Last Saturday, we have sampled Wee Nam Kee’s latest incarnation of dishes this 2014. Wee Nam Kee in the fashionable Glorietta 2 Makati was last among all WNK branches to release the chain’s newest menu of reasonably priced plates of Singaporean-Chinese cuisine. The servings are matched with creative drinks and desserts options, and I really appreciated them all.
Review of Wee Nam Kee (Glorietta 2, Makati City)
Ambiance: ★★★★☆
By far, this is the largest Wee Nam Kee branch in the metro, in terms of floor space. Upon entrance, Wee Nam Kee in Glorietta 2 displays bird cages that I found somewhat irrelevant to the theme. Later, I learned that they’re placed there to symbolize chicken and the role is to entice diners to have chicken rice. Did I get that right? Honestly, I wasn’t convinced. 😐
Moving on, unlike the ambiance of Wee Nam Kee branches in Singapore, Wee Nan Kee branches in the Philippines are designed in a modern European slash Asian fashion. This one in Glorietta 2, for instance, is a stark opposite to the typical gloomy and uninviting hawker-like WNK dining areas in SG.
Walk to the function room and you’ll see a wall where framed pictures taken in Singapore are hanged. They serve to inform or remind people that it was in Singapore where Wee Nam Kee was first established and gained popularity. Other pictures consisted of SG sites, and one of the most recognizable was the Singapore Flyer. Overall, the great atmosphere makes this branch ideal for a crowd.
Service: ★★★★★
This restaurant is not a palace by any means, but the staff did care for diners and acted upon requests and orders quite fast and kindly. They were unobtrusive most of the time yet were readily available to serve customers in a tranquil way.
Food: ★★★★★
Before you continue reading down below, note that everything served here was for sharing, so you may assume that the number of dishes we had was at the direction of the Wee Nam Kee’s marketing manager and not because we’ve gone mad. 
We started with the Crispy Mantou Bread with Condensed Milk (PhP 78), which had such a beautiful golden color with a lovely, firm crust. If you don’t know yet, mantou is a fried but fluffy bun that looks and tastes an awful lot like a doughnut. WNK’s mantou wasn’t airy but soft inside, and I would prefer it to be eaten really hot. Slather it with condensed milk and you have a combo of the best flavors; it could not have been better.
Another appetizer that landed on our table were the Prawn Paste Chicken Wings (PHP 218). Equally superb, the skin of the chicken had optimal crunchiness with unique flavor of prawn paste and the chicken meat had a burst of salty freshness. An order of this dish will give you six pieces of bite-size heaven.
Next served almost simultaneously were the nine mains. My favorites have to be the Salted Egg Chinese-style Fried Chicken (PhP 295), Hainanese Chicken Curry Noodles (PhP 225/solo, PhP 368/sharing) and the Wok-fried Chicken with Cashews and Sun-dried Chili (PhP 270).
I’ve had my fair share of Wee Nam Kee’s Salted Egg Crabs and I had tried also quite a lot of Salted Egg Prawns cooked the Singaporean way when I was still living in Singapore. Hence, pleasure was all mine when Salted Egg Chinese-style Fried Chicken met my palate. Dressed with soft, jelly-like texture of salted egg, the chicken tasted great. Imagine tasting food that’s been battered before frying and the shaved yolk melting in your mouth as it effectively forms a sauce for the dish.
With alluring fragrance, the Hainanese Chicken Curry Noodles (Wee Nam Kee’s version of laksa) can be put as an iconic culinary treasure of Singapore. It’s made with Hainanese chicken and Thai noodles with curry sauce in a concentrated, creamy and not too spicy laksa broth. Again, I was looking forward to more heat!
You’ll also not regret ordering the Wok-fried Chicken with Cashews and Sun-dried Chili. Powerfully savory, flavors are here in full force. As it’s packed with spices, the crispy wok-fried chicken is best eaten with plain and steaming white rice.
While the Sweet and Sour Fish Fillet (PhP 280) was, relative to the others, nothing new as it’s almost customary to see this in other Chinese restaurants’ menu. However, on a positive note, it was also memorably good.
Stewed Pork Belly with Steamed Buns (PhP 365) are commonly paired as one. The twist here? Every single cut of meat wasn’t thrifty of fat that’s edible, containing much more moist than a chop.
I came round to think that the unassuming steamed buns made the dish as a whole even more elegant. They sop up the fatty juices of the pork.
Mmmmm! The glistening plate of Cashew Coffee Spareribs (PhP 298) was by far the most adventurous and unique entree we had that day. I haven’t ever encountered any dish cooked with cashew coffee. It was fortunate that my first time to taste it made an instant good impression. The tender pork ribs had the intensity and clarity of coffee flavor that suggested the spareribs were made in the kitchen by a chef who cares about delighting its guests.
We were taken aback by how the Butterflied Tilapia with Singapore “Chili Crab” Sauce (PhP 385) was presented. I mean, look at that! The tilapia had crispy skin and the fish meat was simple and hearty. On the average, an order is weighed at 800 grams of seafood. You should not pass up the chance to eat it together with the chili crab sauce. Still, I would want the sauce to be spicier filled with chili and aromatics.
Then, the carbs. Wee Nam Kee’s Pineapple Fried Rice with Pork Floss (PhP 250) was cooked with mixed veggies, roast pork and shrimps. I thought it’s quite Thai in nature. Regardless, this is a great addition to any meal. To say this was just merely fried rice would be an understatement. With the light, thread-like seasoned dried pork product otherwise known as the pork floss, this rice dish just got a whole lot better.
Being reasonably copious, the Spicy Sambal Rice Noodles (PhP 295) featured a distinct taste of sambal with a gentle spicy comfort. These springy noodles will make you feel truly full and satisfied. The taste lingered with a rounded, fragrant and transportive bowl that will bring you mentally closer to Singapore. 🙂
The presentation of the Three Flavor Chocolate Truffle Buchi (White, Dark and Milk Chocolate) (PhP 128) proved the desserts to be a best-selling treat. Predictably tasting good, the three variants of chocolate were so rich, delectable and sinful! This is a must-try in Wee Nam Kee.
Each of us tried a different drink. I got the Green Tea Vanilla Freeze (PhP 130) because individually, green tea and vanilla are always my go-to flavors. At first slurp, I knew they particularly go well together. These two are the perfect duo! A daub of whipped cream on top added to the drink’s yummy-ness. Will I order it again? Maybe yes, when I have a slot for more calories in my body. For macha lovers out there, this one’s for you. 😛
Price for Value: ★★★★☆
All the food above are worthy of their prices. I hope by now you’ve learned to order dishes other than the great Hainanese Chicken Rice when in Wee Nam Kee.
Given that Wee Nam Kee has been in the Philippines for merely two years, a generous degree of experimentation and errors is only to be expected. The recipe of these dishes came from the master company in Singapore and I hope that their work will click with Filipinos’ taste. Most certainly for me, each one had exhibited a certain level of proficiency as authentic Singaporean cuisine. I am excited to bring my family along in my next visit. 😛
[schema type=”review” url=”https://www.facebook.com/WeeNamKeePH” name=”WEE NAM KEE Hainanese Chicken Rice Philippines” description=”Ground Floor, The New Glorietta 2, Makati City Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday 11.00am to 11.00pm” rev_name=”For inquiries, call +632 478-8477 or +63917 828-5016 or email info.ph@wnk.com.sg” author=”Rochkirstin Santos” pubdate=”2014-07-18″ user_review=”18″ min_review=”0″ max_review=”20″ ]
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