Tenderbest Makcik Tuckshop Review: New Fusion Restaurant In Sengkang With Riverside Views

Tenderbest Makcik Tuckshop opens at Sengkang Riverside Park

Finally, there’s another reason to make a trip up the North-East Line (NEL) worth it. Tenderbest Makcik Tuckshop has recently opened a new outlet at Sengkang Riverside Park!

Tenderbest Makcik Tuckshop is famous for their affordable, homely tuckshop-style food. Their menu is pretty extensive too, ranging from nasi lemak to fried chicken, pasta and salads. With their Sengkang outlet located near my house, I was excited to check out what they had to offer. 

Food at Tenderbest Makcik Tuckshop

We started with their signature nasi lemak, affectionately termed Sedap Lemak, where sedap is Malay for delicious. Looking through the different variations on the coconut rice dish, the Roasted Tom Yum Leg Sedap Lemak ($10.90) caught my eye. The set stars a huge tom yum-marinated chicken leg atop nasi lemak rice, with half a lava egg, anchovies, peanuts, and achar on the side.

I appreciated that the chicken meat was tender and succulent, with a piquant spice that added a depth of flavour. It was a tad unfortunate, however, that the tom yum flavour was too spicy for me. As someone who doesn’t do too well with spice, I’d consider the other nasi lemak options during my next visit, such as the Teriyaki Chicken Chop Sedap Lemak ($9.90) or Crispy Chicken Wings Sedap Lemak ($8.90). 

Next, we tried the Laksa Prawn Spaghetti ($10.90), which features peeled prawns and pasta in a creamy, laksa-based sauce. 

To my pleasant surprise, the sauce was only lightly tinged with spice, and had an aromatic hei bee fragrance. The pasta was cooked al dente, which gave some textural contrast with the prawns. My only gripe is that the laksa cream was a little thin, so it didn’t coat the thick spaghetti as well as I would have liked.

Tenderbest Makcik Tuckshop is well-known for their thin crust pizzas, with a plethora of flavours to pick from. Just as my colleague and I were spoiled for choice, the service staff recommended the Half-Half Pizza ($17.90), where we could pick any two flavours of our choice. 

We started with the classic Hawaiian. The pizza came slathered with house-made tomato sauce, then topped with pineapple slices, chicken ham, capsicum and mozzarella cheese. It had a good combination of sweet and savoury, which I enjoyed. 

We also tried Truffle Mushroom, which I enjoyed best of the two flavours we had. The pizza uses truffle cream sauce as its base, and drizzled with a generous amount of truffle oil for a rich aroma. The mushrooms also added earthy, umami notes to the pizza, which made it incredibly moreish.

Some of the exclusive snacks offered here include Six Pieces TrioCheese Sticks ($7.90), which stars cheese sticks in three different flavours: Truffle, Garlic Pepper and Pizzeria. 

We recommend starting with these first, as the sticks get stodgy and the cheese hardens as they cool. The special chilli lime sauce on the side was a welcome addition too. Dip your cheese sticks into the sauce for an extra spicy, tangy kick. 

I was enticed by the Sizzling Caramelised ($9.90), which features goreng pisang AKA banana fritters on a sizzling hotplate, topped with an ice cream and drizzled with caramel sauce. 

On first impression, the goreng pisang seemed promising with its novel concept. Its exterior was crispy, while the banana within remained soft and sweet. However, I found the batter too greasy-tasting, and the caramel sauce too sweet, which resulted in a clash of strong flavours. 

If you’re looking for beverages to quench your thirst, Tenderbest Makcik Tuckshop offers a variety of drinks such as fruit juice, nojito, coffee and more.

For something refreshing, go for their Iced Macchiato ($5.90), which sees fresh robust espresso made with Japanese premium milk. Their macchiato comes in various flavours, including Creme Brulee, Toasted Rose, Smokey Caramel, and even Chendol. 

Ambience at Tenderbest Makcik Tuckshop

Located next to the scenic Sengkang Riverside Park, Tenderbest Makcik Tuckshop is brightly lit and spacious, with both indoor and outdoor seating areas. Don’t worry about mosquitoes if you’re dining outdoors; the store has citronella plants around the store to repel them. 

There’s also an old-school ice cream bicycle cart located outside the store, where you can get Potong Ice Cream ($2.50) and Ice Cream Cups ($1.50). Keep your ears peeled for  the ringing of the ice cream man’s bell—just like the good ol’ days. 

Tenderbest Makcik Tuckshop at Sengkang Riverside Park is located two LRT stops away from Sengkang MRT Station, followed by a five-minute walk from Farmway LRT Station. 

The verdict

While Tenderbest Makcik Tuckshop’s newest outlet at Sengkang Riverside Park might not be the most accessible for most, it’s still a great place to visit if you’re looking for a scenic place to chill while having good food. Not only is their menu comprehensive, their food is halal-certified too. Be sure to check them out for a relaxing dine-in-the-park experience!

For more grub in the neighbourhood, read our Sengkang food guide. Alternatively, check out our restaurants in parks guide for more scenic dining experiences. 

Address: 50 Anchorvale Street, Sengkang Riverside Park, Singapore 544834
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 11am to 10:30pm, Sat-Sun 8:30am to 10:30pm
Website
Tenderbest Makcik Tuckshop is a halal-certified eatery.

Photos taken by Tan Jia Hui.
This was a media tasting at Tenderbest Makcik Tuckshop.