Living Menu Review - Cheap & Good Western Fare

It is pretty uncommon to see Mini Buffet catering for Western cuisine but Living Menu has got that covered for you! Sit back, relax and enjoy at your gathering while entrusting the task of changing up the typical Chinese dishes all to them!  If you’re an avid foodie, you’ll be able to relate to the sheer excitement I felt when I saw boxes after boxes of sumptuous Western dishes being laid out on the table and ready to be devoured.  

At Living Menu, they believe that their food is more than what’s on the plate. Your mini party could just be in need of a Western Caterer just like them! 

These were the 5 items that Living Menu have sent to us for tasting: 

1. Aglio Olio stir-fried with Chinese pickles & prawns 
2. Tomato rice cooked with vegetables 
3. Cauliflower in creamy white bechamel sauce & caramelised mozzarella cheese 
4. Spring chicken glazed with Soy sauce 
5. Pan-seared sea bass with creamy corn paste 

Read on to hear our honest opinions about these dishes!  

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1. Aglio Olio Stir-fried with Chinese pickles & prawns

I would have to give it to Living Menu for this particular dish because I’ve never been a fan of Aglio Olio. For all the Aglio Olio dishes that I’ve tasted out there, there was never a good balance of olive and garlic, some could be far too garlic-ky for my liking. I feel that a good plate of Aglio Olio lies in the right amount of “Aglio” and “Olio” used and I was totally enjoying this one from Living Menu. To localize this Italian dish, Chinese pickles have been added for a more flavourful, sweet and a slightly tart taste to the originally already savoury dish.  

There was a strong prawn taste in the spaghetti noodles, so this dish probably won’t be a suitable one for those who don’t enjoy food with strong seafood-y flavour. This was a rather appetizing dish overall!  

Rating: 4/5 

2. Tomato Rice cooked with vegetables

Judging from the colour of the dish, I thought there would be an evident tangy tomato taste in the rice but the tomato taste actually came out rather mild. This dish would perhaps suit those who have a light palate. Speaking as a person who likes full and strong flavoured dishes, this rice dish came off relatively bland to me. It was a really light-flavoured dish – what some might call a “simple fare”. I believe adding more tomatoes or spices could probably enhance this dish. What I suggest doing; is to pair this dish with the fish or chicken (which I’ll talk about later on) to give a little boost in the flavour.  

Rating: 3/5

3. Cauliflower in creamy white Bechamel sauce topped with caramelised Mozzarella Cheese

Nothing says low carb comfort food like this cauliflower in Bechamel sauce and cheese. The baked mozzarella cheese on the top left the cauliflowers caramelized on the outside while keeping the inside soft and a little crunchy. The addition of white Bechamel sauce and cheese could be really rich and creamy after having quite a fair share of it, but I still managed to taste the natural sweetness retained inside the cauliflower! It was slightly drying towards the end of having this dish so it might have been better had more sauce been included for this dish!  

Rating: 3.5/5 

4. Spring Chicken glazed with Soy sauce

These chicken bites were slightly sweeter than what I expected of a Soy Sauce chicken. Nonetheless, I still took great delight in the slightly crispy outer layer of the chicken (which I am certain would be crispier if not for the photoshoot).  Crispy and tender chicken pieces tossed in a sweet-salty soy sauce glaze with a little addition of tanginess, just yummy! These well-marinated chicken bites were bursting with flavours, with soy sauce seeped thoroughly through each piece of chicken. This dish will definitely make up for the lack of flavours in the Tomato rice and would absolutely make a good combination! 

Rating: 4.5/5

5. Pan-seared Sea Bass with Creamy Corn paste

Pan-seared sea bass is a common favourite of many. It is a simple way to cook sea bass where its skin crisps up over the pan, adding flavour and texture to the finished dish. The fish was well-seasoned, and it was flavourful even if you have it on its own without the sauce. With the pairing of the creamy corn paste, it was indeed a unique mix – I never thought fish could go so well with a creamy corn base. There were bits of corn that added textures to the otherwise smooth, creamy sauce and had obvious hints of “corn”. I was in fact, surprised at how the thick creamed sauce managed to complement the savoury fish so well and made it an overall very palatable dish.  

Rating: 4/5  

Localized dishes to suit the palates of the locals and serving you a unique, tantalizing meal. That definitely sounds like what Living Menu is capable of! 

Price: $12/pax
Min pax: 17 

Hesitate no more! Get it now HERE!
*Information accurate as of 22 July 2019.