Shop Reviews

Our last visit to Swensen's was a few years ago at another outlet. We were contemplating eating here. While browsing the menu, the server—didn't get his name, a young Chinese boy with glasses, probably a student—recommended a few nice dishes that made us want to dine in. The server who took our order was another young Malay boy, Zaky. He was patient and friendly in taking our orders. He was multitasking, taking orders, cashiering, and preparing desserts. He even apologized for sending our dessert a bit later because he was busy with cashiering (which I was aware of, because we were seated near the cashier). Food was great, still as good as it used to be. Definitely recommend dining here. It's not very crowded, but I can't speak for the weekends though.

Here's the lightly edited review: I feel we can be more patient and understanding as they iron out issues that come with opening a new outlet. This restaurant will see crowds because it's one of the fully running family restaurants in Plantation Plaza at the moment. Coming from a frequent patron at West Mall, we noticed they have not moved on to an iPad ordering system yet. (I attempted to redeem my vouchers before my orders were confirmed. Thanks to the manager for highlighting this.) The menu only looked slightly different, which meant that they changed it recently. I wanted to have baked fish meunière but couldn't find it under mains. The pizza is now called hand-stretched, closer to the one at Swensen's Unlimited, and no longer the one served on a ready-made base with a wooden serving board. Swensen's will always be a brand for Singaporean families, for both young and old, to gravitate to. Date of visit: 4 December

Labour Day was a fun outing date with two university alumni friends and me. They've been together for 11 years, and it's been 9 years since our 2016 graduation. And the easiest dinner was at Swensen's Plantation Plaza because it was new and quite a buzz. I decided to order their signature Sourdough 49ers Sandwiches Set, which came with Minute Maid Orange Juice and the Soup of the Day. The food was appetizing, with a good layer of juicy chicken and an oozy layer of cheese. It was so good that it filled my belly, and I completely devoured the whole set meal. The atmosphere was lively but not too noisy. Great meal, with interesting life-sharing conversations and wonderful laughter. A great night out, without a doubt.

Service was really poor. When we arrived, we stood outside for about 5 minutes even though there were available seats. No one acknowledged us. When a staff member finally came over, we requested to sit in the air-conditioned area, as we could see the table just needed a quick cleanup. Instead of a quick wait, however, we were left standing outside for another 15 minutes while two staff members very slowly cleaned the table. When we were finally seated, the table was still wet, and there were water droplets on one side of the sofa. It was a very bad start. Once the soup arrived, we wanted to request chilli and pepper, so we raised our hands multiple times. No one came. Two staff members walked past us, including the manager, and completely ignored us. Later, when our mains arrived, I asked for chilli, pepper, and cheese. The manager only brought chilli and pepper. At that point, I was too tired of their bad service to even chase after the missing item. As for the food: I had the dry laksa. It was okay, edible, but nothing special. Even the lime wasn’t cut, so I had to do it myself. My husband had the crispy chicken chop. It looked huge at first glance, but it was extremely thin. There was barely any meat in the middle; it was just skin and flour. Extremely disappointing. I know I can’t expect much from a budget restaurant (their prices are more affordable compared to many other places), but that doesn’t mean they should allow such bad service. Astons, for example, is similarly priced, and yet their service is so much better. Overall, the experience was underwhelming. Definitely not what I expected from Swensen’s. Honestly, I’d rather see Astons take over this space.

I visited Swensen’s at Plantation Plaza recently and found the food quality to be decent, but the service left a lot to be desired. When our waitress brought my wife’s burger, she tilted the plate too much and sent half the fries tumbling onto the table—not once, but twice (the second time with our fish & chips). It was awkward having to pick them up myself, and she never offered to help or replace them. To make matters worse, the BBQ sauce cup that came with the fries was dripping down the side, as if it had been carelessly filled and not wiped clean before serving. Small details like that really add up. The ice cream and overall menu selection are still what draw me here, so I’d give them another shot if service improves. Right now, though, it’s more of a “food over experience” kind of place. Three stars. Add-on: Overheard one of the waiters telling their colleague to hurry with cleaning the table because the couple queuing outside looked like they've not eaten for 10 years. Snarky comments should be private and away from the dining floor. This outlet really has a problem with service.

Here's the edited review: We had laksa pasta. It was nasty. The pasta had no taste, and the prawns were not fully cooked (close to raw). My photos show the prawn heads were still grey! I prefer the burger without all the nacho cheese drizzled all over it. The mushroom soup bread bowl was nice; the bread was warm and toasted.

Claypot Soup—A warm little gem bubbling in the heart of the neighbourhood. Dropped by this cosy spot and found a few hits worth slurping. Tried the frog leg soup—it’s alright, but leans on the bland side. Not bad, just not the star of the show. The real MVP? 麻油鸡. So. Damn. Delicious. Fragrant, warming, and full of that rich sesame oil flavour—an absolute must-try. Also had the 青龙菜—a bit on the salty side, but still tasty enough to clean the plate. Verdict: A comforting little claypot gem in a growing neighbourhood. Come for the 麻油鸡, and leave with a warm belly and a happy heart.

Service staff were welcoming and efficient. The ambiance was cozy and air-conditioned, with ceiling fans, but not too cold on a rainy day, so elderly guests sensitive to cold could still dine inside. They do provide outdoor seating, but it was raining. I ordered the small portion, not knowing what to expect. Thinking the portion might not be much, but I was wrong! The claypot was filled with chicken chunks that were surprisingly tender and moist, and the sauce wasn't too salty or sweet, pairing well with the white rice. The only thing that could be improved would be if the sesame oil flavor could be more pronounced, as the dish is sesame oil chicken after all. I ordered less spicy, but it still came quite spicy (peppered with chili padi), so perhaps if you have kids dining, just order non-spicy. Great value for the price paid, and I would recommend family members to come so that we can order a variety of their dishes to share. Definitely bringing my family here next time to gorge ourselves!

Good dish served in a claypot. Sesame chicken is nice. The Mala lotus roots with prawns were not good. The lotus root was dark in color, as if it had already oxidized. The prawns were hard, like leftovers from last night. Too spicy for me. The herbal sliced fish had a mild taste, but it was okay for me. The veggies were fine too. Overall, I would revisit, but skip the Mala.

Quite impressed with the food quality. The food was steaming hot and made with fresh ingredients. The pork liver was cooked just right. The soup was flavourful and brought boiling hot to the table. We managed to finish it all! We also signed up as members for a free drink.