Wee Nam Kee turns 5: 5 new things to try

Vernise Tantuco

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Wee Nam Kee turns 5: 5 new things to try
Soy chicken, laksa, buchi cheesecake, and more!

MANILA, Philippines – The brick-walled restaurant at Ayala Triangle Gardens may look new, but it’s actually a revamped Wee Nam Kee, the familiar Singaporean restaurant that landed on our shores 5 years ago.

The restaurant isn’t just celebrating their 5-year anniversary with a new look, but new menu items, too.

Wee Nam Kee is a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in its country of origin, Singapore, but its Philippine branches are known to be sit-down restaurants where your family can share a whole Hainanese chicken – or two.

To start off their anniversary celebrations, Wee Nam Kee Philippines decided to give their stores a “facelift.” The birdcages that used to hang from the ceilings have been done away with, and now the restaurant has a much younger look and feel.

RED BRICK. The walls and turquoise ceilings at Wee Nam Kee add warmth to the place. Photo by Vernise L. Tantuco/Rappler.com

Their flagship branch at Ayala Triangle Gardens was the first to undergo major changes, with picture frames and murals adoring its new brick walls.

DETAILS. The pretty floors at Wee Nam Kee's Ayala Triangle Gardens branch add to the vibe of their new look. Photo by Vernise L. Tantuco/Rappler.com

The brick is offset by a wall of mirrors –  the place feels intimate but still spacious. The pretty floor tiles and turquiose ceilings were a good touch too.

Photo by Vernise L. Tantuco/Rappler.com

To go with its new look, Wee Nam Kee Philippines also has some new stuff on their menu. Here’s what they have to offer:

Soy Chicken (Personal set P195, Quarter set P288, Half set P515, Whole P888)

SOY CHICKEN. A new addition to Wee Nam Kee's Philippine menu, the soy chicken and its sauce will pair great with their Hainanese chicken rice. Photo by Vernise L. Tantuco/Rappler.com

In Wee Nam Kee Singapore, the soy chicken has always been part of their Hainanese chicken family. When they opened a branch in the Philippines though, they decided to keep the menu tighter.

This year, Wee Nam Kee’s soy chicken makes it to our shores. The soy chicken is slightly sweet and doused in sauce – perfect for pouring over your Hainanese chicken rice.

Hainanese chicken curry noodles (P368)

HAINANESE CHICKEN CURRY NOODLES. Order the spicy version of this laksa if you want to warm up during the rainy season. Photo by Vernise L. Tantuco/Rappler.com

Wee Nam Kee came out with a Laksa (spicy noodle soup) Festival line of dishes. The first of their laksa dishes is the Hainanese chicken curry noodles, which is Thai noodles topped with their signature chicken, tofu, and bean sprouts.

If you aren’t too keen on spicy food, don’t worry. This bowl of noodles is available in mild and spicy versions. 

Classic laksa (P310)

CLASSIC LAKSA. Squid, fish cakes, and noodles swimming in a rich coconut broth. Photo by Vernise L. Tantuco/Rappler.com

Their classic laksa, on the other hand, has Hofan noodles and pork. There was also a lot of squid balls mixed in, as well as squid and bean sprouts. Like most laksa dishes, all of these were swimming in a rich coconut broth.

If you want a small meal, the laksa bowl’s okay for sharing, but it’s definitely a good-sized meal for one person.

Buchi Cheesecake (P139)

BUCHI CHEESECAKE. Don't be fooled – these are actually deep fried cheesecake covered in sesame seeds. Photo by Vernise L. Tantuco/Rappler.com

These were quite a surprise – what looked like regular buchi were actually deep fried balls of cheesecake covered in sesame seeds. One order comes with 5 pieces, 3 of which are original cheesecake, and two of which are chocolate.

Light Coco Mango Mousse (P119)

COCO MANGO MOUSSE. This mouse has the perfect light texture to cap off your meal. Photo by Vernise L. Tantuco/Rappler.com

This light coco mango mousse was aptly named. This coconut mousse was very pleasant, topped with desiccated coconut, and had a suprise mango center.

We saw and ate all of these at Wee Nam Kee’s Ayala Triangle Gardens branch, but these are available at all their other branches too: Serendra, Alabang Town Center, TriNoma, Greenhills Promenade, and Fairview Terraces.

Will you be heading over to try Wee Nam Kee’s new menu items? What’s your favorite Singaporean restaurant in Manila? Tell us in the comments! – Rappler.com

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Mayuko Yamamoto

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Vernise Tantuco

Vernise Tantuco is on Rappler's Research Team, fact checking suspicious claims, wrangling data, and telling stories that need to be heard.