Tenderfresh Classic
Tenderfresh (可爱鸡) which is synonymous with crispy fried chicken sold in coffee shops has come a long way since its inception as a single stall set up at the old Whitley Road Hawker Centre in 1979. While today it is a significantly sized entity in the F&B industry with numerous brands under its umbrella, including ToriGo, Tenderbest, TenderfreshXpress and TenderFresh Classic (the main focus of this review), it is still dedicated to keeping heartlanders happy and getting them to return for more with its ever expanding range of quality culinary creations priced most affordably.
Tenderfresh Classic is largely a bistro concept where Western, Italian and some derivatives of Japanese fare are consumed against a casual backdrop, typically in a shopping mall. From start to finish, the entire dining affair is pretty much self-servicing in nature; one makes payment at the cashier's for his selection of items from a menu, thereafter proceeding to collect both cutlery and food from the central kitchen when the allocated wireless buzzer goes into vibration mode. Despite having arrived during dinner hours and the place was seen thronging with hungry patrons, our orders were cobbled together in under 10 minutes.
Front Cover of TenderFresh Classic Menu
Open Sesame!
What knocked our socks off:
If anything, we were absolutely floored by the Laksa Prawn Spaghetti. The noodles were cooked al dente and coated in a creamy, mildly spicy sauce which made us slurp the strands in delight. Flanked by a small array of peeled prawns which were firm to the bite and authenticated by the dispersal of laksa leaves within, this non-soupy "interpretation" of a popular local favourite is one helluva winner.
Laksa Prawn Spaghetti ($9.90) And Potato Leek Soup ($3.30)
What didn't work out:
Perhaps we previously feasted on too much fried chicken, however the 2 piece set with fries and coleslaw just didn't tantalize like we expect it would. In fairness the meat was fall-off-the-bone tender and reasonably juicy, yet it was still a few significant inches away from being a blockbuster in the taste department. Troubleshooting the seasoning process possibly required? The unimpressive fries which could have easily been mistaken to derive from a batch cooked in some cheap canteen deep-fryer obviously didn't help things either.
2 Piece Fried Chicken With Fries And Coleslaw ($7.50)
While the chicken cutlet udon indeed featured a generously sized piece of breaded meaty delight, the udon noodles were drenched in an excessively viscous (and overwhelmingly sweet) Teriyaki sauce which left one considerably dehydrated in the aftermath.
Chicken Cutlet Udon ($10.90)
Note: Prices subject to change without prior notice. Kindly clarify with restaurant before visiting or ordering.
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Score: 7/10
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Editor's Note: Tenderfresh Classic has shuttered its operations at Kinex and Waterway Point.
Locations
| Our Tampines Hub | Northpoint City | ||
| 51 Tampines Avenue 4, | 930 Yishun Ave 2, | ||
| #01-102 | #B1-53 | ||
| Singapore 529684 | Singapore 769098 |
| Cheong Chin Nam Rd |
| 9 Cheong Chin Nam Road, |
| Singapore 599734 |
