Wee Nam Kee

I had to attend a certain album launching event in Glorietta 2 earlier. I also remembered that Glorietta 2 has a Wee Nam Kee branch there, so I took the opportunity to visit the place, as well as to check out the mall’s new wing.

I did a little bit of research online, and learned that the architecture/interior is very different compared to the Wee Nam Kee stalls in Singapore. According to the Wee Nam Kee PH Facebook page, their branch in Glorietta is the biggest one (so far).

Another reason why I wanted to eat at Wee Nam Kee was because of their Yellow Chicken Festival. As you can see, Yellow Chickens are also known as the “Wagyu of chickens”. The chickens that they use are also imported from Malaysia! The promo is only available until the end of June, so if you want to grab the chance to try their sumptuous Yellow Chicken, then head on over to the nearest Wee Nam Kee branch before it’s too late! ^^

We ordered two types of chicken: The Steamed Yellow Chicken, and the Roasted Hainanese Chicken. We also tried their Chicken Rice and Steamed Fried Rice.

I did a little bit of comparison between the two, and I have to say that I preferred the Yellow Chicken more. The meat is more tender and had a lot of flavor. Unlike the regular Hainanese chicken, I can eat the Yellow Chicken without the dipping sauce.

The only thing that bothered me about my meal is that I had to chew carefully because of all the little bones found in both chicken dishes.

Aside from our Hainanese chicken-fest, we also tried the Honey Crispy Squid. I am very, very finicky when it comes to squid. In fact, the only squid dish that I can eat is calamari, and sometimes I can’t even finish an entire plate coz I tend to feel queasy. But this? It’s amazing!!! The squid really was crispy, with a sweet tangy flavor and a nice salty aftertaste.

My dessert: I had the Warm Roti with milk tea sauce. It wasn’t so bad, but I was expecting our roti to be a bit softer and fluffier. And the milk tea dipping sauce tasted quite bland.

Other stuff on the menu: Signature dishes (Chicken rice, Roasted delights), soup, rice toppings, tofu, beef, pork, crabs, seafood, rice, vegetables, noodles/noodles in soup, beverages, and desserts.

I would like to come back so I can try their other dishes. Overall, my dining experience here was great. ^^

Wee Nam Kee is located at G/F Glorietta 2 (street level; near main entrance), Hotel Dr., Ayala Center, Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines. Tel nos: (02) 478-8477; (0917) 828-5016.

Slappy Cakes

Slappy Cakes is a breakfast restaurant located in Eastwood. This place caught my attention when it opened a couple of weeks ago. If we had seen it right before eating at Cookbook Kitchen, then we would’ve chosen this place instead (Not that I didn’t enjoy my meal at Cookbook! ^^).

Some interior shots, of course.

I was not expecting to find a pancake griddle on our table, hehehe. I guess this is what probably sets Slappy Cakes apart from the other breakfast places–You get to make your own pancakes! The good thing about having to create your own pancakes is that you can liberally adjust your pancake’s size and thickness to your liking.

There’s also a process in ordering the type of pancakes that you want: First, you choose the type of batter that you like (Buttermilk, whole-grain, chocolate… They even have a vegan option), 2.) Pick some “fixin’s” (Fruits like strawberries, blueberries, bananas, coconut), 3.) Add some toppings (Apple sauce, honey, maple syrup, whipped cream), and finally 4.) Choose your “savory” (Sausages, bacon… They even have salted duck eggs and spring onions!).

Menu. Aside from pancakes, they also have: Slappy Plates and Entrees (“toad in a hole”, mixed vegetable scramble, French toast, oatmeal), Slap Happy-noy (topsy tapa, bongga longganisa), and Desserts.

Drinks menu: “Zero proof”, “Add sparkle to your day”, “Bloody Mary”, Drinks (Twinnings tea, overflowing coffee, shakes smoothies & juices, sodas), Hot chocolate, Milk, & Local brews. Interestingly enough, most of their drinks have alcohol in them.

Here we have our cooking utensils, Buttermilk pancake batter, bacon bits, Nutella, and an assortment of syrups–Maple syrup, simple syrup, and mango-flavored syrup.

Let’s get cooking! *rubs hands*

The finished product! ^^ I personally like my pancakes small and thin. In the end, we ended up taking some of the pancakes home since I didn’t have anything to eat the next day… Plus according to our waiter, if we don’t take these pancakes home, then we would be wasting a good amount of pancake batter.

Mom’s order: The Tocino Tociyes, with eggs, fried rice, and mango salsa.

In the end, this extraordinary pancake experience had left us all feeling contented and full.

But there’s a huge downside though, a very expensive one, actually: We ended up paying a HUGE amount of money. I’m not really sure what made the entire meal pricey–Was it because of the griddle? And I think it’s absurd that we have to shell out so much cash for pancakes–A type of food that you can easily make at home.

The food is excellent, and so is the atmosphere/staff. I just wish they wouldn’t charge so much. u_u

Slappy Cakes is located at G/F Eastwood Mall Open Park, Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City.

Sentosa

Had lunch at Sentosa last Saturday because I missed their lovely Singaporean fare. I cannot even remember the last time I ate here–All I remember was that I enjoyed their food very much and that I couldn’t wait to come back so I could try more of their dishes.

Menu: Appetizers (Satay kajang, popiah, five spice meat roll), Salad (Thai shrimp pomelo salad, crispy catfish salad), Soup (Tom yum goong, bak kuh teh), Noodles (Singaporean laksa, prawn mee noodles soup, phad thai noodles, Singaporean hokkien noodles, black pepper noodles with seafood), Chicken (Thai pandan wrap chicken, Singaporean hainanese boneless chicken), Beef (beef rendang, Sentosa 7-spice beef), Pork (Kopi walnut spareribs, Sentosa garlic spareribs), Seafood (Tilapia in assam sambal sauce, Singaporean chilli crab, salt & pepper crab, coconut cream crab), Rice toppings (Nasi lemak and nasi goreng), Rice (Sentosa fried rice), Vegetables (Sambal kangkong), Drinks, and Dessert (Gula melaka, Thai red ruby with coconut cream, Pisang goreng).

Garlic and cheese-flavored Roti Canai and curry dip for our appetizer.

Next up, we have the tasty Char Kuey Teow with squid, bean sprouts, chilli, and flat chewy noodles.

Crispy fish fillet with mango, Singaporean style. We never forget to order this when we eat at Sentosa. The fish is really crispy, and the chilli sauce gives it a nice kick.

Thai grilled lemongrass chicken. It had a rather smoky taste to it. The sauce compliments the chicken very well!

A cup of Hainanese rice, and a Thai curry dish that we got for free (I forgot its name >_<).

And lastly, a refreshing cold glass of Thai iced tea.

Everytime we dine here, I am constantly reminded why Sentosa is included in my list of favorite Singaporean restaurants. Its ambiance and cuisine are surely worth a try. ^^

Sentosa is located at the 6th floor of Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City.

Cyma Greek Taverna

As I mentioned in one of my previous entries, my mother is always willing to try different types of cuisine. Earlier today, we needed to find a restaurant to celebrate two occasions: 1.) Mother’s day, and 2.) My super late post-graduation dinner (Yep–I finally made it! ^^) There were so many restaurants to choose from, but we ended up picking Cyma Greek Taverna in Eastwood (yes, Eastwood… Again)

Since we’re not used to eating Greek food, it took us a while before we could decide on our final order.

Their beautiful menu contains pictures of lush Greek scenery, as well as tidbits and quotes about Greece and Greek food.

Menu items: Orektikas (appetizers), Soupas (soup), Salates (salads), Gyros & sandwiches, Souvlakia souvlaki (Greek shish kabobs), Cyma pastas, Yiouvetsi, Fresh char-grilled fish, Fish fillets, Glyka (desserts) and beverages.

They also have the Cyma specialties, which include: Ladera (vegetables), Fish and shellfish, Hirine (pork), Kotopoulo (chicken), Moschari (beef), and Arni (lamb).

Our (very) friendly and hospitable waiter probably noticed me jotting down the menu items, so he gave me a large piece of paper which contains a list of Mezedes/Mezzes. I appreciate his kindness, but I think I need to be more discreet next time. ^^;

My parents had this gigantic salad forest called the Roka Salata, topped with walnuts and thin slices of parmesan cheese.

I had the Bifteka Greek Wagyu Burger. It’s a burger made out of Wagyu(!), with gigantic slices of baked potatoes, onion, tomatoes, lettuce, and a thick slice of Feta cheese. The meat patty is 100% beef. Really tasty, and the bread was perfectly toasted. The cheese was a bit overpowering, though.

Pasta Vassilikos, penne pasta with tomatoes, bits of cheese, chicken and sausage pieces swimming in extra-virgin olive oil. Even though the pasta was drenched in oil, I didn’t get that nasty, queasy feeling after eating. It tasted amazing.

Great food, an excellent and attentive staff, and a spectacular ambiance all await you at Cyma Greek Taverna. At first I thought that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy my time here since like I said earlier–I wasn’t familiar with Greek food at all. But I left the restaurant feeling satisfied and already anticipating the next visit. Opa! ^^

Cyma is located at the 2/F of the Eastwood Mall Veranda, E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave. Bagumbayan, Quezon City. Tel nos: (02) 709-1955.

Cookbook Kitchen

Cookbook Kitchen’s food has always received positive reviews from different food critics. Would you believe that this restaurant got famous through word of mouth? ^^ I remember when we tried looking for its original location in Mandaluyong, but unfortunately, we were unsuccessful. Good thing they branched out so that other people (such as myself) can get the chance to try their culinary concoctions.

We dined at their Eastwood branch around 2 in the afternoon, so the place was empty. I heard the original resto has a more homey feel to it. ^^

Menu: Appetizers (French fries with honey mustard, Champignon with carmelized onions, CBK Italian toast, Garlic shrimp), Soup (Sausage chowder), Salad, Pasta (Creamy shrimp linguine, Aglio e olio, Fruitti di mare, Alla checca), Pork (Pork steak with honey mustard sauce, Chops pizzaiola, Onion glazed twin chops, Pineapple soy spareribs) Beef & Lamb (Gen’s steak, Beef ribbonettes with asparagus tips), Chicken (CBK chicken, Chicken zucchini), Sausage (USA kielbasa, Spicy Italian sausage, Italian sausage), Fish (White fish with lemon parsley sauce, Wasabi soy fish, Walnut crusted white fish with mango ginger sauce), Dessert (Strawberry shortcake overload, Helen’s moist chocolate cake).

Mom had the Ilocos pasta with longganisa bits. She really liked this because she’s a big fan of Vigan longganisa. The waiter gave us a small cup of vinegar, so we can mix it into our pasta and add a bit of oomph. ^^ All of their pastas are served with a piece of soft ciabatta bread.

I had the Parmesan-crusted White Fish, which is one of their bestselling dishes. We had the petite version, so the serving was smaller than usual. It’s not the first time I’ve tried this, but everytime I get the chance to, I’m always amazed by how flavorful it is. The fish fillet literally melts in your mouth.

For our dessert, we had the Kittin’s Scarlet Cake, a veeeerrry moist red velvet cake dusted with cocoa powder. Like our parmesan-crusted fish, we also ordered the petite version.

Rootbeer float!

This restaurant is great if you want to feast on heartwarming, home-cooked meals with your family. It is in this restaurant where I truly discovered the craft of good food. ^^

Cookbook Kitchen is located at Eastwood Mall, Bagumbayan Quezon City. Tel nos. (02) 709-3593.

Lugang Cafe

Lugang Cafe, a Chinese/Taiwanese restaurant in Greenhills, was highly recommended by my dad’s officemates, who have all dined here at some point. It is located on the same street as Konbini Store. In fact, the two restos are found almost right beside each other. Our trip here was originally scheduled on my mom’s birthday but mom herself couldn’t wait to dine at this place.

According to their website, the prestigious Philippine Tatler restaurant guide awarded Lugang Cafe as one of their best restaurants. It’s also a part of the Bellagio Group of Restaurants, a management group based in Shanghai. This branch is their first branch located outside China.

I couldn’t see the interior of the resto from outside because of the heavy wooden door, plus the windows were covered by roller blinds. So when I stepped inside, I was floored! Everything looked really chic and classy.

Two menus: One for the drinks, and one for food.

Their food menu includes… *takes a deep breath* the recommendations (Spring onion pancakes, Taiwanese fried porkchop, pan-fried beef roll), dimsum (Steamed vegetarian dumplings with truffle oil, Pan-fried siopao, Steamed shrimp & pork shao mai), appetizers (Abalone mushroom & jelly fish, Garlic pork roll, Tofu with preserved egg, Stewed pig feet slices), roasting (Crispy chicken, Roast duck, Suckling pig, Pigeon), house specials (Taiwan stewed pork, Steamed sliced grouper, Salt & pepper squid, Kung pao prawns, Stir-fried beef with chilli peppers) pork (Dong-po pork, Sweet & sour pork, Smoked cumin spare rib) beef (Black pepper premium beef ribs, Sate beef with spinach), seafood (Oyster omelette with sweet spicy sauce, Shrimp balls breaded with toast, Crystal steamed lapu-lapu, Spicy clams, Honey garlic squid), poultry (Hainan boneless chicken, Three-cup chicken) tofu & vegetables (Spicy mapo tofu with ground pork, kung pao tofu, stir-fried seasoned vegetables), rice (Golden fried rice with shredded pork), soup (Wonton soup, Fish casserole, Crab rice congee), and noodles (Spicy beef and tendon noodle soup, Birthday noodles, Szechuan dan-dan noodles with peanut sauce).

Their drinks and desserts are diverse too–Specialty drinks, fresh-squeezed juice, hot tea, cold tea, coffee & chocolate, sweet soups, smoothys, iced snacks, shaved ice, ice cream, Cantonese desserts, and milk custard. I’m especially curious with the taste of their Coke/Sprite with kumquats drink. ^^;

Steamed pork Xiao Long Bao with dipping sauce. I love that the firm skin of the Xiao Long Bao didn’t break easily after taking it out from the bamboo steamer.

Spring onion pancakes. I was surprised at how thick these pancakes were. It came with a small bowl of sweet chilli sauce for dipping. The pancakes were crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, with just the right amount of spring onion filling.

Taiwanese pork chop. It was a lot bigger than the ones served at Chatime! The slices were really long and thin. It was delicious and perfectly well-seasoned.

We also ordered the Pineapple fried rice, served in a pineapple, of course. It looked similar to yang chow fried rice, except it had bits of pineapple mixed in. The taste wasn’t too bad, but we’ll probably eat another type of fried rice next time.

Oyster with black bean sauce on iron skillet.

Tapioca bubble milk tea for my drink.

We had an excellent time at Lugang Cafe, and we can’t wait for our next visit. And after trying out their delicious cuisine, I can say that it absolutely DOES deserve that honorable best restaurant award. ^^

Lugang Cafe is located at 115 Connecticut St., Northeast Greenhills, San Juan. Tel nos: 542-0196 / 09176992254.