Can fast-casual dining ever be gourmet? Do we need to sit down at a restaurant table and have all the fancy trimmings to enjoy gourmet food? Not any more!
Why is fast-casual dining catching on in Singapore?
Running a restaurant is expensive as there are so many overheads, not the least of which is the staff. A high-end award-winning restaurant might even have one member of staff for every two customers, a huge monthly cost that is passed on in menu prices. However, things are changing with a growing trend towards fast-casual eateries serving gourmet food in cities such as London, Melbourne and San Francisco. And, you’ll be pleased to hear this trend is now reaching the streets of Singapore.
What is fast-casual dining?
Forget an expensive floor space of tables and chairs, forget hovering waiting staff and linen table cloths that need laundering. Fast-casual dining makes a feature of high-quality cuisine combined with a simple counter or delivery service. A type of dining that fits perfectly into the foodpanda delivery model, meaning the choice of gourmet food you can enjoy at home is expanding all the time. As well as offering an attractive lower price point, fast-casual eating also fits into the hectic schedule of modern life where time always seems to be at a premium. Don’t worry, though, if you like to treat yourself to a gourmet meal in a restaurant from time to time. That option is not going to disappear. In fact, the revenue from a fast-casual counter or delivery service often supports the fine dining you can enjoy in your favourite restaurant. The two can work comfortably hand in hand.
Gourmet dishes you can fast-casual dine on
While burgers, fish and chips, pizzas and pasta have long been the staples of fast-casual dining in Singapore, more and more gourmet options are hitting the menus. Dine at home or at work on dishes such as salmon steaks in creamy hollandaise sauce, goose leg confit with potato mousse, Spanish pork chop with wild berry sauce, oysters with fried garlic or rosemary grilled lamb.
The best way to enjoy fast-casual dining
Is there a best way to enjoy fast-casual dining? We don’t think so. It truly depends on your schedule and plans. Are you feeding the kids and want to introduce them to more sophisticated tastes? Then foodpanda’s partnership with District 10 will deliver gourmet fast-casual dining to your door. If you’re entertaining business colleagues in your office then order from Western Empire for both local and international favourites that range from pasta and seafood to succulent lamb and tasty steaks. On the menu at LianXinFang are all your Asian favourites served with panache, perfect if you have friends coming to your home for a sit-down get-together.
