Eating out at student-staffed restaurants: Are they any good?
The TL;DR: This festive season, the TLDR team visited two training restaurants to see if these student-staffed eateries are worth checking out for a good meal.
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
The duck leg confit is a premium main with a top-up of $4 at Shatec's The Sapling training restaurant.
ST PHOTO: DILLON LOH
Follow topic:
If you are meeting up with friends for a meal during the festive season, some places to consider may be training restaurants run by institutions. We checked out Shatec’s The Sapling Restaurant, as well as Nanyang Polytechnic’s L’Rez restaurant to see how they fare.
The Sapling
By: Shatec
Making a reservation: It was easy through booking platform Quandoo. However, there was some confusion when we turned up – we were told our booking had been for seven people, even though our confirmation e-mail showed a booking for two. Still, we were led to a table for two, and after clarifying the booking, lunch proceeded smoothly.
On the menu: A la carte mains, such as fish and chips or seafood pao fan, are priced at $11.90, while a two-course meal is priced at $12.90 and a three-course meal costs $15.90. Customers can top up $1 for a coffee or tea with their set meal or buy an a la carte non-alcoholic beverage for $1.50 to $2.50.
Vegan and vegetarian dishes are indicated on the menu. We did not see a halal certificate but noticed there was no pork or lard on the menu. There is one menu for Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and another for Tuesdays and Thursdays. All prices shown are before goods and services tax (GST) and service charge.
Cream of pumpkin soup at Shatec’s The Sapling training restaurant.
ST PHOTO: ANG YIYING
What we had: We each ordered a three-course meal and a beverage (a tea for a top-up of $1 and a bottled Thai ice milk tea for $1.90). For starters, we had cream of pumpkin soup and chef’s salad. The soup was smooth, while the salad was a little too tangy because of excessive balsamic dressing.
Penne aglio olio with mushroom at The Sapling training restaurant.
ST PHOTO: ANG YIYING
Duck confit at The Sapling training restaurant.
ST PHOTO: DILLON LOH
For mains, one of us went for a penne aglio olio with mushroom and the other chose a duck leg confit (a premium main with a top-up of $4). The pasta was al dente and the taste was satisfactory but not memorable. The duck confit had perfectly crispy skin but the meat could have been more tender.
Vegan strawberry bliss sorbet at The Sapling training restaurant.
ST PHOTO: ANG YIYING
Triple berry cheesecake at The Sapling training restaurant.
ST PHOTO: DILLON LOH
We finished off the meal with dessert: a triple berry cheesecake and a vegan strawberry bliss sorbet. We were impressed with the plating of the desserts, particularly the sorbet, which came with little circles of almond jelly, granola bits and a golden net-like edible decorative piece. The cheesecake was rich, creamy and was complemented well by the sweet mixed berry compote that accompanied it.
The cost came up to $46.40, including GST and service charge.
Our overall experience: The Shatec building where the restaurant is located is a short walk from Bukit Batok Swimming Complex. The interior felt more like a casual eatery though the food and plating were more upscale. The service was efficient, though the server put down the beverages without checking who had ordered the respective drinks, which resulted in us having to move the drinks across the table.
The meal, which worked out to an average of $23.20 per person, was value for money.
To note: Those who like taking pictures and videos of their food or dining experience may be reminded not to take images or footage that include the students training at the restaurant.
For more info: /
L’Rez
By: Nanyang Polytechnic
Making a reservation: There was a number to call or WhatsApp to make a reservation. While it was easy to send messages, there was a time lag: Our first choice of date and time was initially available, but we were told someone else took the last slot as we were messaging. We also received a call the day before to confirm our reservation.
On the menu: Set menus are $18 each, although there are special starters or main dishes that you can top up for, such as a salmon crab cake appetiser for $3 more.
Two side dishes were offered on the day we visited, at $3 each or $5 for both.
The sets come with a basic black coffee or tea, and can be upgraded for a mocktail or gourmet coffee or tea at $2 to $4. Nanyang Polytechnic staff and students can get the upgrade for no added cost.
The restaurant is not halal certified though the dishes contain no pork and no lard. Unfortunately, there was no vegetarian option for the starters or mains on the day we went, but vegetarian sides were available.
What we had: We decided to go for the basic $18 sets offered to the public, which consist of a starter, a main, a dessert and a choice of black coffee or tea.
Truffle tobiko pasta from L’Rez at Nanyang Polytechnic.
ST PHOTO: SERENE LUO
ST PHOTO: SERENE LUO
For starters, we picked the truffle tobiko pasta, made with angel hair pasta and served cold, as well as the yakitori skewers – grilled chicken with a side dish of daikon, cucumber and carrot that were pickled like achar.
Salmon chazuke from L’Rez.
ST PHOTO: SERENE LUO
For mains, one of us had the masala hamburg, made with ground beef and served in a Japanese curry. We also had a chazuke, consisting of a piece of salmon, served on top of a crispy pan-fried cake of rice, in a dashi broth that was poured on by the server at the table.
Tamagoyaki and corn croquettes from L’Rez.
ST PHOTO: SERENE LUO
We also opted to try the tamagoyaki and corn croquette sides, both of which were vegetarian.
The meal ended with a spiced plum tart, served with a refreshing sorbet, as well as a hojicha mont blanc.
Spiced plum tart with sorbet from L’Rez.
ST PHOTO: SERENE LUO
As we had a later sitting at 1.30pm, most diners had finished their meals by the time we were just sitting down to eat. The starters and sides arrived fairly quickly, but there was a short delay before our mains arrived.
The dishes were well plated and looked appetising. The hamburg was memorable because the beef was delightfully juicy, and not dry or overcooked as many hamburg dishes run the risk of being. The salmon was also flavourful and not overcooked.
Masala hamburg from L’Rez.
ST PHOTO: SERENE LUO
If we were going to be picky about the pickles, we would have preferred a more rounded, less acetic, and spicier taste to the achar, and an option of more greens such as a salad or vegetable side dish.
Our overall experience: L’Rez is in one corner of Nanyang Polytechnic, above a kindergarten and near its running track. If you are coming to the poly just for the restaurant, it can be quite a hike from the MRT station. The restaurant is decorated simply in grey tones.
Students from the diploma in food and beverage business train here, and the service was attentive, although there was a slight hesitation or nervousness on their part when presented with an unexpected question or two. The dishes were made with care and were attractive in presentation.
For the overall cost of $41 for two people, this lunch was great value for money and a pleasant experience.
To note: Remember to bring a Nets card or use digital payments – cash is not accepted.
The menus of the training restaurants may change from time to time.
TLDR dined incognito and paid for the food and drinks.
