine at affordable price points.



I had lunch at Tom Yum Thai on two separate occasions with contrasting results.

Bagoong Rice (80php)

Everything fell short with this bagoong rice. Rice was needing more bagoong and the few meat pieces were too sweet. This was one big fail and I wasn't satisfied.

Meal of Chicken Curry, Bagoong Rice with Papaya Salad (90php)

Good thing I gave Tom Yum Thai another chance as my second meal was much better. While the bagoong rice is still bland, the red chicken curry has the right consistency and spice level albeit a bit oily. The star of the show though is the papaya salad which has the perfect balance of sweet, sour, and spice. Unbelievably good that I am willing to brave the crowds of Mall of Asia just for the salad.

For a quick fix of cheap Thai food at a more comfortable location, head to Tom Yum Thai.

Tom Yum Thai is located at SM Mall of Asia's food court.