Chicken Roulade Mattar hasn’t been a neighbourhood that is known for much; probably only except for the Circuit Road Food Centres which are located just a short walk away from Mattar MRT Station. A recent addition to the neighbourhood within the Lion City Sailors Football Club, Sailor’s Galley is a new concept by the folks behind Tigafolks & Co.; a halal food caterer which “believes that fond memories are shared and made from and on the dining table” by “ensuring gourmet quality novel experience”. Sailor’s Galley is not too difficult to locate within the building that it is situated in — walking into Lion City Sailors Football Club from its main entrance at Circuit Road, the cafe is located just at the end of the flight of steps on the right hand side next to the security post. The interior of Sailor’s Galley is simple but well-designed; it sports a blue-coloured theme that runs pretty consistently throughout the entire space — the marble-esque table tops and cushioned seats alongside wooden fittings around the counters and the brightly-lit surroundings made the cafe seem pretty comfortable to sit around. Patrons who wish to have a glimpse of all the action in the kitchen can also opt to sit around the bar counter as well, while there is a two-seater table near the cashier that comes with the view of the football pitch. The menu at Sailor’s Galley features items across various sections — the sections include Sides & Starters, Pasta, Burgers and Mains; there are also cakes being display within the display chiller for those looking for a dessert option as well. Whilst there isn’t any indication of the establishment being Muslim-friendly on their social media pages, it is noted that we did not notice any dishes featuring pork at Sailor’s Galley during our visit. The choice of beverages served at Sailor’s Galley includes specialty coffee, frappes, canned drinks and bottled water.
Having skimmed through the menu, we found ourselves leaning towards the Chicken Roulade — this dish features Rolled Chicken Leg stuffed with Baby Spinach and Cream Cheese, Carrot Puree and Grilled Asparagus. It does seem that there is quite a bit of effort placed in the plating of the dish here — the rolled chicken leg sits atop the grilled asparagus; there is also the inclusion of sautéed baby potatoes as a side with some cherry tomatoes, while the carrot puree and the brown sauce is being smeared artfully on the side. Digging into the rolled chicken leg, we were especially impressed with how well-executed the meat here was — we really liked how they had managed to retain much of that tenderness of the chicken leg; it was easy to chew and juicy, all that whilst carrying a nice hint of savouriness and slight crustiness from the grilling. Whilst the menu does list down cream cheese as one of the elements rolled into the chicken leg, we found the cream cheese wasn’t quite prominent here — probably a good thing considering how it could have potentially made the dish a little more heavier than it should be, while the baby spinach was an element that helped to cut through the meatiness. The grilled asparagus was equally well-executed here; still crunchy yet retaining its moisture, it seems that it is simply seasoned with salt to further ante up its flavours. The sautéed baby potatoes were very much prepared in the same way — also pretty delicious on their own, while the brown sauce on the side felt a little heavy; somewhat more suitable to be paired with red meat rather than white meat in our opinion. What stood out for us however was the carrot purée; looking unmistakably like a sweet potato purée or pumpkin purée, we liked how the carrot purée comes with a light and smooth consistency with just a very light touch of sweetness to go alongside the rolled chicken leg — the use of carrots perhaps to create a puree where they could have a better control on the level of sweetness rather than using an ingredient that is inherently sweet. Overall, a dish that delivered beyond what we have expected especially at its price point at $18.90++.
We have also tried other items at Sailor’s Galley; this includes the Sailor’s Fish & Chips, as well as the Marinara Beef Ball Pasta — it does feel like there are bits and misses with the various items we have ordered. While the Chicken Roulade was pretty impressive and well-worth it’s price tag of $18.90++, the Sailor’s Fish & Chips do feel like something less memorable — probably could have had more impact if served with thick-cut fries and if the fish could have retained more moisture. The Marinara Beef Ball Pasta was the least inspiring of the lot — while patrons do have the option to pick between three pasta types, the Fusilli which we have went for was slightly overdone; the texture was a little too soft and somewhat mushy for our liking, not to mention we weren’t too big a fan of the tomato purée that they seem to be using which was no doubt tangy but a little bit on the sweet side. The only bit that we did enjoy from the Marinara Beef Ball Pasta was the Beef Balls; they do carry quite a good bite without tasting in any way gamey. Sailor’s Galley does seem like a good spot to chill at for dinner with a bunch of friends after work without the drinks for those looking for a spot outside of town; the vibes are especially relaxing, and one could also watch the action at the football pitch when it is being used for matches or practice. Whilst it is noted that the food does feel like a hit or miss situation depending on the item ordered, they do seem to be heading towards the right side of things if they do continue to refine on their offerings. A spot worthy to check out if one is in the area looking for something more gourmet than your average cafe fare to go for.
419_original.jpg?w=980&q=75&auto=format)
419_original.jpg?w=576&q=75&auto=format)