Boon Tong Kee - Enjoy It If You Can Find It

Boon Tong Kee in UP Town Center is oddly located in the cornermost portion of the first building of the mall (the one with IHOP and Dulcelin). It's a bit hard to spot and you'd only chance upon it if you happen to use the bridge that leads to the main mall. The place also looks really small from the outside and it's a good thing they thought about placing a standee by the entrance.

 

When we were given suggestions about specialties, I found myself asking for more options. I wasn't particularly excited to eat Hainanese Chicken (not a fan) or Spinach with Assorted Eggs (for obvious reasons). In the end, I looked at the walls and ordered the dishes that looked appetizing in photos.

 

The Cereal Prawns (Small, P375) didn't look like the photo at all. Presentation was a bit messy, and I think there were only 3 pieces of prawns there. But the "damo damo" (I'm guessing the "cereal" part of the dish) was surprisingly tasty and gave an interesting dimension to the otherwise normal tasting prawns. I had a hard time deciding if it tasted better on its own or when paired with my usual chili/soy sauce. I wish there were more prawns to eat for me to come to a more informed decision.

 

The Zhenjiang Pork Ribs (P395) were quite tasty on the outside, a little less on the inside. I had to make sure that the sauce was enough to cover the meat from the inside. A bit on the sweet side, this dish probably won't appeal to everyone. It also doesn't look like much presentation wise, but it's a nice dish to add to your order. The buns were also yummy.

 

We also ordered Siomai on the side (P85), and it was also good. Extra yummy with chili sauce. I'm curious to find out how the other dimsum on the menu would taste like.

 

And what meal would be complete without rice, right? We also ordered a bowl of Yang Chow Fried Rice for the full Asian meal experience. It was a bit on the soggy/wet side but I got used to the texture within seconds. Pwede na. But I guess it wouldn't have made much of a difference if we got plain rice instead.

 

Service was a bit lousy at first - there was only one waiter available, but there were only 2 tables filled at the time (it was around 5 in the afternoon). I had a hard time finding assistance, and it seemed like the waiter was busy doing things (or ignoring us). There was, however, a quick turnaround. He was suddenly very attentive and even offered to slice my ribs for me. Food was served on time and our glasses were always full. I guess he was really just busy when we arrived.