Wee Nam Kee: Yellow Chicken Festival for Limited-Time Offer

Who doesn't love chicken? Definitely not me, especially if it's prepared Hainanese-style by Wee Nam Kee. However, earlier this month, I got to taste something even better. Sure, it's still chicken and it's still from the same Hainanese chicken rice shop from Singapore. But trust me, you wouldn't want to miss the Yellow Chicken Festival!

If you've already dined at Wee Nam Kee, then you already know how good their Hainanese chicken is, as well as their other food offerings. But lucky us, Wee Nam Kee didn't just stop there and wanted Filipino diners to sample more exquisite chicken goodness. That's why from May 1 to June 30, 2013, Wee Name Kee is holding the Yellow Chicken Festival at their Serendra, Bonifacio Global City and Glorietta 2 branches where they'll be offering Yellow Chicken imported all the way from Malaysia.

Wee Nam Kee at Glorietta 2

Wee Nam Kee Glorietta 2 has a function room for meetings, parties, etc.

I had the privilege to get a taste of the Yellow Chicken Hainanese-style, both the roasted and the steamed version, even before the start of this limited-time offer. And I can't stress how much better this tasted than regular chicken! I was told that Yellow Chicken is the equivalent of Wagyu (beef) and Kurobuta (pork) in the chicken world. It's juicier, more tender, more succulent and more flavorful which speaks of its premium quality.

Personal Set (P168); Small (P388); Medium (P768); Large (P1,488)

I was also shown a side-by-side comparison between the regular chicken and the Yellow Chicken. The brown ones are roasted, while the lighter-colored ones are steamed. Notice that the Yellow Chicken is bigger than the regular chicken? The skin is yellower too, and said to be thicker with additional fat content that makes it more succulent, which it owes to its secret high protein diet primarily composed of corn.

Comparison of regular chicken and the Yellow Chicken (roasted and steamed)

Although I still love my regular chicken dishes, I don't think I'll ever miss ordering the Yellow Chicken when I find myself again at Wee Nam Kee. Well, not until the Yellow Chicken Festival is over. Both the roasted and the steamed ones tasted so good. They were so meaty, so succulent and just amazing, especially after being boiled in Wee Nam Kee's flavorful stock. I can seriously eat the meat even without condiments. But of course, I still enjoyed savoring the Yellow Chicken with pounded ginger, chili sauce, dark soya sauce and a spoonful of the chicken rice.

And since we're already at Wee Nam Kee, why skip ordering the other good stuff? So to complete our late lunch, we also had the Honey Crispy Squid (P350). Even though I'm not much of a fan of items infused with honey sauce, I can say that this, I like! The squid pieces were slightly crispy and chewy, coated with a sweet and savory sauce. I enjoyed eating it with rice, but I found it even better to munch it on its own.

We also tried the Cereal Prawns (P395 per 4pcs.) which are seriously so good! While the prawns weren't exactly fried as thorough as I would've wanted (I didn't find the shells edible this time), the aroma and the flavors were just spectacular. The cereals were a little sweet and milky, and went perfectly with the prawns. Every bite felt like cereal prawn heaven, and I wish I won't have to wake up! But of course, it had to come to an end. Good thing though, the cereals were good even on their own. I ate them as is (Papakin daw ba?), and even combined them with rice for that crispy, milky goodness.

We also had a serving of the Seafood Crispy Noodles (P315). For a single order, I was actually surprised of the portion size. It wasn't mostly noodles and sauce too unlike most restaurants offering this dish. It's infused with generous amounts of fish fillet, squid, crab sticks, mushrooms and vegetables sitting atop a bed of crispy noodles. And while the crispy noodles inevitably become more chewy when mixed with the sauce and toppings, I still enjoyed this noodle dish for its subtle savory flavor and hearty seafood goodness.

Wee Nam Kee only has three dessert items on their menu, and as far as I know, they don't offer these sweet treats in the Singaporean mother store. (Only in da Philippines!) And while I wanted to try all of them at once, I didn't want to fill my caloric limit to the brim, so I only had the Mango Sago Pudding (P185). It may seem that this dessert is the lesser evil among the choices, but I certainly loved this treat to bits! It has a mango jello layer with diced mangoes and sago, over a base of a creamy pudding which makes every bite a combination of light and fruity, and sweet and milky. The best I've ever had!

As for my drink, I had the Cucumber Lime Fizz (P120) which is a refreshing cucumber-infused concoction perfect for summer. For this trip, I though the blend was a little too sweet. Nonetheless though, it watered down a bit to the perfect sweetness level for me.

Anyway, if you're planning to visit and dine at Wee Nam Kee soon, I highly encourage you to join and experience their Yellow Chicken Festival. Sure, ordering the Yellow Chicken might be more expensive than the regular Hainanese chicken options. However, it's definitely worth the splurge. I know I'm coming back for it really soon.

THE VERDICT

I like having Hainanese chicken rice, but this tasting at Wee Nam Kee definitely changed my opinion. Now, I don't just like it. I love it! And of course, I have the Yellow Chicken (and Wee Nam Kee) to thank for that, as it really amped up my Hainanese chicken rice experience. I have to admit though, that even without the Yellow Chicken, I'd still be regularly dining at Wee Nam Kee as everything else I've had was of great quality. Even their Mango Sago Pudding is worth visiting back again and again. As for the service, it wasn't exemplary, but the waiting staff were friendly, prompt and very courteous. So to say the least, this trip to Wee Nam Kee Glorietta 2 will definitely not be the last.

Taste - 4.5/5
Ambiance - 4/5
Service - 4/5
Price - 3.5/5
Overall Value - 4/5

Wee Nam Kee, The New Glorietta 2
G/F Glorietta 2 (street level; near main entrance)
Hotel Dr., Ayala Center, Makati
Metro Manila, Philippines
(02) 478-8477; (0917) 828-5016
Official Website (Singapore)
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