Wee Nam Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice Restaurant 威南记海南鸡饭餐室

I can't even remember when I was last at Wee Nam Kee. Maybe never. There are so many stories of people waxing lyrical about how good the chicken rice is, and and equal number panning it as a place that used to be good but now, "standard's dropped". Well, to each his or her own. What matters is whether you like the food or not, regardless of the shop's fame.

I came here one evening for a reunion dinner with my Royal Caribbean blogger buddies. There were about ten or more of us, so we shared a whole white chicken and a whole roast chicken (S$52 for both chickens, about S$26 each). The white chicken is certainly silky and succulent, and there is that collagen-like gel under the skin.



I personally prefer the roast chicken. Crispy skin over gel-lined skin anytime! It's nice that the meat was also tender and not dry.

I'm not sure if I imagined it, but the sauces used for the both chicken tasted slightly different. One was sweeter than the other, but both very salty.

The rice is good, and the essential condiments (dark soy, chili sauce, minced ginger) are satisfactory.



Wee Nam Kee also has a fairly comprehensive "zi char" or homestyle "cook and fry" menu. We could not resist a luxury order of cereal prawns (large portion, S$34.25). The prawns are big and fresh, but the cereal is really a bit too sweet.



The Pork Rib King (排骨王 Pai Kuat Wong, $17.10) was all right. I think tenderiser was used.



If there was a wow dish for me, ironically it was the token vegetable. I don't even usually fancy sambal kangkong that much, but this one (S$9.65, large) had incredible savoury punch. Excellent job on the seasoning.



They served us a giant bowl of sodium soup too. It was tasty, but it made you thirsty too. You can also see how old school and run down the place is. There is some airconditioning indoors, but you'll also be dining amidst boxes and well-worn tables. I suppose it adds to the charm, if you're into that sort of thing. It was also pretty cramped, but we had a great time with friends (that always makes food taste better).

There's no service charge here, by the way. And don't expect much by way of service either. It's one of those places where efficiency takes precedence over gentle speech and patience. Locals are used to this, but some tourists may not be.

The bill came up to only about S$13 per person, including drinks. Come early if you don't wish to jostle with the crowds or sit al fresco near the road.


WEE NAM KEE
275 Thomson Road
#01-05 Novena Ville
Singapore
Tel: +65 6255-6396
Open Daily: 10.30am - 2am

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