Ming Kee Live Seafood: Singapore's Best Comes to Makati

It's been said that one can find the freshest and delicate flavors of the best seafood along Singapore's Macpherson Road. And you can credit all that to Ming Kee Live Seafood Restaurant...

Ming Kee Live Seafood opens its first branch outside Singapore in the heart of Makati, offering its well-known and authentic Southern Chinese specialties for a true taste of Singapore. At the top of the list is Singaporean Chef and owner Ivan Tan's signature Ming Kee's Crab Beehon, acknowledged as one of Singapore's best dishes. Read on and discover more of Ming Kee Live Seafood's signature dishes...

Located along the "Poblacion" area of the Makati Business District, Ming Kee Live Seafood can be found in a five-storey building with their impressive live seafood aquariums and kitchen on the ground floor, and the bar, VIP Rooms, and main dining area on the upper floors. With its modern industrial look, this is no ordinary Chinese seafood joint.

The constant bubbling sounds from the various aquariums showcase a wide array of live seafood, including fresh mussels, clams, and oysters, to lobster and crabs of all shapes and sizes. At the kitchen, Chef Ivan Tan and his team prepare their signature dishes for the evening's feast...

Our dining experience at Ming Kee Live Seafood Restaurant began with the House Special Salmon Salad (P 680), popularly known as Yee-Sang or Yuu-Sahng in Singapore, and traditionally served during Chinese New Year in a festive Prosperity Toss. The classic Teochew raw fish salad is a blend of various finely shredded vegetables including carrots, cucumber, radish, bell peppers, onions, pickled vegetables, and Chinese parsley, as well jelly fish infused with a special sauce.

The friendly staff at Ming Kee Live Seafood Restaurant then prepare the salad right on your table, pouring a sweet and tart dressing. And in just a few minutes, the salad is ready to be served. The play on contrasting notes and textures make this salad unique and refreshing, and the perfect way to start your dining experience.

This is then followed by Ming Kee Live Seafood's Hot and Cold Cuts Platter, with Hainanese Pork Belly, Honey BBQ Pork, Teochew Style Roast Duck, Deep-Fried Prawn Rolls, and Teochew Style Shrimp Salad. Each of the featured starters had its own unique flavors and textures, and yet another dish that reflects the wide variety of authentic flavors at Ming Kee Live Seafood.

The first of the classic Singaporean seafood dishes is then prepared by your table side, Drunken Prawns with Herbs (P 875 Small/P 1,750 Large), and one of the dishes that built Ming Kee Live Seafood's reputation as one of Singapore's best seafood restaurants. The live prawns are an impressive sight, and it just can't get any fresher than this.


The live prawns are soaked in Chinese wine, and covered with a lid to keep the live prawns from jumping. After a few shakes, the buzzed  prawns settle down from the alcohol, then poured on a hot steaming aromatic broth made with red dates, kienchi, tong kui, yok chuk and other Chinese herbs.

The dish had that distinct briny sweetness that can only come from the freshest prawns, alive and kicking (and jumping) just mere minutes before being cooked. The shells are also easier to peel, almost coming out whole, while the broth's herbal and floral notes paired perfectly with the prawns. And as we enjoyed the last piece, the other much anticipated dish from Ming Kee Live Seafood arrived...

The signature Ming Kee Crab Beehon, the iconic dish considered as one of Singapore's best dishes, takes center stage at the table. Preparing this dish is a long and tedious process, starting with the freshest live crabs and premium ingredients, with many imported from Singapore for authentic flavors. The crabs are fried, then steamed, and braised to infuse Chef Ivan Tan's secret flavors. The rice noodles, also imported from Singapore, is noticeably much softer in texture than the local variety, absorbing all the richness and flavors of the dish. Pick a piece of the moist and succulent crab along with a generous helping of the noodles, and go ahead and use your hands. The triple-cooked crab meat is just perfectly moist and sweet, with a richness that's clean yet intense. And the noodles soak up all the flavors that just bursts in your mouth. This is porbably one of the best crab dishes in the metro. Seriously good.

But Chef Ivan Tan and his team had more dishes roll out from their kitchen, to the delight of the guests, including the Teochew Style Soy Chicken (P 480 Medium/P 960 Large), with the bold flavors of the rich soy sauce coating the tender and juicy chicken...

...and another classic Singaporean culinary icon, the Hainanese White Chicken (P 480 Medium/P 960 Large), with its delicate yet juicy richness topped with scallions and leeks, paired with Hainanese rice and a variety of traditional ginger, chili and soy sauce dips. Considered by many as Singapore's national dish, Ming Kee Live Seafood recreates the dish perfectly. Another bowl of Hainansese Chicken rice? Absolutely.

Next, a pair of tofu-based vegetable dishes were served, starting with the Ming Kee Homemade Beancurd (P 380 Small/P 570 Medium) with mushrooms and broccoli in a thick yet light sauce...

...and the Braised Beancurd in Clay Pot (P 380 Small/P 570 Medium) with fresh vegetables and served fresh from the table top burner. Both dishes featured Ming Kee Live Seafood's own tofu, prepared in-house, which is softer, creamier, almost egg-like in texture with a milder flavor than the local variety. Velvety and silky smooth, the homemade beancurd just melts in your mouth releasing even more flavors from the rich sauce. The fresh vegetables, still with a perfect snap, enhances the flavors of both dishes. Both dishes are good healthy options to go along with your other dishes, as Chef Ivan Tan served even more seafood dishes...

The Teochew Garoupa, with the soft and delicate white meat steamed in a special sauce and seasoned oils topped with homemade beancurd, mushrooms, chili, spring onions, pickled plums, and salted vegetables. The dish just proves once again that even the simplest dishes comes alive with a flavorful burst from the best and freshest ingredients. The flavors are clean and mild, punctuated by the sharpness of the spring onions and salted vegetables, and the subtle heat from the chili for perfectly balanced flavors.

Chef Ivan Tan then served his Stir-Fried Cereal Prawns (P 525 Small/P 1,050 Medium), with fresh and plump prawns coated in special cereal oats, specifically selected for its sweeter notes and thin, flakier texture versus the usual commercial variety. Deep-fried with basil leaves, the dish is pleasantly aromatic and triggers your senses once more, even after enjoying so many dishes served earlier. And one bite delivers contrasting textures, with the crunchy cereal and the fresh yet firm snap of the prawns releasing a juicy sweetness in your mouth.

Classic Singaporean flavors from starters to mains. And there's more...Stir-Fried Clams with Special House Sauce (P 350 Small/P 525 Medium), with large clams stir-fried in seasoned oils and special sauces. The clams are tenders and juicy, with mild sweet notes indicating freshness. And the special house sauce, prepared in a tedious process, including cooking the oil four times with different ingredients, adds the perfect finishing touch to the clams adding of layer of richness that lingers long after the first bite. This dish goes with my long list of favorites at Ming Kee Live Seafood.

The richness and culinary diversity of Singapore is again highlighted in the next dish, Ming Kee Live Seafood's flavorful Sambal Fried Rice (P 300 Small/P 450 Medium/P 600 Large), soft and fluffy rice with the bold flavors of sambal, a rich sauce made from chili pepper, shrimp paste, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, shallots, scallions, sugar, lime juice, and rice vinegar. The sharpness of the sambal delivers up-front flavors with each spoonful, with just a whisper of heat from the chili to balance the medley of flavorful notes.

To cap our Singaporean feast, Chef Ivan Tan served his comforting Yam and Taro with Coconut Cream for dessert, a thick, sweet and indulgent dish with soft and creamy textures for a perfect ending at Ming Kee Live Seafood.

Overall, it was an impressive and memorable dining experience, from the sleek and elegant interiors, the friendly and courteous service, and the equally impressive range of authentic Southern Chinese and Singaporean cuisine. Chef and owner Ivan Tan (R) and Rick Lim (L) are greeted by a warm round of applause from an appreciative group of diners, and one can sense that Ming Kee Live Seafood's entry in the local food scene is a positive one. Authentic, fresh and clean flavors, Ming Kee Live Seafood is a refreshing taste of Singapore in the heart of Makati.

Ming Kee Live Seafood is located at 7852 Makati Avenue near Kalayaan Avenue, Makati City or call 893-4533 for inquiries and reservations.

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