A few weeks ago, we were invited to try their new dishes at Wee Nam Kee.  I missed Wee Nam Kee so I was so delighted to accept.

We just love the interiors and spaciousness of their Glorietta 2 branch.

There are lots of hanging cage lanterns, ceramics and Asian fixtures.

Food

Appetizers

Crispy Mantou Bread with Condense Milk (78 php)

The Crispy Mantou Bread with Condense Milk is new at Wee Nam Kee but it's my old favorite so I happily indulged in this simple snack.

 

Prawn Paste Chicken Wings (218 php)

I love the crispiness of the skin and juiciness of the meat of the Prawn Paste Chicken Wings.  But, I could hardly taste the prawn paste.

Noodles in Soup

♥ Hainanese Chicken Curry Sharing (368 php)

The Hainanese Chicken Curry is a merger of my two favorites: Hainanese Chicken and Laksa Curry.  As expected, I loved this!

♥ Hainanese Chicken Curry Sharing (368 php)

The noodles have absorbed the tasty broth.  You can refill your broth anytime too.

Poultry

♥ Wok-Fried Chicken with Cashew and Sun-Dried Chili (270 php)

The Wok-Fried Chicken with Cashew and Sun-Dried Chili is actually the classic Chinese Kung Pao Chicken.  This is so good!

♥ Salted Egg Chinese Style Fried Chicken (295 php)

The Salted Egg Chinese Style Fried Chicken has the right blend of rich salty and yolky flavor but not too overwhelming. 


Pork

Stewed Pork Belly with Steamed Buns (350 php)

The Stewed Pork Belly with Steamed Buns is eaten by putting some stewed pork belly on the steamed buns and eat them like a sandwich.  This is a guilty pleasure that I'd succumb into from time to time.

♥ Cashew Coffee Spareribs (298 php)

The Cashew Coffee Spareribs has a nice aromatic bitter-sweet coffee flavor that makes it quite addictive especially when paired with rice.

Seafood

Prawns with Lychee and Peaches (495 php/5 pcs.)

The Prawns with Lychee and Peaches is a brilliant fruity revamp from the usual sweet and sour dishes.

Butterflied Tilapia with "Singapore Chili Crab" Sauce (385 php)

My least favorite is the Butterflied Tilapia with "Singapore Chili Crab" Sauce.  Even with the tasty Singapore Chili Crab Sauce, I can't get pass the murky taste of the tilapia. 


Noodles

Spicy Sambal Rice Noodles (295 php)

The Spicy Sambal Rice Noodles is a tasty staple with a nice spicy kick.

Rice

Pineapple Fried Rice with Pork Floss (250 php)

The Pineapple Fried Rice with Pork Floss is another staple choice.

Desserts

♥ Three Flavor Chocolate Truffle Buchi (White, Dark and Milk Chocolate) (128 php)

We are very excited over the Three Flavor Chocolate Truffle Buchi.

♥ Three Flavor Chocolate Truffle Buchi (White, Dark and Milk Chocolate) (128 php)

Each on is filled with a different chocolate filling.   There's white, dark and milk chocolate. 

Beverages

♥ Mango Mint Smoothie (125 php)

The Mango Mint Smoothie is so refreshing and it's a great complement for any type of dish.

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
I'm very happy with Wee Nam Kee's new additions.  I'll definitely order the Hainanese Chicken Curry in every visit from now on.

One of the restaurants we used to frequent during my childhood is Jade Garden.  Back in those days, digital cameras weren't out in the market yet so it was really cool that they take our photos for free and give them as a complimentary together with a paper photo frame.  I have a lot of those stored somewhere. =))



Aside from being the country’s first fine dining Chinese Restaurant, Jade Garden also specializes in authentic Cantonese cuisine which is hardly evident in the Philippines.  My mom is Fookienese as as such she so don't cook Cantonese Cuisine at home.  So whenver  my Cantonese father would crave for Cantonese cuisine and my little sisters would miss their complimentary snow ball dessert, we would dine there.    

After being gone for nearly a decade, I'm glad that Jade Garden has decided to reopen in a 1000-square meter area in Glorietta 2.  It still has the same fine dining ambiance but with a more modern and lively take.

They also have six spacious private function rooms. 

Food
According to their Restaurant Manager Raymond Ho, "Cantonese cooking is characterized primarily by its freshness. Traditionally, dishes that we serve have a light taste and are not oily.  We make sure our ingredients are of premium quality. If you don’t have good ingredients to start with, you can’t make a good dish."  Cantonese cuisine is also referred to as the "Chiu Chow style" so you'll see that a lot in their menu.

Chiuchow Marinade (Cantonese BBQ)

Roasted Suckling Pig (2,600 php/Half)

Roasted Suckling Pig

For starters we had the Roasted Suckling Pig.  It was sinful but who can resist this!


Soup

♥ Prawns & Dried Scallop with Beancurd Soup (520 php/small)

The Prawns & Dried Scallop with Beancurd Soup is delicious as well.  It was pleasantly mild tasting with comforting texture.

Abalone (Dried Seafood)

Mini Fortune Poon Chai (1,400/Good for 4)

The Mini Fortune Poon Chai is traditionally eaten during Chinese occasions.  The size of the container gets biggers and more ingredients are added as more people are joining the feast.  This one is good for four and contains: Honey Glazed Barbecued Pork, Soy Sauce Marinated Chicken, Black Mushrooms, Brocolli, Fresh Suaje, Sea Cucumber and Beancurd Stick.  You can add 350 php for every additional person.

Mini Fortune Poon Chai

I don't know if its in my blood or the dishes at Jade Garden is really good but every item just seemed to captivate my taste buds!

Seafood

♥ Sauteed Shredded Lapu Lapu with French Beans (Seasonal Price)

The Sauteed Shredded Lapu Lapu with French Beans is an innovative way of enjoying Lapu Lapu!  Yes! I enjoyed this so much I think I'm the one who emptied the platter.

Poultry

♥ Steamed Diced Chicken in Egg White Wraps "Chiu Chow" (720 php/6 pieces)

My favorite among our orders would probably be the Steamed Diced Chicken in Egg White Wraps "Chiu Chow". This requires an order in advance.  You can also order per piece at 120 php.

♥ Steamed Diced Chicken in Egg White Wraps "Chiu Chow"

With the thin egg white wrap are steamed diced chicken, Yunnan ham, black mushrooms, bamboo shoot and singkamas. 

Rice

♥ Fookien Seafood Rice in Abalone Sauce Casserole (520 php/small)

If you're an avid reader, you would probably know that Fookien Fried Rice is my ultimate fried rice favorite.  I can even eat that alone without any viand.  Well, the Fookien Seafood Rice in Abalone Sauce Casserole is an upgraded version of that so you can imagine my glee!

Hot Sweetened Almond Puree with Dumpling

The Hot Sweetened Almond Puree with Dumpling is are dumplings with black bean paste swimming in almond puree.  I liked it very much because it is similar to the peanut dumplings that my family eats every 15th of January in the Chinese Lunar Calendar as a tradition.  I've always enjoyed that and even look forward to it year by year.  My companions were not as ecstatic as me though.


Drinks

Four Seasons (150 php)

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict

The family is not usually excited when it comes to Chinese restaurants since my mom is a pretty good Chinese cuisine cook herself.  But when they were quite eager to try Modern Shanghai because we could use my The Bistro Premiere Card for it.


The SM Mall of Asia branch didn't have much long seats so we had to wait for our turn on a weekend dinner. 

I observed on my second visit, this time on the Glorietta 2 branch, that the interiors were similar but this afforded more privacy to the diners by having booths by the sides and a function room which is ideal for meetings.

Food
Despite the entire area being occupied, the food we ordered were all served completely at the same time.  We didn't even wait that long.  I'm quite impressed with the service especially the SM Mall of Asia branch. 


Buns & Dumplings

♥ Our Signature Xiao Long Bao (198 php)

Everyone was excited to try the Signature Xiao Long Bao.  We love it so much, we just ordered one for each of us.  As soon as it was opened, steam and scent aroused everyone even more.  Unlike the other xiao long bao I've tried, this one had a hole on top and you could see the juices ooze out of it a bit.  This was quite generous with the soup which was quite flavorful too.  It was delicious but a bit pricey. 

New Dimsum

Steamed "Hakaw" Shrimp Dumplings (188 php)

Modern Shanghai has recently introduced 10 new dishes to their menu and the Steamed "Hakaw" Shrimp Dumplings was one of them.  I'm also a huge fan of Hakaw.  I was quite pleased to see its perfect translucent silky skin.  Once I popped each one of these in my mouth, I just couldn't help but savor the taste and tender shrimp.  Mmm...


Starters

Shandong Style Shredded Chicken (Hot) (358 php)

We chose the Shandong Style Shredded Chicken served hot as opposed to cold.  This is very tasty especially the skin which bore a mild honey, soy and vinegar taste.  The meat was jucy and tender. 

♥ Shaoxing Drunken Chicken (Cold) (298 php)

The cold Shaoxing Drunken Chicken can come a bit surprising to the mouth upon first bite.  But after that, you'll get to appreciate the pleasant flavors conjured by the wine and broth.  

♥ Smoked Beancurd Wraps with Assorted Vegetables & Mushrooms (Cold) (198 php)

It was my first time to try the Smoked Beancurd Wraps with Assorted Vegetables & Mushrooms.  We all loved this.  The smoked beancurd wraps were amusing chewiness which plays well with the crunchy carrots and flavorful mushrooms.

Beancurd with Preserved Egg & Pork Floss (Cold) (198 php)

There's not much creativity with the Beancurd with Preserved Egg & Pork Floss which makes it pale in comparison with the other appetizers.  It's something I could instantly conjure even at home.

Dishes

Deep Fried Pork Ribs with Spicy Salt & Pepper (288 php)

Although I'm not much of a fan of the Deep Fried Pork Ribs with Spicy Salt & Pepper, their version was quite captivating.  It wasn't too oily and tender which made it continuously appetizing to eat.

♥ Tung-Bor Style Braised Pork Belly (418 php)

I usually get turned of by braised pork belly dishes because of their huge amount of fat.  But, once I heard oohs and aah from my companions over this, I just had to try the Tung-Bor Style Braised Pork Belly.  I'm so glad I did!  This is definitely the best dish in there.  The fatty parts melts in your mouth exploding with rich flavors.  The pork meat was oh-so-soft too.

Sauteed River Shrimps with Spring Onions (318 php)

I find this small platter of Sauteed River Shrimps with Spring Onions a bit unreasonably priced.  But, if you love shrimps, go ahead and try.

♥ Sauteed Egg White with Fish Meat (348 php)

The Sauteed Egg White with Fish Meat is a light and refreshing dish to try.

New Dishes

Wok-Fried Sliced Beef with Broccoli (338 php)

The Wok-Fried Sliced Beef with Broccoli is a fair dish to try.  The meat could use a bit more tenderizing.

Native Hong Kong Crispy Chicken (688 php)

To be honest, I really couldn't tell much difference between the Native Hong Kong Crispy Chicken and the Shandong Style Shredded Chicken.  Perhaps, hefty pricing is due to the type of chicken used.  It was not served crispy though.
 

Deep-Fried Squid with Spicy Salt & Pepper (388 php)

The Deep-Fried Squid with Spicy Salt & Pepper is cooked similar to the Deep Fried Pork Ribs with Spicy Salt & Pepper except that with giant squid this time.  This is option is for the seafood lovers I guess.

♥ Eight Treasures in Hot Bean Sauce (358 php)

The Eight Treasures in Hot Bean Sauce is another interesting dish which I immensely enjoyed.  I'm glad they decided to add this to their menu.  As usual, I wished it was a bit hotter though.

Vegetables

Sauteed String Beans with Minced Pork & Chili (188 php)

The Sauteed String Beans with Minced Pork & Chili was cooked with precision.  Each bite was delightfully crunchy.


Rice

Yang Chow Fried Rice (228 php)

An order of the Yang Chow Fried Rice is good to share for two to three persons.  That I think it their standard serving size per order with all of their dishes. 


New Noodles

♥ Crispy Yellow Noodle with Seafood (358 php)

I'm loved crispy noodles!  The Crispy Yellow Noodle with Seafood did not disappoint.  The seafood-rich sauce was an excellent complement to the crispy noodles.  
 

Fried Shanghai Noodle with Seafood (338 php)

The chewy texture of the Fried Shanghai Noodle with Seafood had lived up to my expectations but I just prefer the crispy ones more than this.


Signature Tea Drinks

♥ Passion Fruit Lemonade (178 php)

The Passion Fruit Lemonade was refreshing and it was lightly sweetened which is nice.


Blooming Tea

♥ Peaceful Garden (188 php)

They had a number of blooming tea selections.  I ended up choosing the Peaceful Garden.   The hotter the water poured on the seed, the faster it will bloom.  It was quite cool to watch.

Other Bistro Group Restaurant Reviews
Bulgogi Brothers
Italianni's Restaurant
Krazy Garlic
Ma Maison (closed)
SikLab Filipino Favorites
Tonkatsu by Terazawa
Village Tavern
Watami 1 | Watami 2

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Modern Shanghai offers delicious Chinese dishese no doubt.  Having tried Chinese restaurants too often, Modern Shanghai gives a kind of impression to remember.  The service is great too.  The only down side is their price per serving ratio which exceeds the usual casual Chinese joint.  But, for the ambiance and convenient mall location, it's quit reasonable.