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Swensen’s – A Tex-Mex (In)Experience

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I fell in love with Mexican food during my Dallas trip back in November. Tex-mex food, to be more precise. That’s Mexican cuisine with a texan twist! I love the spice, the rich flavors, and the multitude of vivid colors that turn Tex-Mex dishes into plates of art!

Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any good Mexican food in Singapore! Okay, I know I’m probably not making a fair statement since the only Mexican place here I’ve checked out is Café Iguana (which is more of a bar than a restaurant). But I spoke with a Mexican person who’s a permanent resident living in Singapore, and he concurred.

Currently at the swensen’s restaurants, local celebrity couple allan wu and wong li lin have rolled out a series of new dishes, including — surprise, surprise — a Tex-Mex dish! While knowing that it’s unlikely to be good, I was still curious enough to try it out (with lukewarm enthusiasm).

Tex-Mex Fish

Tex-Mex Fish
SGD14.90 (includes soup of the day and lime juice soda)++

This Tex-Mex dish was quite simply fish with chips. Taste-wise, it was very bland! The grilled fish fillet tasted like any regular unseasoned fish and was severely lacking in flavor! If not for the little chili symbol on the menu, I wouldn’t even have realised that this was meant to be a spicy dish!

The tomato salsa set atop the fish was slightly crunchy and watery. It was supposed to be spicy but again, I detected no spice! Then, there’s the bean salad that formed the bed of the dish. That, I barely touched, because it looked to me like whole beans that had been boiled in water. Certainly not very enticing!

By any standards this had been a disappointing dish, even if it wasn’t meant to be Tex-Mex.

Aesthetics-wise, I thought it definitely didn’t make the cut. Look at these authentic Tex-Mex dishes I had in Dallas and you’ll see what I mean.

Tacos

Ernesto's Special

Colorful Mexican dish

Breaded shrimp served with rice and corn tortillas

Swensen’s has certainly not done any justice to the tasty and colorful Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisines! Is there no decent Mexican food in Singapore?

How about the following Mexican restaurants:

- cha cha cha (holland village)
- el patio (also holland village, but I heard it’s no good)
- chico’s and charlies (orchard parade hotel)
- margarita’s (East Coast)

Does anyone have any feedback or recommendations on any of these?

Swensen’s (

Halal certified)
Various outlets
www.swensens.com.sg

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About the Author

Veron Ang is the founder and chief editor of Sparklette. She lives in Singapore and has dined and traveled across the world. She also runs Sparklette Studio, a web design and WordPress development firm. If you'd like to connect with her, head on over to the contact page or follow her personal updates on Twitter: @VeronSG.

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15 responses

Leave your comment

Mai
April 10, 2007

Cha cha cha in Holland village is not that bad and I think you should give it a try (at least the presentation of the dishes look like those you had in Dallas lol). I found most of the dishes a bit “dry” though. Maybe because we didn’t choose the right ones. I remember I was disppointed by the Churros though. Way to hard to chew !
Reply
Veron
April 10, 2007

Awesome! I am a sucker for food that looks impressive. Cha Cha Cha has been added to my “list”! (Unless anyone follows up with negative feedback about the place.)
Reply
vistor
April 10, 2007

i thought magaritas was pretty decent. i remember something about an appetizer relating to shrimps. the service there was good too, they seem real sincere when recommending dishes and even check on you after that to make sure its ok. you could try it!
Reply
Veron
April 10, 2007

Wow, that’s another place to add to my “list”! A pity it’s in the East though, quite out of the way for me.
Reply
Keropok Man
April 10, 2007

hmm Swensen’s to me in Ice Cream only. food, i rather have it elsewhere :-)
Reply
Veron
April 10, 2007

For me, it’s the other way round. Yeah, yeah, I know most people go there for the desserts. But somehow I don’t really fancy the ice cream. On the other hand, I really dig those rodeo wings!
Reply
Keropok Man
April 11, 2007

I love the volcano! order all the different kind of chocolate toppings and chocolate icecream, like choc overdose.

rodeo wings. have you tried the famous buffalo wings from Jerry’s at the ulu ulu place… hehe…
Reply
Aristocrat
April 11, 2007

I am sad that you seem to have forgotten something – where did you had your last Tequila Rose?
Reply
Veron
April 11, 2007

Awww I did mention Cafe Iguana. But really, I’ve tried the food and found that it’s a place more for drinks. In fact, it’s the only place, out of so many that I’ve gone to, where the bartender doesn’t give me a “huh?” look when I ask for Tequila Rose!
Reply
Aristocrat
April 11, 2007

Lol. My bad. A ctrl+f told me where was it. Guess doing essays through the night wasn’t such a good idea after all.

Hmm. More of a bar? Maybe. Dang, now I’m craving for some chimichangas. (btw I don’t work there anymore).
Reply
anon
April 11, 2007

hmm.. i thought magarita’s is at faber drive??
Reply
Veron
April 12, 2007

I think there are two of it!
Reply
Ode
August 15, 2007

Found Cha Cha Cha to be a major disappointment. Food choices are dismal marginally “authentic” with small portions. Eat in a real Mexican restaurant and you will see. Even Taco Bell is better and they suck. Was even “service charged” for a drink I fetched from the bar myself!!! Very petty.
Reply
ella
August 23, 2007

i have eaten at El Patio Mexican Restaurant and it was very very nice. The presentaion of the food is perfect and the portions are huge. Well worth the price. The Margaritas i drank were good. I could tast the tequilla in it. The staff are very efficient. Always hovering around to see that you are not forgotten. The taste is very Tex Mex but very delicious. This is one place to try.
Reply
melo
February 2, 2008

that looks so good
Reply