There’s a restaurant at Geylang Bahru that I’ve been meaning to dine at, but I haven’t done so yet because it looks like an “atas” restaurant, the kind I don’t usually go to. The restaurant is called Tenderbest! For those who don’t know what “atas” means, it’s a local slang for “fancy.” Of course, it’s not fine-dining-level fancy, but it’s definitely a few notches above the usual hawker centres I frequent for my everyday meals.
That’s the reason why, until now, I haven’t dined at this restaurant. However, yesterday I accidentally discovered one of their branches in the Bishan area, and this one is located inside a hawker centre! They occupy one of the stalls there, which really surprised me because I never thought an “atas” restaurant like this would also venture into the hawker-style setup. After all, competition in hawker centres is tough, and it’s not an easy place to run a business.
At first, I thought I was mistaken, but the recognizable Tenderbest signage confirmed it was real. So, I didn’t hesitate, I went inside the hawker centre, looked through their menu, and decided to try the Chicken Meatballs Spaghetti Bolognese!
With so many tempting dishes on their menu, I wanted to order more, but unfortunately, I had just eaten a snack before this accidental discovery. So, I could only manage one dish for now.
I really liked the chicken meatballs, surprisingly, they tasted just as good as beef meatballs! Although I still prefer the beef version, the chicken ones were perfectly fine too. The texture was spot on: tender, bouncy, and firm, just like beef meatballs. The spaghetti and sauce were also really good. I appreciated the subtle flavor of the sauce since I’m not a fan of overly seasoned or, worse, artificially flavored sauces made from pre-mixes. This one tasted authentic, the real deal, and I enjoyed slurping it up with a spoon (LOL).
What made the experience even better was enjoying such good food in a hawker centre vibe. It might sound odd to some people, but for me, it was a great experience. I love the casual hawker atmosphere, and the fact that Tenderbest could serve such quality food in that setting made my dinner even more enjoyable.
Overall, this unexpected encounter with Tenderbest at a hawker centre turned out to be a delightful surprise. It reminded me that good food doesn’t always have to come from fancy-looking places, sometimes the best finds are right where you least expect them. I’ll definitely be returning soon, maybe with an emptier stomach, to try more of their dishes next time!
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