Saturday, December 27, 2014

Swensen's Celebrates SG50 with Special Menu

It’s only a few more days before we enter into the new year and as everyone SHOULD know by now, SG50 is going to be the buzz word for the whole of next year! Most, if not all companies were quick to jump onto the SG50 bandwagon. Singapore has come so far since independence and I guess it is only right that we reflect on what we have done well so far and celebrate this joyous occasion. 

Swensen’s is no exception and we were delighted to be one of the first few to taste their new offerings for 2015, as part of their SG50 celebrations. Swensen’s localised special dishes for SG50 will definitely tantalize your taste buds (we tried), but will not hurt your wallet! There will be twelve dishes to look forward to, as Swensen’s will introduce ONE special dish per month for the ENTIRE 2015! Allow me to take you through what to expect for the first quarter now. 

January - Laksa Aglio Olio with King Prawns ($14.90) 

I love Laksa for the thick and flavorful gravy with coconut milk and I wondered how this dry version would taste like. I had tried dry Laksa spaghetti before and it tasted EXACTLY like Laksa, except that the gravy was condensed to a sauce form, so it wasn’t really a surprise. But this is Aglio Olio we are taking about. I was sian 1/2 when the dish arrived, because I hated Laksa leaves and the entire plate was full of it that it looked green. I took one mouthful, and then the next and for some weird reasons, I don’t seem to HATE it as much already. Maybe it’s because of the preparation style, the oil and everything. The 3 king prawns had a great texture (think HK Dim Sum) and were delish! However my wife found the dish a little “jelat” as it was a little too oily for her towards the end. Overall, it doesn't taste like our regular Laksa, but more of Laksa leaves instead. Still nice though, but renaming is Laksa Leaves Aglio Olio might align diner’s expectations better.

Stacci showing off our plate of spaghetti!
Laksa Aglio Olio with King Prawns that were really succulent! 
February – Grilled Chicken with Spicy Satay Sauce ($14.90) 

Have you ever had satay with the meat that was way too dry and tasteless? Or with watered-down satay sauce? That really spoils the mood, especially if one is hungry but no worries with this dish! The chicken meat we had was well-marinated, grilled to perfection and tasted wonderful with just a little dab of the satay sauce. As if finishing the meat alone is not enough to fill your stomach, the dish also comes with fragrant pineapple fried rice and a mixed salad (with our favorite onions as well). With the kids around, the crispy keropok (prawn crackers) were gone in minutes. 

Steffi loves the chicken and keropok! 
Tasty tender Grilled Chicken with Spicy Satay Sauce that comes pineapple fried rice and salad!
March – Beef Rendang Baked Rice ($13.90) 

Whenever I hear "baked rice", the image that comes to my mind would be the type that come covered in thick cheese. This is the first time I am tasting such a version of baked rice, but I managed to find the delicious cheese hidden in between the rice and the rendang topping. The beef strips were surprisingly tender and even the rice alone was nice when mixed with the home-made gravy! There is however one problem. I realized that when Leroy shouted out that he needed water, after he pinched a keropok from the top of the dish. The beef rendang was TOO spicy, even for my wife! So to be truly able to enjoy this dish, you need to be able to take really spicy stuff! Or simply prepare lots of water to standby. I finished the entire bowl myself and it was "numbingly" great! 

Leroy is just posing with the Beef Rendang Baked Rice, for it was way too spicy for the kids!
And what better way to end the meal with some awesome Swensen's festive sundaes! 
If you happen to drop by Swensen’s outlets for their wonderful ice-cream sundaes from next year onward, do not forget to try out these wonderful localized dishes too, for they will only be available during their respective months!

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