Burgering at Swensen’s

Barbequed Chicken Mushroom burger @ Swensens (Plaza Singapura)

One of those things that the both of us have always wondered is this: is Swensen’s a local startup or what? This chain of family restaurants has been in Singapore for as long as I can remember, and while its number of outlets aren’t as many as say Sakae Sushi, the chain has still been generally regarded by locals as having great ambiance, decor, good ice-cream, at so-so prices. It’s also a popular date restaurant; certainly for myself during my dating years.:) Whoops that’s Ling giving me that withering look again.:)

Seriously; the both of us were in the town area on Friday evening just a few nights ago to catch a 10:10 p.m. screen of Letters from Iwo Jima at The Cathay. The screening turned out to be a dud. There were “technical faults” 2 minutes into the movie, and after 30 minutes when the theatre projectionists still couldn’t rectify the problem, theatre management got out, apologized and gave every one in the audience two complimentary tickets for every stub. We eventually caught the movie at the same time the following evening, which I may just provide a commentary on later in the week.

Back to dinner; Ling had the Chicken Baked Rice, and myself a Barbequed Chicken Mushroom burger. The burger and accompanying items certainly look smaller than I remember it, and it didn’t make for a very filling meal. There were few fries, the bowl of coleslaw small enough to finish in two gulps, and the burger size was underwhelming for a hungry man like me. The mushrooms were very thinly sliced and ultimately were too trivial for it to matter as part of the set. The chicken patty was magnificent though: rightly juicy, with great flavor. So, not quite sure what to make of it. OK taste, but not very good value for money.

  • Food: 7 / 10
  • Value: 2.5 / 5
  • Overall: 3.2 / 5. Maybe it’s time for a trip to Botak Jones again soon.