Latest news with #WestMall
Independent Singapore
15-05-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Drumstick or drumlet? KFC's $4.35 chicken leaves customer 'cheated and disappointed'
Photos for illustrative purposes only (Reddit) SINGAPORE: A long-time fan of KFC has expressed his disappointment after receiving what he described as a 'drumstick the size of a wing drumlet' during a recent visit to the fast food chain's West Mall outlet. The customer, identified only as Will, told citizen journalism site Stomp that he visited the restaurant on the afternoon of March 31, expecting his usual indulgence—but was instead met with what he called a 'startlingly small portion.' 'I went there for a meal, just to see that their drumstick is as big as Old Chang Kee's chicken wing drumlet,' he said. 'Their price for a piece of chicken keeps getting higher, while the chicken keeps getting smaller.' Will said he asked staff for a replacement, but was told that there were no crispy drumsticks or thighs left, and only the original flavour was available. 'Obviously, I feel cheated and disappointed because I'm paying $4.35 for a piece of chicken that is so small,' he lamented, 'They also always give breast and wings.' He added that the portion sizes have steadily shrunk over the years. 'KFC's chicken was big, like, 10 years ago. Then, around five years ago, it became smaller and smaller while the price kept increasing,' he said. 'And now? It's comparable to a chicken wing drumlet.' 'It's literally almost the same size as the chilli packet,' he added, 'Even Old Chang Kee's chicken is bigger than this, and it costs half the price.' The experience has once again spotlighted growing consumer frustration over shrinkflation—a phenomenon where product sizes are quietly reduced while prices stay the same or even rise. While companies often cite rising production or supply chain costs as justification, consumers like Will are increasingly calling out the disconnect between cost and value.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Local Taiwanese street food brand with 16 takeaway booths opens 1st dine-in eatery
If you frequent heartland malls across Singapore, you've likely spotted I love Taimei — a pastel-pink takeaway booth with 16 outlets, serving up a range of Taiwanese street food and beverages. Brace yourselves, Bukit Batok residents… you'll love this! The local F&B brand has just launched its first-ever dine-in concept, I love Taimei Story, at the basement of West Mall. Customers can expect the usual crowd-favourite snacks such as Enoki Mushroom (S$4.60) and Taiwan Seafood Tempura (S$5.30). There are also soups like Golden Clam Chicken Soup (S$8.90) and Soul-full Pickled Chilli Chicken Soup (S$8.90) — perfect for warming you up. With a comfortable seating area to enjoy I Love Taimei's offerings for a change, is there anything fresh on the menu? You bet! Start off with light appetisers like the new Braised Beancurd Cubes of Wisdom (S$2.90), Refreshing Pickled Cucumber (S$2.90), Spicy Black Fungus Salad (S$2.90), and Peanut You Can't Resist (S$2.90). Credit – I Love Taimei There are also new Taimei signatures like the Drunken-Free Three Cup Chicken (S$7.90), Boss-Level Garlic Scallion Ginger Chicken (S$7.90), and Numbing Hot Peppercorn Chicken (S$7.90). Currently, I Love Taimei Story has a Set Meal Deal which includes a main, one choice of staple and one appetiser. With the Taimei Stars Set (S$10.90, U.P. S$12.70), enjoy either the Taiwan Popcorn Chicken or the scrumptious Original Chicken (with one free flavour), paired with your choice of staple: Just Rice, Scallion Oil Fragrant Rice, or 'Power Lah' Braised Chicken Noodles (+S$0.90). The set also includes a starter — choose from Slow Braised Golden Egg, Taiwanese Pickled Cabbage, or Silky Century Egg Tofu (add S$0.90). Wow! It looks like the food offerings at West Mall are gradually expanding with the ongoing renovations and new eateries like Gochiya popping up. I can't wait to see what else is in store. The post Local Taiwanese street food brand with 16 takeaway booths opens 1st dine-in eatery appeared first on
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
First dibs: Affordable single-serving Teppanyaki opens in the West
Gochiya opened its first outlet in Singapore on 11 Apr, one of the first new stalls to open as part of West Mall's renovation. They serve individual sets with options for hamburg, tonkatsu and more from just S$14.80. Located in the heart of Bukit Batok Central, West Mall has been undergoing a makeover for the past 2 years, introducing an extended basement section with over 20 new F&B establishments. Gochiya shares a unit with another eatery but a shared kitchen is where it ends, as you can't order from both stalls. The team at Gochiya recommended the Signature Hamburg Combo (S$22.90) and Thick Iberico Loin (S$19.90), which is what we got. The Signature Hamburg Combo includes their Hamburg with cheese, Iberico Jowl, Iberico Secreto Pork and Assorted Vegetables. You can choose between the Mushroom Cream Sauce and Black Pepper Sauce for the Hamburg, which is what we got. 2 cuts of Iberico pork were served—the Jowl and Secreto—both of which were fatty and tender. I preferred the Jowl however, as the latter got slightly tough after cooking on the metal plate for a while. The star of the show was, without a doubt, their Hamburg. The patty is a blend of highly-prized meats, with 60% Iberico and Meixco pork and 40% Rubia Gallega beef. It was slightly firm yet juicy and easy to bite through. Pair it with their black pepper sauce and melted cheese like we did and you'll get the perfect combination of flavour in your mouth. Definitely my personal favourite of everything we tried! The Thick Iberico Loin came with thick-cut pieces of meat, miso soup, and the classic Tonkatsu condiment set (shredded cabbage, sesame seeds, Tonkatsu sauce). We were told to grind the sesame seeds finely, then add the Tonkatsu sauce to dip the meat into. The meat is served to you 80% cooked, and how you want it after is up to your preference. It is elevated on a metal grill, where you can then place the individual Katsu pieces on the metal plate to cook. It was great as I was able to customise the doneness of the meat to my liking. The exterior had a super satisfying crunch to it, while the meat was savoury and relatively tender on the inside. Since they use pork loin which is known to be slightly fattier, some pieces were tougher to chew. They served Ikura Chawanmushi and Japanese rice with every set. Slow-cooked individually in stone pots, the rice was fresh and the perfect base for the greasy meats we had. The Chawanmushi was silky smooth and filled with ingredients. Lastly, we also tried their sides, the Cheese Roll (S$6.50) and Crab Cream Croquette (S$5.50) that came with 2 pieces each. It was fried and creamy goodness all around, what's not to love? The cheese roll is also unique in that it's the same pork loin used for their tonkatsu rolled in cheese, making for a decadent snack. From now till 30 Apr, they are offering a free scoop of Mozzarella Cheese if you follow them on Instagram @gochiyaofficial and add this post to your story. What are you waiting for? Head down for Gochiya's opening, and don't say bojio! Kiang Kiang Taiwan Teppanyaki: Ex-hotel chef from Taipei serves sizzling hotplate pasta with ribeye steak, basil pork & halibut The post First dibs: Affordable single-serving Teppanyaki opens in the West appeared first on
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Yahoo
How VR factors into Project Connect's future light rail design
AUSTIN (KXAN) — As Austin transportation leaders gather feedback on the city's future light rail, they've given some people the opportunity to 'experience' the system firsthand — all within a headset. In approximately two years time, officials will begin work on the first phase of light rail in Austin: a 9.8-mile route, 15-station system running from 38th Street to Oltorf Street to Yellow Jacket Lane. Ahead of that future milestone, Austin Transit Partnership held a Project Connect meeting Tuesday afternoon at the University of Texas at Austin, where visitors could test out navigating the light rail system via virtual technology headsets. The design scenario centered around UT's campus — a key segment of the first phase of light rail, which is set to run along Guadalupe Street and transform the UT corridor. Using the VR technology, people could test out three possible crossing scenarios at UT's campus: a Z-crossing, a scramble and an elongated platform. Z-crossing: One crosswalk aligned with West 23rd Street and another with the West Mall are linked via a buffered walkway centered in the road that leads to the light rail station Scramble plaza: Guadalupe Street between West 23rd Street and the West Mall is both colored and textured differently, 'indicating the ability to start and end crossings at any point' Elongated platform: A longer platform will lead to a narrower crossing, offset by the West Mall and linking to West 23rd Street Users would wear the headset and navigate the simulation using two joysticks, with officials collecting feedback on the ease of wayfinding, pedestrian crossings and the proposed interactions with the light rail line. Attendees could write down their thoughts on the simulation, with specific questions asking users if the crossings were easy, if they felt safe and what were some favorite aspects or areas for improvement. Lisa Storer, ATP's vice president of architecture, urban design and sustainability, told KXAN the data collected will help outline how people engage with mass transit and how to finalize the system's design to be most intuitive and effective for all transit riders. 'We've been really focused on people-centered design and performance-based design,' she said. 'So that means getting an idea of how people are experiencing that transit environment and what makes them feel good about using a new mode of transit, and then also using that data in order to inform those small design moves that might make it more intuitive and more safe for people in that transit environment.' The event was part of an ongoing community feedback series on the light rail system's draft environment impact statement (DEIS). That document, released Jan. 10, includes thousands of pages detailing all the possible environmental, neighborhood and socioeconomic impacts the future system could have on Austin. As part of that DEIS' release, ATP held four public engagement events, culminating with the stop at UT. The transit organization will continue collecting feedback on the DEIS through March 11, before a final environmental impact statement and a record of decision are expected to be released at the end of this year. Construction on the light rail is projected to begin in 2027 before opening to the public come 2033. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
