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2010-07-04
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All right, all right, foodies, enough is enough! We all know that Swensen is a franchised-chain of Western restaurants, its prices are definitely out of reach for the average person, and it has no sense of individuality with its polymer-resin booths, tables and chairs. So why are we even bringing it up?To be fair, I had a red-eye flight out of Singapore at midnight, and the options at Changi Airport Terminal 2 at that time are quite simple: 1) Overpriced hawker center with only one or two vend
To be fair, I had a red-eye flight out of Singapore at midnight, and the options at Changi Airport Terminal 2 at that time are quite simple: 1) Overpriced hawker center with only one or two vendors open 2) Waffles and frozen soy milk and 3) Your truly despised Swensen’s. Now I know that we started this article a little biased against Swensen’s, but let me just say, this is a POSITIVE review because at the end of the day, it’s all about the food right?
On a Thursday night around 11:00 pm, with my girlfriend and her family (a delightful mother and a hungry brother), we were promptly seated at the bustling restaurant located in the basement of Terminal 2. Our orders consisted for a curry chicken for myself, a mee goreng for the girlfriend, mixed tempura vegetables for the mother, and a Double Chocolate Delight for the brother.
Though I’d hate to say it, I truly loved the curry chicken. With a great contrast of flavors in the provided sweet chutney and the tart pickled vegetables, I could’ve had a meal with just the coconut rice and the aforementioned condiments. The rice was fluffy and fragrant, and capably soaked up the flavors integrated into it.
However, let’s not forget about the main actor of the cast: the curry. With a drumstick, wing, and thigh in the curry; it definitely makes for a full meal. The gravy was intensely flavored, and the texture was both creamy and grainy, which I suspect is from the menagerie of spices in it; definitely a match for any renowned hawker.
The mee goreng was also a treat for the palate; with both an intense but not overpowering heat that played well with the sourness associated with the rich-tomato sauce. It also had a hefty helping of shrimp and meat, so I never felt shorted of liao at any time. However, if you’re not a big fan of spiciness, I would ask for a milder version of this dish. Great finish to the dish with no tinge of the oiliness that’s often associated with the traditional dish, so it definitely didn’t leave me feeling lethargic.
However, the tempura dish was definitely a failure in my books. It came out looking lifeless, limp from either 1) fried in oil that was not hot enough or 2) left seating under a heating lamp for too long. Each bite yielded a yogurt-like substance from within the shell, and the vegetable was largely indistinguishable. With a little deduction and fork-prodding, I determined that there were some egg-plants, pumpkins, and onions subjected to the deep-oil torture.
Overall, the ambiance was above-average of what I’d expect of a Swensen’s located in such a bustling location. Though service was sluggish at times, it was understandable with the constant barrage of customers, and the servers were prompt with the orders and refills. If I could sum up my dining experience in a few words, let me set it as an analogy to the Double Chocolate Delight we had ordered: both familiar and satisfying, in a beautiful presentation with whipped-cream covered flaws.
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