7.223

15 (Mon) August 2016

Steamed Hainanese Yellow Chicken

2.0

at Wee Nam Kee

-Serendra Piazza, Taguig-

with the family

TERSP.  Try Every Restaurant in Serendra Piazza.  The family now living in Manila, our new home is in the One Serendra condominium complex.  The complex includes a mini-mall (“Serendra Piazza”) dedicated primarily to food and drink, with 23 restaurants (plus additional dessert/snack joints).  We’re going eat our way through all the restaurants (and probably the dessert/snack joints, though not as part of TERSP).  In contrast to the negative net returns on similar projects conducted by myself in Ermite/Malate, I’m optimistic that The Fort — one of the country’s poshest neighborhoods, where food is taken seriously — won’t disappoint us.  So far, so good.

Each restaurant is listed below in order of preference based on the overall dining experience, including the quality of all dishes tried, cost, service, cleanliness, ambiance, and any other factors that may apply, cumulative through multiple visits (if any).

1. (10) Mamou (7.203 …T-Bone Steak) / 3.25 / Italian
2. (3)   Lartizan (7.060 Vol-au-Vent de Poulet…) / 3.5 / French
3. (4)   8cuts (7.122 I Got Big Game) / 3.0 / American
4. (2)   Zao Vietnamese Bistro (7.053 Seafood Rice) / 3.25 / Vietnamese
5. (1)   Sentro 1771 (7.004 Tortang Talong) / 3.0 / Filipino
6. (6)   Chelsea Grand Café (7.179 … Corned Beef Brisket Sandwich) / 2.5 / American
7. (12)  Mogu Bar & Grill (7.213 Grilled Wagyu Roll) / 2.5 / Japanese
8. (5)   Larry’s Café and Bar (7.162 Roast Chicken aux Champignons) / 3.0 / French
9. (8)   Gino’s (7.182 SMEGG Pizza) / 2.0 / Italian
10. (14) Wee Nam Kee
11. (13)  Conti’s Bakeshop & Restaurant (7.218 USDA Roasted Beef Belly) / 2.5 / American
12. (7)   Wang Fu (7.180 General Tso’s Chicken) / 2.5 / Chinese
13. (11)  Saboten (7.212 Shrimp & Tenderloin Set) / 3.0 / Japanese
14. (9)   Echo Deli (7.189 Korean Beef Stew) / 1.5 / Korean

• TERRP (…Restaurant in Robinsons Place) — complete (85) (5.247 KFC : Original Recipe Fried Chicken…)
• TEITY (..Item at Tao Yuan) — complete (36) (6.095 DONE)
• TERNWPPD (…Restaurant in New World, Pan-Pacific, Diamond) — complete (10) (6.081 Lobster, Baby.)
• TERSK (…Restaurant in St Kilda) — complete (6) (5.339 Roasted Squid)
• TEKREM (…Korean Restaurant in Ermita/Malate) — complete (45) (6.207 Dok + Ok)
• TEIBR (…Item at Bistro Remedios) — cancelled (10) (see previously 6.359 Kangkong Lechon)
• TETRITSA (…Thai Restaurant in the International Terminal of Suvarnabhumi Airport) — in process (4) (see previously 6.069 Spicy Stir-Fried Shrimp & Seafood with Basil)
• TERSP (…Restaurant in Serendra Piazza) — in process (14) (see previously 7.218 USDA Roasted Beef Belly)
• TEKASM (…Korean Air Special Meal) — cancelled (9 (see previously 7.200 Vegetarian Jain Meal)

Overall, the food was rather disappointing.  Flavors a bit bland, textures a bit off, everything falling a bit short in sophistication.  In fairness, Wee Nam Kee has never claimed to be a fancy restaurant, merely a humble family business that made it big on the strength of a chicken dish.  Nevertheless, perhaps because of this branch’s location in Serendra, I’d been expecting more.

The chicken rice was okay.  Kinda rubbery/icky on the outside, as Hainanese chicken can get, when it’s not cooked perfectly and served at the ideal slightly-above-room temperature, but irreproachably tender on the inside, where it counts.  Reasonably tasty, though unremarkably so.  Maybe better with rice, which we didn’t order.  Nowhere near as good as Tian Tian (see for example 4.267 Chicken Rice).

Now having tried the only two Chinese establishments in the Piazza, I’m saddened that neither panned out.