The buzz and the fuss were all over town before 2010 ended. A new string of restaurants is now in what was a forested area in Makati.

Lights were on, gloriously, and everybody was talking about “The Triangle Gardens.” The holiday frenzy has long been over, but not the curiosity and the quest for value for money. And so we flock now and then to The Triangle, rain or shine.

We are rating the restaurants collectively since there is no one that stands out or comes out poorly. When it comes to their specialties, they are on par with one another.

Wee Nam Kee is the Hainanese Chicken Rice place. Its premiere offering is over-rated. We have had better Chicken Rice in Singapore, HK and some homes in the country.

Wee Name Kee serves this either alone, steamed (more like the white chicken in Chinese restaurants), or in combination with roasted bits on a platter. They are either for two diners, four, six or eight.

The broth is given as one sits down, allowed to cool off before the chicken comes out. The diner is likely to drink it up, leaving nothing to mix with the rice. It does not have the usual bed of greens.

Other dishes worth recommending are the Crispy Honey Squids (baby)—truly delicious—the Warm Salad Prawn and the Cereal Prawns. The latter is a version of Camaron con Pellejo (Shelled Prawns), but coated with cereal, rather ingenious.

The restaurant needs to train its staff a lot on the ethics of waiting at tables.

Bon Chon Chicken—This type of fried chicken is normally served in South Korea in restaurants they call Chicken Hofs. What separates it from our Max’s and KFCs is the way they are marinated. We have it on good source that they use Barley syrup. The fowl has nearly paper-thin crispy skin and very tender meat.

Be ready to wait.

Banaffee—a place for luscious cakes and really robust coffee or cold beverages. The girls behind the counter are very attentive, despite the multiple orders coming from very anxious customers.

Take the Banana pie, of course, a sumptuous number of cream, cake base and chunks of lacatan bananas. This can be shared, especially after a big meal.

Yogurt place—It has many flavors, each a super punctuation to a nice eating outing, especially for the calorie-conscious.

Enjoy the lush gardens, they are a rarity…and the food…one can’t really go wrong.

All charge 10 percent for service plus government taxes. Senior cards are honored.

Equal rating for all