Do dads get the shorter end of the stick when it comes to being valued for their contributions to the family?
Judging by how crowded restaurants are on Mother’s Day as compared to Father’s Day, I’d wager the former gets more appreciation.
With Father’s Day coming up, I thought to ask my spouse if he feels underappreciated for the work he does for me and our son, as well as at home.
After all, besides contributing to the household income, he’s the one in charge of the laundry and often helps with washing the dishes.
“Sometimes,” came the reply, quicker than expected.
He added: “I’m like the backstage worker at a Taylor Swift concert who doesn’t get any recognition.”
‘Nuff said.
It also led me to think about how I could better appreciate my dad.
Love language: Food?
Typical of many others of his generation, he has always been the strong, silent provider of the family and a man of few words.
Outward expressions of love are definitely not common in my family, but one way that affection is shown is definitely through food.
I remember how on weekends, Dad would have no qualms about going to the ends of Singapore to dabao our meals – be it seeking out new stall openings or queueing in line for the most raved-about bowl of bak chor mee.
Second to his love for food would probably be his love for travelling, including the many family holidays which I’ve been lucky to have gone on.
So when the opportunity came up to surprise the two men in my life with a great meal as a show of appreciation, I was all for it.
If you haven’t heard of Gourmetz, it’s a halal-certified and Healthier Choice caterer, which promises no MSG in all its menus.
Catering for big occasions is a good idea, so everyone gets to enjoy their meal in the comforts of home, and with no need to try and wrangle that last-minute reservation.
The Daddy-Licious Crave Case by Gourmetz ($288+) comes in the form of four eye-catching stackable boxes holding six delectable dishes.
This includes the Ma La-licious Platter appetizer, Meat Galore Fried Rice, Golden Garlic Roasted Chicken and The Royal Rendang.
The entire set – including dessert, soup, and a tray of Nyonya kuehs – is meant to feed eight to 10 persons, maybe even more if you’re small eaters or add on extra dishes.
Gourmetz kindly threw in several of their popular a la carte dishes as well so that we could have a taste. They were the Golden Breaded Prawn, Signature Roast Duck and Traditional Soon Kueh, which can also be added on to your Father’s Day set.
We couldn’t wait to get our hands on the colourful Nyonya kuehs post-dinner.
Digging in
The food, which arrived still warm, was not just a feast for the eyes but was surprisingly just as tasty.
First up, we enjoyed the Ma La-licious Platter - if you like ma la xiang guo, you’d love this.
A medley of meat, mushrooms, crab meat, black fungus and other ingredients all infused with fiery and bold Szechuan flavours.
(Top) The Ma La-Licious Platter and (bottom) broccoli with duo mushrooms. Photo by Candice Cai.
The Meat Galore Fried Rice had a good amount of ingredients with the rice and got the approval of everyone in the family.
The fried rice studded with meat and tasty lup cheong. Photo by Candice Cai.
It also fared well with the little one, who asked for seconds – a rare occurrence.
“They don't use the poor quality lup cheong (Chinese sausage),” was mum's observation.
Next up, The Royal Rendang.
We went for the mutton instead of beef, and it’s no wonder why this was their signature.
The Golden Garlic Roasted Chicken (left) and The Royal Rendang (right). Photo by Candice Cai.
The meat was tender and robust in flavour, we’re glad that it wasn’t gamey, although we thought the spiciness could be kicked up a notch. That is, however, a personal preference.
The family’s favourites, however, were pretty unanimous. They were the Golden Garlic Roasted Chicken, also another signature, the Traditional Soon Kueh (an add-on for S$2 per piece, minimum 10 pieces), as well as the hot Bubur Cha Cha dessert.
The tasty roast chicken was redolent with rich garlicky flavours and the peppery aroma of herbs, chilli and other spices.
Mum was all praise for the soon kueh with its chewy but not-too-thick skin and generous filling. Dad too, concurred with a silent nod of his head which spoke volumes.
The Bubur Cha Cha is generously filled with yam, sweet potato, tapioca balls and sago, in a decadent yet not-too-sweet coconut soup. Photo by Candice Cai.
Rarely do catered buffet desserts pass muster in our opinion, but the Bubur Cha Cha was generous in portion with the perfect amount of sweetness which had many of us going for seconds.
My personal favourite, however, was probably the whole Signature Roast Duck (S$68 for ala carte add-on).
Unlike other roast ducks which might tend to be dry, especially for the breast portion, the sliced up meat here sat in a savoury, more-ish sauce which reminded us more of a braised duck.
And not to mention, the portion was huge.
Perfect with a bowl of plain rice or even Teochew-style porridge. Photo by Candice Cai.
Oh, veggie lovers, you’re not forgotten.
The spread also comes with the Imperial Jade Kailan with Duo Mushrooms (ours was swapped for broccoli on the day), as well as a Pearl of the Sea Stuffed Whole Squid.
The broccoli with mushrooms was also perfectly cooked.
I know you didn’t ask, but a pet peeve of mine is soggy broccoli, which thankfully wasn't the case here.
For those of us who enjoy clear Chinese soups, the Abalone and Chicken Consomme tasted wholesome and nourishing.
I love the tenderness of the whole black chicken and broth infused with the seafood-y brininess of the mini abalones, of which there were more than enough to go around.
Abalone and Chicken Consomme comes with a whole chicken and mini abalones. Photo by Candice Cai.
One dish that didn’t fare so well with my family was the breaded prawns.
The crustaceans were impressively large and looked delicious, but as with all fried food, the breaded coating didn’t hold up too well once cooled.
A tip? Perhaps a quick toast in the oven to regain its crispiness.
Photo by Candice Cai.
Lastly, we appreciated the table covers as well as the ample disposable cutlery (individually packed), tongs and ladles that came with the set – no fuss no muss.
With all that food (and extras) for the seven of us, we were all fully stuffed that evening, and Mum and Dad had plenty of leftovers to bring home. It certainly felt like we had just rolled out of a regular buffet restaurant.
Win a holiday to Japan for dad this Father’s Day
With my dad and husband’s shared love of travel, one topic of conversation that always comes up over dinner is our travel plans, especially with the June school holidays ongoing right now.
One place that my parents and ourselves tend to gravitate towards is Japan – evidenced by how we’ve separately spent several holidays there across various seasons over the years.
And how great would it be not just to travel to a favourite city, but to do it in style?
Well, here’s your chance to surprise your parents with two business-class tickets to Tokyo, Japan, for possibly the trip of their lifetime.
All you have to do to enter Gourmetz’s ‘Pamper Your Parents Giveaway’ is by ordering their Daddy-Licious feast, or any of their Crave Case Mini, Crave Case XL, or Delish Mini Buffets.
A sumptuous meal and a luxurious flight to boot.
What a fantastic Father’s Day gift that would make.
The giveaway ends on Jul. 19, 2024.
Visit Gourmetz’s website here, or their Instagram page to find out more.
This sponsored article is brought to you by Gourmetz.
All photos by Candice Cai.