A frozen meal may be the best source of comfort when you're stuck at work or back home late after a long day. Here's a review of 7 frozen meal options available at your nearest supermarket.
MRS MAC’S CRISPY MICROWAVE BEEF AND CHEESE PIE
WHAT WE LIKED: The filling was tasty. The minced beef complemented the cheese well and had a proper bite. The amount of cheese was just right – just enough to have a presence, but not too overwhelming, and it didn't have a runny texture which is a plus. The pie was quite big too, so it was a filling meal.
WHAT COULD BE BETTER: If you like your crust doughy, then the dense crust wouldn’t be a problem. But I preferred my pie crust to be a bit flakier and less thick.
DINNER READY IN: 3min and 30sec
CALORIES: 560kcal
PRICE: $3.30
CP SHRIMP WANTON WITH NOODLES IN TOM YUM SOUP
WHAT WE LIKED: There were three big prawn dumplings in this dish. Prawns tasted fresh, while the dumpling skins were smooth, thin yet were able to hold the prawns well. The tom yum also tasted pretty close to the real thing.
WHAT COULD BE BETTER: Sadly, the noodles were more instant noodles than thin egg noodles.
DINNER READY IN: 3min
CALORIES: 339
PRICE: $3.95 at Fairprice
TOP CHOICE LAKSA LASAGNE
WHAT WE LIKED: The full and rich laksa flavour. The coconut aroma was there, and the flavour went surprisingly well with the lasagne.
WHAT COULD BE BETTER: It was just a bit too salty. The top layer of cheese was also really hard and brittle. But the rest of the dish underneath was cheesy. I would have liked the laksa to be a bit more spicy.
DINNER READY IN: 10min
CALORIES: 460kcal
PRICE: $4.20 at Fairprice
SUNSHINE BLACK PEPPER CHICKEN PIE
WHAT WE LIKED: The crust was flaky and almost buttery.
WHAT COULD BE BETTER: It was much too salty! The filling was more peppery unidentified mush than black pepper chicken.
DINNER READY IN: 2min
CALORIES: 366kcal
PRICE: $3.75 at Fairprice
CP EVERYDAY BREADED FISH IN TAMARIND SAUCE WITH JASMINE RICE
WHAT WE LIKED: I had no expectations for frozen rice, but the rice was surprisingly good! It was fragrant and had a great texture – it wasn’t gummy so you could taste each grain of rice. The fish wasn't a pretty sight to look at, but they were decent and I liked the sweet tamarind sauce that they were soaked in.
WHAT COULD BE BETTER: The fish could have been fuller with more meat in them.
DINNER READY IN: 3min
CALORIES: 609kcal
PRICE: $4.50
ARUMI JAPCHAE SPICY KOREAN STYLE VEGETABLE PASTA
WHAT WE LIKED: Unfortunately, we couldn’t find anything we really liked about this dish. But it is the only one that is vegetarian.
WHAT COULD BE BETTER: Noodles were too soft and not springy enough, while the vegetables were dry and tasteless. The only thing that had flavour were the sauces – unfortunately, the mix of sweet and spicy felt a bit too artificial for our liking.
DINNER READY IN: 4min 30sec
CALORIES: 206kcal
PRICE: $4.80 at Fairprice
CP GLASS NOODLES WITH BAKED SHRIMPS
WHAT WE LIKED: There were three shelled prawns underneath the noodles. Prawns were fresh, although just a bit dry. Noodles were perfectly springy.
WHAT COULD BE BETTER: The taste of coriander was slightly overpowering. And the coriander bits were too dry and hard.
DINNER READY IN: 4min
CALORIES: 440kcal
PRICE: $4.50 at Fairprice
Article by Ho Pei Ying, originally appeared in SimplyHer.
Opening image: 123rf.com