During our late high school and early college years, Father was based in Singapore. For practical reasons (mostly so as not to disrupt our schooling), Mother deigned it better for us to stay in Manila. Consequently, long weekends would find Father flying back home; summer and Christmas breaks would find us flying to the Lion City.
Now, I've always loved the city. Never mind that some people find it boring.
I suppose it had a lot to do with the fact that the first time we landed was in December 1988--when all of Orchard Road looked like some Christmas Giant threw up sparkles, lights and decors all over the buildings and trees. It was so festive, you'd think the primary religion was Christianity when it was really not. Never mind that Singapore did it for the tourists, I do remember the scene automatically dispelling the melancholy I felt about being away from the clan on a holiday that we, as a family, usually spend with them.
I suppose it also had a lot to do with the fact that Singapore was, for lack of a better term, efficient. And clean. And orderly. And green. And smoke-free. And everything else that I wished Manila could be--if only we had the political will and commitment to do it. It's not from a lack of trying. I'm not sure if you actually noticed that, with every change in administration, trees inevitably get planted along the main roads, and signs are put up proclaiming the "Greening of Metro Manila"--only to find the same trees wilted and covered with dust a month later. The thing is, we treat the trees as decor, when we ought to treat them as a commitment. (Sidenote: I'm glad that they actually passed a law that requires people to pay extra for shopping bags every Wednesday; it's, at least, a good start.) To say that I was fascinated with the city transforming itself from an urban jungle into a garden state was an understatement. I suppose though, it is really much easier to focus on "aesthetics" when one does not need to worry about having to feed practically 80% of its population.
I digress.
The other thing I loved about Singapore is the food. I have yet to eat anything there that I did not like. Weekends would inevitably find us in one of the Hawker's Centers each downing a bowl of Hainanese Chicken Rice and wolfing down Chili Crabs like there was no tomorrow. Good food. Good price. =)
Which leads me to the point of this post. Good Chili Crabs, one can find in Manila. Good Hainanese Chicken Rice is not as easy to find.
I serendipitously came upon really good Chicken Rice at the old Philippine Plaza coffee shop, but I don't think they retained it in the menu after they renovated the coffee shop into Spiral. People tell me that there is this restaurant in front of Pan Pacific in Malete where they serve authentic Chicken Rice (the Chef is Singaporean), but they said it's quite pricey. Besides, I no longer have the patience to weave through Malate traffic, much less the patience to find a decent/relatively safe parking space--at least no longer at the levels I used to have during the Wander Years. I also tried the Chicken Rice at Makansutra at the Manila Ocean Park, but it was only "OK lang" and failed to live up to my high hopes. During one stop at Edsa Shang, Hubby Sweet and I also decided to try the version at Penang Hill. Two words: STAY AWAY. Variation to the two words: DON'T TRY. I wanted to cry after trying that version. Naku! =D
Father has since moved from Singapore to Glendale then back to Manila, and yet the family's craving for a decent Chicken Rice has remained. I mean, it is not really too big of an expectation really. Our thinking was that we used to eat good Chicken Rice in the hawker's centers (which is a levelled-up version of the local carinderia). How can the local restaurants not get it right?
Well, someone finally did! =)
Cousin-in-law Mi was the first person who asked me to try it. I think the owner was a personal friend. Admittedly though, I have not gotten around to it, until last June when we were originally supposed to go out for Father's Day, but had to cancel because Mother was not feeling well the entire week. It was a sort of Eureka moment when the idea of ordering Hainanese Chicken Rice for take-out danced around like a lightbulb in my head.
Stevie's Hainanese Chicken Rice to the rescue! =)
I had to scramble around the internet to find the contact details because I couldn't find Mi's original email, what with all the junk in my inbox. I did not have a hard time because, apparently, in the time between Mi's original email and me finally getting around to actually trying it, most of the leading bloggers in Manila have already had their fill and were singing high praises to it. (Click on the link for the posted reviews on Dessert Comes First and Market Manila.) All the reviews got me even more excited. Yey! ^_^
Calling was easy enough. With the entire family (including yayas) descending on House Better for Father's Day, we ordered four orders. On the side, Sister Pusjing decided they will also drop by Pixie's to get several orders of their much-raved about inihaw na bangus. I gave them an 11:00 am pick-up time, and asked Sister Pusjing to pass by for it on their way to House Better. All set. =)
Except that come Sunday, it was already way past 11:30 am and Sister Pusjing and family were nowhere near House Better. I gave them directions to Stevie's (go to the Bel-Air gate near Shell Buendia), but apparently they did not need it. There was a looooooong line outside--about 20 cars or so--all waiting for their orders! Naku. =D They finally got to House Better at 12:30 with 7-year old Patita declaring as soon as she stepped through the front door, "That Chicken Rice is sheer torture!" Hahaha. As Sister Pusjing explained, it soon became clear that she wasn't referring to the long line and the long wait. Apparently, the entire trip home, the scent of the Chicken Rice wafted through the car and Patita had to endure the entire trip smelling it, but having to wait to get to House Better before she can eat it. Haha! ;D
Stevie's did not disappoint (although, when I first saw it, I thought, "Ay, mas maraming chicken kesa rice!" Haha. How plebian. =))
The chicken was moist and flavorful. I was a bit surprised to find it "swimming in broth" as I was used to the Hainanese Chicken already being served "dry" on top of the rice. Still, no biggie. We all used the broth as "soup" of sorts to top our rice. Haha.
Oh, the rice. Fragrant, flavorful, jasmine rice. None of the cheap kind that comes out either hard or clumpy. Good Hainanese Chicken Rice lives and dies by the quality of the rice, and Stevie (naks, parang kilala ko siya, haha) made sure that their rice lived up to expectations.
The entire set came with traditional dipping sauces: smashed ginger in sesame oil, chili sauce (which was not to spicy actually =(), and the sweet-salty soy sauce mix.
It also came with a glazing sauce which we were supposed to pour over the chicken if we wanted to reheat it. It was supposed to prevent the chicken from drying up (which also, by the way, explained why the chicken was set in broth still).
Reheat? We did not. We did not even re-plate. Haha. The entire thing (aluminum trays, plastic cups and all) were placed on the lazy Susan soon as it arrived. Game na ang lunch agad.
I will keep a secret how long it took for us to finish the entire thing. Haha! ;D
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If you want to try Stevie's Hainanese Chicken Rice To Go, call 0906-5084155. It's P950 per set (at the time we bought anyway), good for 4 people. =) Go. Now na. ;p
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