On the days following the start of Chinese New Year, it can be quite a challenge to look for food because many stalls in hawker centres and/or coffee shops can be closed till the 4th day of CNY or even later. Unless you have cooked a huge CNY feast for your reunion meal and have abundance to last for a couple more days, you’d need to stock up extra food as a standby and ready meals are probably the easiest options.
Not long ago, I came across this locally-made brand of ready meal on Qoo10 that didn’t require refrigeration so it could be kept at normal room temperature.
It had the mark of approval from Health Promotion Board for being a healthier food choice because it had lower sodium, zero trans fat and was high in whole grains. Well, I ain’t much of a ready meal person because I prefer to eat fresh but this was interesting enough for me to want to try it and I’d read pretty good reviews about this curry one too so why not.
The curry and the rice were in separate packs. The plastic tray could be used as a plate to hold the rice and plastic fork and spoon were also provided.
Since I didn’t have a microwave at home, I soaked the packs in hot water for 5 minutes as per the packet instructions.
And voilà, here was my instant curry chicken rice. To my surprise, it actually tasted pretty good (and fresh) just like classic grandma’s home-cooking. Though it was out of a non-chilled box, the robust-tasting, thick and creamy curry still had its flavour preserved. The chicken (not dry!) and potato were also tender. Even the rice (a mix of basmati and brown rice) was al dente with a nice bite to it. Nothing was overdone or mushy.
So now it seems like ready meals can be equally nutritious and delicious. I really have to take my hat off to the people behind this food concept. What I really like about this product is how convenient and hassle-free it is to prepare the meal. Perfect to bring to the office for a quick lunch if you ain’t have time or on those days at home when you’re just too lazy to cook or when you’re eating alone, this would also be a good option. These food boxes need not be stored in the freezer and can be left in the pantry cupboard with your other dry goods and groceries so it makes them ideal to pack for travel as well. The only thing I’m skeptical about is that they claim the product doesn’t contain preservatives but if that’s really true, then how could it have lasted in a non-chilled condition? Amazing.
Well, if you’re interested to try this product, here’s the link to their store on Qoo10:
WWW.QOO10.SG
There are 3 different flavours: Curry Chicken, Black Pepper Chicken and Soy Ginger Chicken. Each pack retails for S$6.90 or you can make a bulk purchase of 5 packs at S$33.90 that also includes free delivery. If you’ve always been a Qoo10 user, then it’s better to make purchase via their Qoo10 store as you can make use of coupons and/or Q-points for more savings.
Alternatively, they do accept orders via their website: https://www.foodbox.sg
Do note I’m not affiliated with FoodBox so please contact them directly if you have questions about the product. 🙂