Makanista Review: Okonomiyaki Prata, Curry Chicken Pasta And More At Tampines

As a Northie, I don’t even think of the East when I’m going out – if not for this tasting, I probably won’t have stepped foot into Tampines Mall at all. But as it were, I was introduced to Makanista , a dining space that’s something like a classy food court, with four different food stands with familiar names such as Chicken Rice and Western .

Food at Makanista First up, we tried the Chicken Rice Combo Meal – Duo ($16.50) , a huge sharing platter with a two-people portion of fragrant chicken rice. In addition to the usual choices of poached chicken and roasted chicken, you can choose more adventurous flavours such as ma la and Thai chilli.

Of course, the stars of the show were definitely the Thai chilli and ma la chicken. In both cases, the chicken was tender and springy, and had me reaching for the next piece while I was still chewing!

I’m a sucker for the oily fragrance of chicken rice, but in this case, there was barely any taste in it at all. If you’re having the spicy chicken, it makes sense for the rice to serve as an accompaniment to the heavily seasoned meat, but those having the poached chicken might find the rice too bland.

Turns out that in addition to curry powder, turmeric and coconut milk, whipped cream was added for the sauce to thoroughly coat the pasta. The mildly spicy curry sauce added a kick to what would have been a heavy, creamy sauce, and I felt like I could go on forever with this dish!

With its al dente pasta coated with signature sauce, huge, tender chicken chunks that all but slipped apart in my mouth. Onion slices thick enough to soak up the sauce while remaining crunchy, I must say that I was thoroughly impressed by this dish. The Beef Hamburg and Fries ($10.90) is a sinfully indulgent main, with a pile of french fries forming the base, and a large beef patty and sunny side up resting comfortably on top.

The egg was just the right amount of runny, and, once cut open, soaked the patty and the fries in rich, silky yolk. Let me bring your attention to this underrated side dish, found at the Yong Tau Foo stall: Bakwan Sayor ($2.80) , or the signature Indonesian vegetable fritter.

While coating the fritters in the sauce softened the crunch, it also elevated the depth of taste with its own sweet and spicy taste. Having tasted a great many dishes up to this point, I was sure that I’d have no room left for the Okonomiyaki Prata ($7) from Prata & Desserts .

Stuffed with shredded carrots and cabbage, cheese and egg are added to complete the prata. On the other hand, the creamy mayonnaise and sweet okonomiyaki sauces drizzled on top of the prata worked well to complement each other, and the topping of salty-sweet bonito flakes further added a dimension of taste that became addictive. This dish, the Peanut Butter and Jam Prata ($2.80) , answered that question for me.

Until 20 May , you can pay $7.90 for the Beef Hamburg and Fries (U.P. $10.90) , and $12.90 for the Chicken Rice Combo Meal (U.P. $16.50) . The verdict Tampines isn’t really in the way for me, but I’d definitely keep this place in mind if I happen to be in the area.