Many of you may have noticed that Vivocity has some what underwent a revamp of its food and beverage tenants with the introduction of several new restaurants such as Bornga, Jamie's Italian and The Chop House. The famed Malaysian Nasi Lemak chain, Madam Kwan has also moved across the causeway and opened its flagship oversea store in Vivocity Singapore. I was there one evening with fellow blogging friends from RERG, PinkyPiggu and FoodieFC to check out the place.
Curry Fish Head 3.5/5
One of the reasons why we are at Madam Kwan is to try the Curry Fish Head ($49). For the price we are paying, its quite a big pot of curry with lady fingers, brinjal and Tau Pok. We checked with the waiter and understand the pot of curry was cooked the same way it is done in Malaysia except that the chilli paste is different due to some ingredient import requirement. When we tasted the curry broth, all of us has that puzzled look at one another. The curry broth is something that is new to our palate and not the usual curry we have in Singapore. I am lost of words to describe it but it may take a while for the local palate to accept it. However, the noteworthy was the Tau Pok. The huge as a fishball Tau Pok not only was crisp on the outside but it still had that soft spongy interior bite to it.
Madam Kwan's Nasi Lemak 4.2/5
Finally I have a taste of the most expensive Nasi Lemak. Madam Kwan's Nasi Lemak ($13.90) is served with 2 pieces of curry chicken, cucumber, sambal ikan bilis, acar, dried shrimp floss and hard boiled egg. The accompanying sides are noteworthy and tasty in its own right but the star has to be the rice. The rice was fluffy and beautifully fragrant by the aromatic coconut milk which was so good that I can eat it all by itself.
Nasi Bojari 4.5/5
Even though I have not been to Madam Kwan's Malaysia outlet, I have already heard much about the tri-coloured rice created by Madam Kwan herself. I am glad that the group ordered the Nasi Bojari ($18.90) which comes with the tri-coloured rice, assam prawns, shredded beef redang and a huge chicken drumstick. The drumstick was fried to a nice crisp on the skin but still tender and juicy inside. While the assam prawn was lip smacking, the shredded beef redang was missing that wholesome chunky enjoyment.
Chicken Satay 4/5
Beef Satay 2.8/5
Between the Chicken Satay ($11.90) and Beef Satay ($13.90), the clear favourite is the chicken satay. The chicken satay was well marinated and succulent. The flavour was further accentuated by the nutty dipping sauce. On the other hand, the beef satay was dry and tough.
Otak Otak 4/5
While there was mixed opinion among the group about the Otak Otak ($15.90), I enjoyed the thick slab of fish paste which was not mushy. Chunks of fish meat lends a delectable bite to the otak otak which was also not too spicy.
Curry Laksa 2.8/5
It seems like Curry Laksa ($11.90) used the same base of the curry fish head. The curry broth was not as flavourful compared to the curry fish head. It lacked that spicy lemak kick that I have grown up to associate with.
Although the portion served at Madam Kwan is bigger in portion compare to what you can get at hawker, I still cannot get over that fact that it is so pricey for hawker fare. Yes it comes with better quality ingredients and air conditioned dining environment but hawker food are meant to be affordable. I walked away asking myself whether I will return. Probably yes for the Nasi Bojari but definitely not so soon.
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Madam Kwan
Vivocity
1 Harbourfront Walk
#01-152/154
Singapore 098585
Tel: +65 62719989
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madamkwans
Nearest MRT: Harbourfront (CC Line, NE Line)
Opening Hours:
Daily: 10am - 10pm
Direction:
1) Alight at Harbourfront MRT station. Take Exit C or E. Walk to Vivocity Level 1. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]
