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2013-10-05
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Most of the things on the menu at School Food are new iterations of things you're probably already familiar with. For example, their range of innovative Korean kimbap have been renamed 'mari' rolls, and there's an almost dizzying selection to choose from. Having tried quite a few of them, my two favourites (and generally the most popular ones) are the squid ink roll and the school roll.The Squid Ink Mari Roll has, obviously, squid ink rice wrapped around slices of spicy squid. Whilst squid ink d
The Squid Ink Mari Roll has, obviously, squid ink rice wrapped around slices of spicy squid. Whilst squid ink doesn't have the strongest of flavour and is mainly cosmetic, the squid slices have a tangy kick and add a pleasant chewiness to make for a very moreish little roll.
My absolute favourite is the eponymous School Roll, which is a beef roll wrapped in a sheet of egg. The thinly sliced roast beef is generously packed in and differs enough from the soft and warm egg sheet to give quite a textured bite in every slice. The sweet sauce drizzled over the roll makes the whole dish come together and left me wanting seconds (which I ordered, of course)!
Besides the 'mari' rolls, there are also various mains of noodles, rice and korean rice cake. Of the three, the korean rice cake has the most innovative twists, including a very interesting Chef's Carbonara Rice Cake which puts the traditional korean rice cake in a very untraditional situation. I didn't get a picture of it but I really like the surprisingly matching combination. Their most popular rice cake, though, is the Melted Cheese Rice Cake (the picture really doesn't do it justice, thanks to the very unphotogenic melted cheese on top of everything). The dish was a bit too spicy for me to have too much of (I shudder to think of how spicy the dish they actually call Spicy Rice Cake is...), but the flavours were punchy and very appetising. My friends devoured this in minutes despite how hot it was!
A more traditional entry on the menu is the Cold Noodles, served in a cold broth with shaved ice (also made of broth, so it doesn't dilute the flavour when melted). I really loved these noodles! The sour tang and the coldness makes the whole dish very appetising and was a very refreshing break from the heavier rice cake dishes. Again, the picture doesn't do the dish justice, but this is highly recommended!
Of the different categories offered at School Food, I think the rice section leaves me feeling the least inspired. This Kimchi Fried Rice, for example, was very well done with a great degree of tangy, kimchi-spicyness, but just didn't feel as original or creative as the rolls or the rice cakes.
In a terribly misguided attempt to be healthy, I ordered this Fried Chicken and Spring Onion 'Salad'. The chicken was done well, with a light and crispy but flavoursome batter. The spring onion salad though, was left virtually untouched. Granted, I'm not the biggest fan of spring onions in the first place, but I had hoped this salad made only of spring onions to change my mind. In any case, this clearly isn't the dish you're looking for to make this a healthy balanced meal!
All in all, School Food is a great meal at a great price. Not one dish is priced at above $100 (except apparently a huge sundae that serves 3 or 4, but I skipped desserts in another misguided attempt to have a 'balanced' meal). Considering especially its prime location in the Times Square and the company it keeps in Food Forum, School Food is very affordable! Combined with the great food, it's no surprise that the queues are extremely long! Credit where it's due though, I don't think School Food will be a passing fad as long as it can keep its standards (both food and service) so high and its prices so low!
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