For this year's National Day, it seems that more eateries have come up with nationalistic offerings to celebrate the occasion. So here, we bring to you a list of delicious National Day themed food items that are relatively accessible, coming from brands like Old Chang Kee and Starbucks! If you haven't got plans for Thursday, you might find this article useful. After all, what is a birthday celebration without a lot of food?!
Old Chang Kee
Chilli Crab' O
This little one packs a lot of flavour and there are real shreds of crab meat in it. The puff pastry itself is similar to the their signature curry puff in terms of texture but with a slightly sweeter taste. We wouldn't say this is impressive... but perhaps we wouldn't mind having a second one?
Price: $2.20 per piece, but they are currently running a 2 for $4 promotion
Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf
Taro Ice Blended
This tastes like the old school yam ice-blended drink from common bubble tea shops but one delightful step ahead. This blended beverage is smoother and popping candy is mixed into it so it occasionally surprises you with a fizzy sensation as you drink. So cute.
This beverage also comes in the hot version.
Price:
Small - $7.60
Regular - $8.40
Large - $9.40
They also have an Ondeh Ondeh cake and Pandan Gula Melaka Cake on their National Day menu that we haven't tried - those who tried, let us know what you think?
Burger King
Beef Rendang Burger
This makes an appearance every year and we can totally see why - the rendang sauce is appropriately sweet with a nice satay-curry spice flavour. The two layers of beef patties promises the best mouthfeel, and the simplicity in using only onions as side veggies helps to make it all about the rendang. No extras to steal the show.
Price: The meal starts from $7.95 and comes with fries and a drink.
Hainanese Tendergrill Chicken
Not sure what kind of chicken rice the food procurement team at Burger King eats but this certainly does not taste like chicken rice the way we know it. To us, it seems like an attempt to disguise their standard chicken thigh patty with sweet garlic sauce, which tasted weird on its own. But this is not us saying that it is a bad burger; it just does not meet the cut for a chicken rice burger. The patty was also a bit too dry (their competitor who clowns around does it better) but the extra chilli does pack a nice punch.
Price: Same as the beef rendang burger set - just get that instead.
Teh Tarik Pie
Taste wise, the filling was diabetic and tea fragrance was hardly detectable. Texture wise, eating the filling was like eating goo. Extra awful when eaten cold.
It's a straight no-go from us.
And on a separate note, service was terrible on our two visits to their outlets. It was as though they are out to make fast-food slow.
Price: $1
Starbucks Coffee
Shiok-Ah-Ccino Frappuccino
Shiok-Ah-Ccino is a National Day constant at Singapore's favourite coffee chain but the flavour differs every year. This year's is a blend of coconut rose syrup and milk which is then layered with brown sugar jelly. The blended beverage was pretty fragrant but coconut was hardly detectable. The brown sugar jelly at the bottom contrasts very much with the blended beverage - which tastes very much like bandung - but surprisingly the combination comes together pretty well.
However, some of us found it weird and wouldn't buy it again. Your thoughts?
Price: Goes from $7.90
"Mai Hum" Chicken Laksa Pie
The name made us cringe a bit but honestly, the filling tasted quite true to laksa - it has tau pok, fish cake, and curry leaves. However, we also found it a bit too salty so standby a glass of water.
Price: $5.90
"Sedap Lah" Pandan Gula Melaka Cake
Pandan sponge cake layered with gula melaka cream. Not bad at all! The slice we got was a bit dry but it's not a big issue; eating the cake together with the cream makes it better. The name is a bigger issue.
Other National Day specials by Starbucks Coffee include "Orh Orh" Kit Kat Chocolate Cake, "Tok Kong" Nestum Cake, and "Hiam Ah" Devil's Curry Pie. Names are all equally bad.
Price: $6.90
Toast Box
Chilli Crab Toast Sticks + Coco Foam Rose Drink
The chilli crab sauce was just right in spiciness and sweetness, comparable to an average tze char stall's standard. There was crab meat in the sauce and it went well with the accompanying toast sticks, which were crusty outside and fluffy inside. However, we wish the sauce had egg to add another depth of flavour and creaminess to it. :(
The rose drink was surprisingly good and not as sugary sweet as with most pink things. It tasted like bandung with a refreshing coconut twist to it. Goes quite well with the spicy chilli crab sauce.
Price: $6.60 per set
Matchaya
Rose Flavoured Soft Serve
Simply put, it tastes again like bandung but it delivers the thickness and creaminess that Matchaya's soft serves are known for. However, it got a bit too sweet towards the end so perhaps this is better for sharing.
Price: $6.90
Creamery Boutique
Ondeh-Ondeh Lava Cookie
Pandan cookie filled with a gula melaka lava core which oozes out when the server tops the cookie with ice cream at your table. VERY gimmicky but very good. Ondeh-ondeh everywhere. Is it our national flavour already?
By the way, each cookie is sold with a scoop of ice cream and you get to choose the flavour. We recommend the Secret Garden flavour, a blend of black tea and rose that goes surprisingly well with pandan and gula melaka.
Price: $8.90 for a lava cookie + ice cream set
Chilli Crab Lava Cookie
This is hard to imagine. A brownie cookie encasing chilli crab lava...what? For the ice cream choice, we thought the safest bet would be a savoury flavour, so we got the bacon ice cream to go with it. The components on their own were pretty tasty but together, this mix of flavors and textures was just weird. It wasn't awful but we just probably wouldn't go for a second serving. Funky.
Price: Same as above.
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Unfortunately, we couldn't try everything that came out for National Day, then again, we might have died of a bandung, gula melaka overdose if we did. Let us know if we missed out one of your favourites! Also, we compiled a list of the best National Day deals here so check it out!
Enjoy the public holiday and happy 53rd birthday, Singapore!
- JZ
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