Chicken rice lovers might be glad to know another Singapore franchise just opened at Mall of Asia.
I’ve been to Boon Tong Kee a few times in Singapore. Jeroen and I have even sat down with its owner to talk about taking the franchise to Manila about five years ago.
We got turned off because we both found the Singaporean owner a bit on the arrogant side. That and it’s not my favorite chicken rice in Singapore.
Boon Tong Kee Singapore
That didn’t stop me from checking out the new Philippine franchise at Mall of Asia’s Entertainment Mall (by the bayside). I came alone yesterday around 4 PM and found the restaurant understandably empty.
The aircon inside wasn’t working and the floors were slippery—it felt like floorwax. It’s probably a good sign (for them). Maybe they had lots of guests for lunch.
Afraid to slip and melt in the heat, I decided to sit outside.
I ordered chicken rice and two kinds of chicken to taste. The waiter wasn’t the brightest, so I asked to be helped by someone else. The staff is really friendly here and love to do small talk.
Through its glass windows I saw that they could benefit from more cleaning around the corners.
The rice arrived first as a pyramid. Maybe Charice would love it. Personally, I prefer my chicken rice in a bowl or turned upside down on a plate—like a dome, not a pyramid.
Texture-wise it looked perfect and promising. But it lacked that chicken rice flavor in Singapore—when the rice is so good it’s a meal in itself.
The boiled chicken was excellent. Chicken-wise, this is probably the best in Manila.
The other chicken was fried to perfection. Crisp-wise, it doesn’t get better than this. Taste-wise, however, I think it lacked salt. But I’m not sure because my taste buds have been out of whack lately. Maybe it deserves another try.
Still it’s not everyday I go to Mall of Asia. I’ve been there maybe five times in my life. So maybe I’ll have to wait until a branch opens closer to us.
Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.