Steamed or roasted, Wee Nam Kee’s authentic Hainanese Chicken Rice gets Asian food lovers trooping to the Ayala Triangle Gardens. The dish also comes in soy chicken variety.

It is the subject of both friendly and severe arguments. They say that every Singaporean has an opinion about it. It's simplicity and poetry on a plate. Yes, it's Hainanese Chicken Rice and the real thing has come to Manila courtesy of Wee Nam Kee at the Ayala Triangle Gardens.

The words “Wee Nam Kee”, which has been a Singaporean institution (depending on who you ask) since 1988, has been on many bloggers', journalists', jet-setters' and food lovers' lips for weeks. “Now,” they said, “we won't have to wait for the next trip to Singapore.” Indeed, this humble restaurant's signature Chicken Rice is so beloved that many Filipinos cannot leave Singapore without a taste of it. In fact, many even bring home a few servings.

It is the media launch of Wee Nam Kee at the heart of Makati's business district where we will see what the fuss was about. It is a pleasant walk from under the shadows of the glass and steel buildings of Paseo de Roxas towards the grassy field of the Ayala Triangle Gardens. If one didn't know better, one would never imagine the park as a haven for foodies. New restaurants abound and lines of people surrounded them. As much as we would like to explore, more pressing matters are ahead.

When we arrive, the place is already packed to the rafters. Well, one could certainly say that the ambience is accurate, but what about the food? The first dish to arrive is the main attraction itself. A combination of Soy Chicken and Roasted Chicken sat atop an off-white platter, waiting for its partner, the Chicken Rice, to arrive. When it does, it begins its assault by enticing the scent glands, the fragrant rice wafting its unmistakable aroma of chicken broth. The rice is good enough to eat by itself, but it's surely a sin against nature and a sin against oneself to ignore the chicken.

The white chicken on white rice is quite possibly a food stylist's nightmare, but it is a dream for anyone with functioning taste buds. The Roasted Chicken, with its crisp, paper-thin skin adds texture and a “who can say no?” deep fried flavor. The Soy Chicken, miraculous in that even the typically tasteless white meat is permeated by the sauce, has a more potent soy and ginger flavor. Both are improved upon by the garlic and chili condiments, but are able to stand on their own.

Shortly after we dig into the chicken, the vegetables arrive. The Kailan with Garlic Sauce complements the chicken rice quite well, with its subtle garlic flavor and more dominant umami courtesy of the sauce. It is, however, inferior to the Sambal Kangkong. It strongly resembles the kailan, but the chili seeds give a hint of what to expect. We take a mouthful and are deceived by the lack of fire until... oh, there it is! More chicken and rice, please!

Finally, the other signature dish hits the table amid the gasps of the diners who have had it before: the Cereal Prawns. The enormous prawns are dusted with cereal, which tastes so familiar, yet elusive. Then it hits you: It's just like Nesvita! The salty and sweet cereal doesn't really add texture, but it doesn't have to. The shells of the prawns are crunchy enough for texture, but soft enough to eat. What the cereal does is add an element of surprise and a strange, but delicious twist. Hey, it helps to cool off the burn from the Sambal Kangkong, too.

Local partner Linfred Yap says that they are planning to open about four additional branches of Wee Nam Kee in the next ten years. This is exciting news for food lovers and queue haters. For now, it is unsure how other Hainanese places will respond to Wee Nam Kee's resounding battle cry. Perhaps it's not the end of the Chicken Rice War, but Wee Nam Kee might just have this battle in the bag.