Tenderbest Makcik Tuckshop has been open for quite a while now, having replaced the KFC drive-thru that was located at this site for the longest time, but we did not come by immediately, waiting instead for the hype to die down. XD There are many parking lots available out front, likely because there’s also a golf driving range here. <- I didn’t think much of it till we were leaving the carpark and I noticed a golf ball next to our car. My darling made a comment about how, thankfully, no rogue balls hit our car. (So, drivers, do take note ya?) Inside tenderbest, the decor is on point lah. Very, very chio indeed.
As it was our first visit, and we didn’t do any “homework” before coming by, we simply looked through the extensive menu and picked two items: Prawn Arrabbiata ($9.90+ for me) and Meatball Pizza Rice ($13.90+ for him) which is basically meatballs on cheese baked rice. I also ordered a Lychee Nojito (yup, not mojito) that cost $3.90+ and it was a BRILLIANT choice! 
Here’s the pasta… it looks a bit like it’s meant for kids, in terms of the kid-ish plating, messy presentation and upside-down garnish:
When I first saw the meatball baked rice, I immediately spotted the strand of hair. Hmm… my eyesight’s quite good ah…
And if you can’t see it clearly, here’s a close-up:
Because it was partially stuck under all that cheese, we figured it was baked together with everything else so erm… should be safe to eat lah. Otherwise, if anything happens, we’ll just have to notify SFA about gastroenteritis or the like, similar to what happened to the 17 people who dined at Burger & Lobster in Jewel Changi (Google for the news article if you haven’t read it).
The chicken meatballs were decent. Quite enjoyable actually. You can also order them as a main served with potato salad (8 meatballs for $12.90+, 12 meatballs for $15.90+).
The lychee nojito was such a good choice because it was delightful, refreshing, and not too sweet. Also, the cup is BIG! For $3.90+ GST, it’s really worth it. Good for 2 to share. There’s also Watermelon Nojito, Screwpine Nojito (pandan, agar agar, fresh lime and mint), Blue Passion Nojito (passion fruit, orange, lychee, fresh lime and mint), and Toasted Rose Nojito (rose, toasted almond, lychee, fresh lime and mint).
And yes, there’s a Cat & the Fiddle outlet here. I picked the Musang Fury (which is burnt MSW Durian) and paid $7.90 for one really tiny slice that came straight out of the freezer. The lady put it in the microwave oven for a bit, took it out and realised it’s still pretty hard, asked if I could accept if it’s not quite soft (I didn’t), and she put it back into the oven for a few more seconds.
Well… not very good choice. Two reasons: (1) I wanted to share it with my darling but he was unappreciative and said he doesn’t fancy durian by-products – I suppose he assumed some low-grade MSW puree went into making this cheesecake, and (2) the lady’s blue gloved hand used to collect cash from me also (I think) probed the cheesecake to check if it was soft/defrosted enough. Sigh. As mentioned earlier, we’ll just eat lah. If we’re unfortunate enough to get gasteoenteritis then it’s off to the hospital and contacting SFA.
Next time I visit, I think I’ll skip the cheesecake. It’s a pity that the cheesecakes are all frozen. But I guess you can get waffles and soft serve instead. (I don’t actually know if the waffles are of the frozen variety too but you can certainly check with the staff first. Hopefully it’s made to order.) Otherwise, you can get soft serve in a cone.
Next time, I might try their Laksa Prawn Spaghetti ($10.90+) / Turkey Ham & Eggs Benedict* ($15.90+) / Brekkie Laksa* ($8.90+).
*Breakfast is from 8.30am to 11am!
Tenderbest is at 60 Punggol East, Singapore 828825.
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And since my darling asked me whether I though Tenderbest was better than our recent dining experience at Good Bites (Bishan)… I’ll review that too:
Nuggets + drink $6.99++
But there were certainly a lot of fries!
This meal for 2 cost $47.05! Meanwhile, our lunch at tenderbest cost $35.60 (inclusive of cheesecake). *Tenderbest doesn’t have service charge (so you pick up your food when the buzzer sounds) and you can save on that 10%. However, Good Bites offers complimentary water, and you don’t have to leave your seat to get it.
If I had to pick one of these two places to return for a meal, I’d go for Tenderbest. XD Though there may be the occasional strand of hair in our food, or flying golf balls outside, it does seem to offer good value for money, hearty meals that won’t put a hole in your wallet (if you skip the cheesecake).