Singaporean meets Cantonese at Wang Fu

By Marane A. Plaza | Manila Standard Today | Posted on Jan. 16, 2013 at 6:02pm | 983 views

Traditional Singaporean dining culture in the Singapore Hawker Center is simply captivating with its variety, flavors and less intimidating setting. It is a bit difficult to find a similar dining experience in the Philippines.

Cantonese cuisine, on the other hand, is more common here and has been around longer.

Refreshing drinks

Wang Fu Chinese Caf̩, the newest chillspot and restaurant in Il Terrazo Mall, Tomas Morato, breaks the mold in the local food industry with its very unique conceptРthe traditional Singaporean Hawker Center and Hong Kong Tea House in one setting!

Lester Wang and Ace Wang, owners of Wang Fu Chinese Café, had observed that the comfort food for Filipinos among several Chinese cuisine variations is Cantonese. This is why they created a place that serves authentic and affordable Chinese food. They had also observed that Filipinos do enjoy authentic Singaporean dishes but are not really satisfied with the limited yet and expensive Singaporean restaurants here.

“We felt that there’s a huge need for the Chinese cafe concept in the country. Traditional Chinese restaurants in the Philippines usually come with round, huge tables in large rooms and they offer really expensive dishes,” explained Lester. ”So we wanted to offer a less intimidating version of that by offering authentic Singaporean and Cantonese dishes in quick meals at affordable prices, and in a more leisurely setting– the kind that you can have at late nights. Also it is a great alternative to the usual Western fast food places that Filipinos love.”

Lester has been in the food business for a long time, being the genius behind the famous Rice-in-a-Box food stalls in the country. He also owns a Filipino restaurant in Singapore called Bonifacio Modern Filipino Restaurant that caters to Filipinos abroad. Having had successful ventures in the dining business scene, Wang knows exactly how to develop trends that the consumers would totally respond to and enjoy too.

Prawns with cereals

Wang Fu means “the house of prince” in Siberian Palace, a term that the two Wang’s believe to be the perfect name for their new restaurant. With the place’s contemporary interiors and relaxing ambience, both business executives and casual diners can luxuriate in its genuinely tasteful Chinese meals.

Wang Fu “imported” traditional Chinese chefZhang Jing “Atong” Dong, who specializes in authentic Singaporean and Chinese dishes, straight from Northern China. Filipino chef Elmar Ruelo is an expert on Cantonese dishes.

Aside from having the best chefs, Wang Fu Chinese Café also uses Singaporean spices, and sees to it that its staff has learned special Singaporean cooking techniques.

The best way to start your Wang Fu dining experience is with its unique offer called Potato Strings. A little spicy, this is the perfect dish to hype up your appetite. According to Lester, it is not usually served in Chinese restaurants but is a home-made Northern Chinese appetizer.

A must-try is the Hainanese Chicken.

“The traditional Hainanese Chicken is made from a very special breed of chicken in Singapore, which are bigger and tastier,” said Lester. “In an effort to bring the exact flavors of the famous Hainanese chicken to our Filipino clientele, we went to the growers of these Hainanese chickens in Singapore, learned and later on used their growing techniques. The chef also compensated for some of the missing flavors of this favorite Singaporean dish by adding unique spices from Singapore, and its rice is mixed with chicken oil.”

Another Singaporean dish that is a sure hit in Wang Fu Chinese Café is Prawns with Cereals. Its crunchy texture and appetizing seafood meat are really gastronomic.

The Beef Curry gives quality for your money with its scrumptious spice while the Crunchy Sweet and Sour Pork is something kids will love.

Wang Fu takes pride in its Lychee Freeze for drinks, as well as its Nan Yang Milk Tea and Man Yang White Coffee. While for desserts, you would not want to miss the Traditional Ice Kachang, the the Singaporean and Laysian counterpart for our favorite halo-halo. It is a mix of kaong, red beans, corn, strawberry and orange syrup in shaved ice. There is also a mango variant.

Wang Fu Chinese Café is located at the Ground Floor of Il Terrazo Mall on Tomas Morato, Quezon City.