They say that Singaporeans “live to eat” instead of what other traditionalists do which is “eat to live.” So we know that Singaporeans love their food!
The most popular meal in Singapore is the “Singapore Chicken Rice.” It was made famous around the world because of the Mandarin Hotel as they served it countless times at their different locations all over the world. Now you can imagine my excitement when I heard that the same chef / guy in charge at the Mandarin Hotel has ties with this new healthy fastfood restaurant in the Philippines.
That guy’s son, Shyan Lim, is one of the partners who have opened the “Singapore Chicken Rice” restaurant in Manila, Philippines. I guess it’s kinda like one of those self-titled albums. Anyway, we were invited over to try some of these tasty yet affordable dishes.
They claimed that all their ingredients are fresh and that nothing comes from a can. From the juice drinks to the meats and even their cashiers I think… Moreover, they say that the Singapore Chicken Rice at the Mandarin Hotel can run up around $25 Singaporean Dollars or around P600 Philippine Pesos. While at their self-titled restaurant, it goes for a mere P95 Philippine Pesos.
It’s a fairly simple dish that’s tasty and healthy. Shyan explained that the White Chicken Rice (some call it Hainanese chicken rice) is made differently as it is immediately dipped into cold water after it is cooked. This causes the chicken to create a self produced layer of gel that gives this dish it’s unique slippery texture and very tender meat. You’ll notice that the chicken is never served hot because of this technique. True to their words, the chicken meat was very tender and tasty. It was very aromatic and had a very nice, slick texture to it.
Along with the Singapore White Chicken Rice, we tried many other dishes that each had a unique twist to them.
We tried the Pancit Chino, which had a VERY wonderful aroma along with an even better taste. We tried some original curry sauce, made from real curry leaves which gave it a much stronger and flavorful taste. We tried some fresh Kalamansi Juice. We also tried the Oni Dessert which was a Singaporean Ube delicacy that’s usually expensive and only served at special occasions.
We also tried the Nasi Lemak which is a P35 Peso dish that has fish, Sambal chili, peanuts and rice which is all mixed together. On the video for this post, you can hear Chef Shyan talk about the difference between Filipino way of eating food as compared to the Singaporean way. Nasi Lemak is rice cooked in cream and then later served separately with different ingredients which you need to mix together to get the perfect compliment of flavors. Chef Shyan joked about how Filipinos freak out when they see the ingredients all mixed together after the dish is served. Apparently, it’s a cultural thing where Filipinos like having their rice, meats and other ingredients separate. On the other hand, Singaporeans have lots of dishes that require they mix everything.
Finally, we tried this drink called the “Dinosaur” which is easily one of the yummiest cold drinks I’ve had in a while. It’s pretty much an over-chocolated mug of cold chocolate goodness. I mean really, it’s a cold chocolate shake that has chocolate powder overflowing on top. Though it might not sound too yummy hearing it like that, you’ll really need to try it out yourself to see what I’m talking about. We ordered the drink to go, so it didn’t come out very pretty since it was in a plastic to-go cup, but I’ll try to get some pictures and post them with an update to this post. But yeah…. TRY THE “DINOSAUR DRINK“!!
Overall I really, really like this place! I’ve been looking and craving for a healthy fastfood place. The prices were so low and it’s definitely a positive change from the McDonalds death-by-high-calorie- burgers or the fried stuff at Jolibee. It reminded me of my other favorite place, Everything at STEAK, that has affordable prices without sacrificing any quality to their dishes.
Try it, Love it, Must EAT it!
So next time, When In Manila, do come to the new healthy fast food restaurant called Singapore Chicken Rice restaurant and have yourself some very affordable, healthy and tasty meals. You’ll feel like you’re eating in the clean streets of Singapore. Oh and do try the chocolate madness of a concoction called the Dinosaur.
(PS Also check out this other place we like that serves Hainanese Chicken called Shiok)
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Name of venue: Singapore Chicken Rice
Address: Unit 51 Shopwise Arcade, Gen Roxas Ave., Brgy. Socorro, Araneta Center, Cubao Q.C. (right in front of the Araneta Coliseum)
Phone Number: (63 2) 440-3888 (FREE DELIVERY)
Price Range: Affordable
Cuisine: Healthy Fastfood / Singaporean Cuisine
Singapore Chicken Rice – Healthy Fastfood Restaurant in the Philippines
