Remember that Last Song Syndrome (LSS) after watching The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, one which Dorothy kept singing as she used it as a guideline to lead her to Emerald City. Follow the Yellow Brick Road? Well, my version lately is Follow the Yellow Chick Road.
After Anti-Gravity Yoga class at Beyond Yoga BHS Central, Isis and I walked the road that led to Wee Nam Kee, where we anticipated finding an emerald of a dish. The imported Yellow Chicken, deemed as the Wagyu of Chicken, that can get anyone fixed on a new high with Hainanese Chicken Rice.
I find myself back in the modern and clean interiors of Wee Nam Kee but this time, at their Serendra branch. From entering Manila shores some 2 years ago, the restaurant has already expanded to 6 branches. There are only two branches that serve the highly acclaimed Yellow Chicken, Wee Nam Kee Serendra and Glorietta branches. For something as good as this, it has every right to be a bit elusive.
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Wee Nam Kee, A Slice of Singapore
The restaurant’s interiors give off a clean-cut contemporary feel with beautiful bird cage drop lights, but more than the comfortable setting to bring family or close friends to, it is what’s placed on the table that’s the main highlight and loyal patrons keep coming back for. On a late Sunday lunch, the place was packed.
On the Table
Chili Crabs with Fried Mantou Bread (4pcs) – Price varies on weight
Wee Nam Kee has an extensive menu but we had to stick with its house specialties like their Singaporean Chili Crab and Cereal Prawns to accompany what we targeted for that day – Yellow Chicken.
Isis had her eyes set on this dish as soon as she opened the menu and even if I had crabs the day before, I did not back down. Wee Nam Kee serves a mean Chili Crab dish that has all that sweet spicy mixture of garlic, shallots, sesame sauce, ginger, oyster sauce, tomato and of course chili sauce that I don’t mind getting my hands dirty on.
By now, you know the drill, soak up the chili crab sauce with the fried mantou bread and if there’s a drop on your plate, mop it off and place it in your mouth.
No wasting that red sticky goodness that strikes just the right punch of sweet and spicy. I also love that the good-size crab had hefty meat inside that’s not overcooked but tender and still retained its integrity. I could finish heaps of white rice with this or a basketful of fried mantou.
Cereal Prawns (4pcs) P395
Whole prawns deep fried then wok-tossed with oats, chili and curry leaves.
Fresh Barley Juice P55
I wasn’t a fan of this drink the first time I tried it but last Sunday, it was the perfect liquid to wash down the spicy savory taste of the Chili Crab. It has that very light natural sweetness, almost barely there, and the fresh cereal grains make for interesting munchies in between sips.
Cucumber Lime Fizz P120
Isis’ potion of the day came in the tall sexy glass of Cucumber Lime Fizz, which she found quite refreshing – an internal relief for that hot Sunday afternoon.
Hainanese Chicken YELLOW CHICKEN
The food buzz around the inclined caught the news about Wee Nam Kee’s Yellow Chicken – a fatter and tastier version that was brought to Manila for a limited time only.
This particular chicken imported from Malaysia is distinct for its yellow skin, coming off the yellow corn that is specially fed to the bred. To bring that authentic Hainanese Chicken experience, premium quality chicken, commonly served in Singapore branches of Wee Nam Kee, was brought to town.
Torn between steamed and roasted, you can order it to be cooked both ways. We couldn’t let the Yellow Chicken Festival pass without ordering the Hainanese Chicken with the imported Yellow Chicken. It arrived on our table served as half order of steamed chicken boiled in specially made chicken stock and half order of roasted chicken deep fried under intense heat that perfectly crisps the thin skin.
This Yellow Chicken served two ways sit atop a bed of cucumber slices. I pick up a piece with my chopsticks and savor the remarkably juicy meat, almost shivering in anticipated delight.
It had that good layer of fat keeping it succulent and tender that for a chicken, weirdly, it almost melts in the mouth and I’ve never described chicken that way. Simply put, I agree that this is the Wagyu of Poultry. Wagyu of chicken.
The meat needed barely a few chews and you’re already drawn in the subtle lusciousness of the Yellow Chicken.
I almost went by eating piece after piece without the usual accompaniment of the trifecta of sauces that go with Hainanese Chicken set: minced ginger, chili and sweetened soy sauce.
I still did dip it in later on, being a sauce person but most of the time I forget and just pick and pop inside my mouth. I didn’t consider that a Yellow Chicken would make such a difference to my Hainanese experience. That single point made something special, well, extra special.
Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice (cup) P40
I forgot that I was on a no-rice diet. How can I resist?
Eggplant with Minced Pork in Hot Pot P225
Eggplant cooked in a salt-spicy sauce with minced pork. It has a melange of flavors with eggplant logs and delicious ground pork absorbing all the flavors. We wanted a vegetable dish to level the field but ignored this to oblivion as soon as the Yellow Chicken hit the table.
Catch the Yellow Fever at Wee Nam Kee! Wee Nam Kee will serve the Yellow Chicken until end of June. Go ahead and give it a try with your family or friends and hopefully, it becomes well received enough to stay permanently in the menu.
WEE NAM KEE Philippines
G/F, Glorietta 2, Makati or G/F, Serendra, Bonifacio High Street (across Abe)
(632) 478 8477 / (63) 917 828-5016
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday 11.00am to 11.00pm
Wee Nam Kee Flickr Album
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