Orchard Road Restaurant : A Taste of Singapore in Megamall

First off, I honestly don’t know much about Singaporean food, though I’ve always been enthralled by the diversity of their dishes. And I have been wanting, for the longest time ever, to try their cuisine. Little did I know that I will be able to have a taste of the dining experience in Singapore that’s friendly on the pocket right here, at Orchard Road that is. 🙂

This restaurant is named after the famous Orchard Road in Singapore renowned for its remarkable dining scene, where the food court is done up as a series of hawker carts.

We were invited to a food tasting at Orchard Road in SM Megamall. The restaurant exudes a very relaxed atmosphere and surely you’ll find pleasure strolling along the Orchard Road’s stylishly designed facade.

And if you’re like me who happens to be curious (as always) to see how dishes are prepared then voila! Feed your curiosity as you see how your food is being cooked right before your very eyes. You can see all the tools and everything they do during the preparation of your orders – something a lot of foodies enjoy. 🙂

First things first: What do they have to offer? Orchard Road houses a wide array of Singaporean dishes like the Hainanese Chicken, Laksa, Chicken Satay, and Mee Goreng, to name a few. I’m sure you would find a dish to satisfy your craving.

You have two options on how your orders will be taken. You can either opt to have a waiter take your order while you are seated or you can go directly to the counter and place your order with their cheerful staff. 🙂 I suggest the latter, so you can see photos of their signature specialty dishes. It’s a great help in choosing. Of course, that’s an advice for the fickle-minded and first timers like moi! 🙂

Now, on to all the dishes that were served up that night. First was the Chicken Satay, strips of chicken marinated, skewered and grilled then served with peanut sauce for the ultimate taste sensation. I have to say the chicken is very succulent and flavorful. For the peanut sauce, I think it was a little sweet but then it does complement the taste of chicken.

After that juicy treat, we decided to have a dip in another Singaporean classic, the Laksa.

I’ve had bowls of Laksa before but this one really captured my taste buds. Now, I’m really doing you readers a big favor ‘cause it is difficult to remember the taste without craving for it, but for the love of food, I’ll do it! 😀

Moving on, unlike the laksa I had before where there was some flavor that was too strong and simply overpowered the whole dish, this one is different. It was very light and well balanced. For me, it’s a refreshing treat. Those thick firm rice noodles in a rich broth with hints of flavors of lemon grass and coconut milk plus shrimps and tofu really go well into making a delicious laksa.

Next, we tried Orchard Road’s Singapore Fried Chicken served with sweet chili sauce. Do not underestimate this baby. You’d think it’s just another fried chicken dish, but hey, have a bite again and you’ll see. J The chicken was really crispy, I mean crrrrrrrisspppy. I was about to pre-judge the dish by saying that since it’s crispy on the outside, I bet it’s dry on the inside. But, I’ve never been happy to be proven wrong. The chicken was also juicy inside. The sauce was okay for a sweet chili though there was nothing too special about it. The chicken was good that my buddy Ken and I started craving for a bottle of beer and munch this baby to the bone.

Since I’m a fan of curry, I didn’t dare miss out on their Chicken Curry Noodles / Rice. With this dish you actually have the option to have it with rice or noodles. I chose noodles. The broth is thick and I was having second thoughts that it might be better that I had chosen rice J The chicken curry was good. It was spicy but just to the right note and it was packed with that rich authentic curry taste. Chicken was also tender.

I know, just from the presentation, this one is yummy. Iced Kacha for dessert, a tower of shaved ice topped with an assortment of syrup with corn in heavy cream. For me, it’s like an offspring of our own halo-halo. A different interpretation, but if you’re looking for something cold and sweet, this is a good alternative for those hot afternoons. 😀

My dining stroll at the Orchard Road in Megamall was indeed a different experience. It’s really wonderful to go out of the usual and try new food. So the next time you’re at Megamall and lazing around the weekend and you happen to pass by the Orchard Road, take that turn. 😉

 

This post was written by a friend and our contributor, Rhea Grace, a fellow foodie who’ll be joining the roster of food bloggers VERY SOON! 🙂