Stevie's : A taste of Singapore in Manila

My family loves Hainanese Chicken Rice. Guess this is because we used to frequent Singapore back then that this has been our staple meal throughout our week-long stay there. Sadly, while a lot of restaurants do offer Hainanese Chicken Rice (HCR), only a few really came close to the real thing. Can't blame them, for one thing perhaps some ingredients used for the authentic Chicken Rice are not available in Manila. Another would be if they would really cook it the exact same way the Singaporeans would when preparing their HCR.

Thus, when I heard about this guy named Stevie from Bel-Air, Makati who sells really good Hainanese Chicken Rice, I knew I had to take time out one Sunday morning to order a set from him and to take this home for my family to try.

Ordering was a breeze, all I did was to call two days in advance (although I think 24 hours notice is allowed too, I was just so excited haha) and placed my order for a Hainanese Chicken Set with Traditional Rice (Php. 980). You can also change your rice to Olive Rice for an additional Php. 150. Each set is said to be good for 4-5 pax however our family of 7 was able to have a generous share of the chicken. As for the rice, it was really good for 4-5 pax. Too bad as our 2 household helpers had to make do with plain white rice with their chicken which they said works just fine.

I love how well the set was packaged. The chicken and rice had their own aluminum containers sealed with cling wrap and Stevie's very cool labels. Each set also comes with four sauces which is mandatory to drizzle on your HCR. Again, even the sauces were well-labeled and sealed very well. No spills, no drips on the car seat. Hooray!

The Verdict

The chicken's flavor was spot on. Even my parents gave their two thumbs up, it was similar to the chicken rice we would always get at our favorite hawker stall. I love how the flavor has managed to infuse itself into the very tender meat.


As for the rice, it was pretty good but I'd love for it to be a bit more oilier similar to the ones served in Singapore. Nonetheless, it went well with the delicious Hainanese Chicken.

The secret to eating Hainanese Chicken Rice is to use the sauces. Back then, I would just stick to the Ginger Sauce but after being taught by a true blue Singaporean, I learned that you have to add in the soy sauce and chili too. I'm not a fan of spicy food so I just drizzle a few drops of chili just to get the kick but not to put my tongue on fire.

I got to agree, Stevie's has one of the best Hainanese Chicken Rice in town. On your next potluck party, take my advice, do consider ordering from Stevie's as aside from his Hainanese Chicken Rice set, he's pretty famous for his Fresh Vientamese Spring rolls with Peanut Sauce (Php. 1,050/15 pieces). He also makes paella, a couple of salads and Fried Shrimp Lumpia with Bacon and served with Sweet Chili Sauce (Php. 1,350/50 pieces).

Give Stevie's a call at +63 (906) 508-4155 or 896-8940. Visit their Facebook page.