New Restaurant Alert: Yumchee at Bonifacio Global City

Yumchee
G/F Bonifacio Stopover Pavilion, Rizal Drive corner 31st Street, Bonifacio Global City
Contact: 0917-717-2821
Open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. (Monday to Friday) and 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Saturday and Sunday)

(SPOT.ph) In Metro Manila, there's always good Chinese food a few paces away. You never have to travel far or long or pay to enjoy quality Chinese grub. This is where Yumchee takes its cue as one of the latest additions to Bonifacio Global City’s buzzing food scene. Right at the heart of this commercial complex is where affordable and delicious meet.

“We’re an in-between,” explains owner Kenneth Kho.“We’re what Filipinos imagine Chinese fast food to be like, but better because [here] they get quality food for [a cheaper price].” Yumchee follows the self-serve format of typical fast food chains across the Metro where you simply pick, pay, and enjoy.

Fried Siomai

Beancurd Shrimp Roll

Cuapao

Hakaw

Vegetable Dumplings

Siomai

Siopao

This isn't the place to change your Chinese food habit. Jumpstart your meal with some dim sum or buns. Yumchee has the staples down pat: Pork Shrimp Siomai, Fried Wanton, and Beancurd Shrimp Roll (P85/each). Their Cua Pao (P85), or open-faced siopao, however, steals the show. The hull is incredibly fluffy and the core tasty and sweet. The cua pao fillings could also be enjoyed in main dish versions, paired with rice, noodles, or vegetables.

If you are in the mood for more filling snacks, Yumchee has a few heavyweights in its arsenal. Have your pick from their varieties of Noodles or Congee (P159/each). The flavors are comfortingly familiar—they taste similar to another Chinese chain—but Yumchee offers theirs a few pesos cheaper. 

Beef Brisket + Wanton Noodle Soup

Their Beef Brisket + Wanton Noodle Soup (add P30), for instance, is proof that good food doesn’t have to cost too much. It features a carefully flavored broth and a favorable noodles-to-toppings ratio where strips of delicate braised beef and chunky wanton pieces take front and center.

Congee

The Pork with Century + Salted Egg Congee, meanwhile, has become a crowd favorite, and with good reason. The thick porridge (which takes about four hours to prepare!) features a bold interplay of sweet and salty flavors till the last drop. It's paired with a side of Fried Bread Sticks (P58/a la carte) that you can dunk into the mix or consume separately (either method is enjoyable).

Chicken Chop

Orange Chicken

Yumchee’s main dishes (P199/each with a side dish, add P50 for a medium-sized drink) are a mishmash of nostalgic favorites. Their poultry options include the Chicken Chop, filleted chicken coated in their trademark breading, and Orange Chicken, which is a very Western-Chinese dish. For sharper flavor profiles, give their bestsellers a go: Salt Pepper Spareribs, Beef Brisket, and Black Pepper Beef.

Black Pepper Beef, Salt Pepper Spareribs, Beef Brisket, and more

Sides

Pair these specialties with any of their available sides: Steamed Rice and Soup, Vegetable Fried Rice and Soup, Stir-Fried Noodles and Soup, and Seasonal Vegetables.

Milk Tea

Specialty Teas

You can also sample Taiwanese-inspired specialty drinks. Their refreshments include Iced Oolong Tea, Iced Lemon Tea, Iced Milk Tea, Iced Black Coffee, and Iced White Coffee. 

Shaved Ice

Or, cap off your meal with their Shaved Ice (P78), another sentimental favorite: milky shaved ice adorned with toppings and a drizzle of more milk. You can customize each bowl by picking any two toppings (choose from grass jelly, black pearls, or fresh fruits), but it’s the mango and strawberry pairing we’re keen on—only because those sweet and tart end notes are magic.

Very fast casual

Where premium and affordability meet

While Yumchee keeps its menu modest (an effort, Ken says, to ensure proper attention to every dish), each option makes a convincing reason to come back for more.

Photos by Hans Fausto