Singaporean food for less

There's just one problem with Singapore Chicken Rice in the Cubao block: everything in their menu is so cheap, you'll most likely overeat. At least I did.

I rarely try out new restaurants when I'm extremely hungry. But since the place came highly recommended by a friend, I decided to sample their bestselling white chicken for a really late lunch. Singapore Chicken Rice is not hard to miss. Just get to the corner of Time Square Ave. and Gen. Roxas Ave. behind Shopwise and you'll spot the big red sign with the big white chicken. There's a menu by the door so you can check out their offerings before you even enter. Don't expect anything fancy though, it's a fastfood restaurant inside and out. There are white wooden tables and red plastic chairs surrounded by posters and photos of nicely styled food. At the counter, cashiers are courteous and patiently wait for your order. You won't have a hard time choosing because there are only four categories in the menu: Chicken with rice dishes, Asian Delights, Pork dishes and drinks and desserts. Sorry fish and beef lovers, nothing for you here. Service was fast since the dishes arrived a few minutes after ordering. I wondered if it was just because it was way past lunch time and there were only a few customers. But a friend, who has eaten there thrice, said service is quite fast all the time. The first thing I digged into was the Kaya Toast, mini sandwiches filled with butter and kaya, a spread made of eggs, sugar and coconut milk. It seemed the cook got a bit toast happy since some of the sandwiches were burnt along the edges. But when I bit into one Kaya Toast, it was sweet creamy pleasure. It might be a bit too sweet, not to mention sinful, for some. But if you've got a sweet tooth, every bite is heavenly. Unless you like eating sweet things for an appetizer, Kaya Toast is best eaten for breakfast, snacks maybe even for dessert. For P45, you'll get a plate of six toasts good for two, or one depending on your sugar tolerance. Next on the table was Nasi Lemak, a dish with gata rice, a slice of fried egg, anchovies, peanuts and spicy sauce on top of a sliced cucumber. Everything was neatly arranged on the plate, it looked almost too good to eat. The proper way to eat it seemed like you take a peanut here, scoop anchovies there and mix it with a little rice and sauce. But the best way to eat it, I was told, was to slice the egg into small pieces and mix everything up. It didn't look as good as the original presentation but the taste was so much better. It was a smorgasboard of flavors, the creamy rice went perfectly with the salty anchovies and slightly spicy sauce. Take every spoonful with cucumber and peanuts for a fresh and crunchy kick. People with big appetites may not be satisfied with the small serving. But at P35 a plate, you can easily order two or more so you can have your fill. I reserved the Hainanese Chicken Rice for last but I was eager to taste the bestseller. Slices of steamed chicken fillets were served with rice cooked in chicken broth, a little atsara made up of carrots and cucumber, an extra cup of chicken broth and two sauces: ginger and spicy sauce. I don't usually bother with sauces so I just ate the chicken with the rice. After eating the flavorful Nasi Lemak, the Hainanese Chicken Rice (P95) paled in comparison. I tried putting a little ginger and spicy sauce on the chicken fillet but I didn't like the combination. When I tried pouring some broth on the chicken and rice, that's when I started to appreciate its flavor. It was still not as tasty as I'd want it to be but of course, you can only expect so much flavor from boiled chicken. Otherwise, there's still Wild West Fried Chicken, Curry Chicken Rice and Chicken Satay on the menu which seem to have more promising flavors. For those who prefer noodles to rice, try the Mee Goreng, stir=fried pancit that's sweet and spicy. Marked as a local favorite, Pancit Chino is also tagged as a must-try. It's cooked with egg and gives off an appetizing aroma. If you want dessert, there's only one available in the menu: the Mini-Dinosaur (P45) which is actually a chocolate malt shake. It tasted like a chocolate drink you can easily prepare at home but the real treat here was the huge mound of malt powder on top. It reminded me of that time, not long ago, when I would sneak extra spoonfuls of chocolate powder on a glass of Milo so I could eat it. I walked out of Singapore Chicken Rice trying very hard to keep my stomach in. I made a mental note to come back for more Nasi Lemak and to give the Hainanese Chicken Rice a second try. This Cubao branch is their first and only branch in Metro Manila so you'll have to brave some traffic if you live far from Quezon City. But getting a taste of good Singaporean food for less might just be worth it. Aside from being wallet-friendly, Singapore Chicken Rice will also make your belly very happy. - Photos by Timothy James Dimacali, GMANews.TV