Set meals at Yumchee are at Php 199. That comes with a Main Dish (more of that later) and your option of Sides that come in the form of any of the following: Rice (Steamed or Vegetable Fried) and Soup, Stir-fried Noodles and Soup or, if you’re dieting, Seasonal Vegetables.
This is what a typical meal would look like, with the Vegetable Fried Rice and Egg Drop Soup.
Or a hefty side order of Stir-Fried Noodles
Or the Seasonal Vegetables (this week, it was Bokchoy)
Salt Pepper Spareribs: Juicy morsels of meat. I’m used to dehydrated pieces blackened by pepper so this received a very warm welcome amongst ourselves.
Black Pepper Beef (Php 20): Again, a crowd favorite for its sauce and succulence.
Chicken Chop: My personal favorite. The exterior sin is extremely thin, thus providing a crunch at first bite, then opening your palate to a juicy morsel of chicken meat. I’m told the dish is more Taiwanese considering the breading and marinade. It doesn’t taste like any chicken dish I’ve had before, but gives a very familiar feeling.
Orange Chicken: Although not authentically a Cantonese dish (something I saw on Buzzfeed), this refreshing take will quickly find its way into the taste buds of discerning Pinoy diners, simply because it’s cooked properly and the sauce is something endemic in our contemporary cuisine—an odd combination of sweet and savory.
Chinese Adobo: Made with pork belly (so it’s very tender juicy), the dish is remnant of the Chinese asado but sans the sweet sauce. Instead, you taste the entirety of the pork, simple but cooked well.
Beef Brisket (Php 20): Chunks of beef brisket are laid out in the bowl. It’s a no-frills dish that really brings out the texture and flavor of slow-cooked beef.
Sweet and Sour Pork: Here’s another familiar dish to the Pinoy palate but with hints of spiciness.
Fish Fillet with Tofu: Lent is coming up soon and I’m pretty sure this dish will be selling like hotcakes once it does. But if you want to feel like you’re dieting, the fish and tofu are a lighter alternative that doesn’t sacrifice taste.
Here’s a bird’s eye view of everything we ate (devoured in minutes).
And now, for dessert! I love shaved ice. It’s the sosyal counterpart of the beloved halo-halo. Instead of gulaman, sago and beans, you get fresh fruits, pearls and grass jelly (oooohhhh). Yumchee lets you choose a combination of two toppings from either Strawberry, Mango, Peach, Kiwi, Lychee, Black Pearl or Grass Jelly.
Shaved Ice (Php 78 w/ 2 toppings): A generous amount of fruits surround the mountain of milky shaved ice and for the what it’s worth, I’d say it’s a steal.
Yumchee restored my faith in Manila’s competitive restaurant business. With new holes and nooks popping at every corner of a hip neighborhood, it’s hard to find some that aren’t exactly highway robbery. I understand that you’ll need an edge, a unique selling point, whether it’s the ambiance or the fusion cuisine, but when you’re at the end of your payroll, it’s places like these that come as a godsend. And hopefully, more restaurants take up the formula of Yumchee‘s, which is to create a customer loyalty and provide great food for everyone.
YUMCHEE
G/F Bonifacio Stopover, 31st Street cor. Rizal Drive, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
0917-717-2821
www.yumchee.com