It’s not something that I mention often, but my childhood memories of fast food mostly comprises of just two brands — McDonalds (for which I usually find myself having the McChicken, or the Hotcakes with Sausage if i were to be in for breakfast, and A&W; its little wonder why considering how the nearest A&W was just across the street from my place, which had since closed down ever since their initial exit out of the Singapore market. Ironically, there was a switch of tenants for the same space, and that spot is now occupied by McDonald’s.

Still a primary school student when I made my last visit to A&W before their first exit out of the Singapore market, its always an occasion when my parents were to bring me there; they had never fancied their hot food selection — we would typically be in to have their Waffles with Ice-Cream, Curry Fries and the Root Beer Float; and I was never allowed to have my own portion. Talk about Asian parenting indeed (haha jk I love y’all!).

Having made a recent visit to their Canberra Plaza outlet, my very first experience for their hot food items goes to the Golden Aroma Chicken (2pcs) — essentially just your standard fried chicken dish from a fast food restaurant. Wouldn’t say I was expecting much; its fast food anyway, and so I was rather ok with this one — the fried batter is crisp, and carries a slightly floury texture almost akin, but less distinct than KFC’s Original Recipe Chicken. Inside, the chicken flesh remains relatively juicy and succulent, though it is worth mentioning how the chicken here isn’t quite as greasy as most other fast food restaurants. Can’t wrap up the meal without the Curly Fries and Root Beer Float; the former seems less memorable these days and almost similar to the Twister Fries that occasionally makes its comeback to the Golden Arches — just not quite the same as they were previously being more arched than curly. The Root Beer Float still takes the cake though — nothing really beats the A&W experience having their fizzy root beer in a chilled, frosty mug that holds the temperature of the sugary soft drink so well; not to mention opting for the float for the added scoop of ice-cream, though I did recall that the ice-cream used to be more dense and creamy and gave the root beer a slightly thicker consistency when melted down, while the ice-cream now seems to be easily overpowered by the root beer itself.

Much of the excitement of visiting A&W these days seem to be on the nostalgia — not simply just about their curly fries and the root beer floats, but also perhaps a throwback to simpler times where “joy” could be easily derived from fast food meals that can be seen as a treat away from the usual hawker/coffeeshop fare. That novelty of being a meal to splurge on has since worn off given how we are now blessed with plenty of options from cafes to bistros and fine dining restaurants, and fast food restaurants are more or less seen as an affordable alternate option to most in this current era. It may just be me, but the food in their current reincarnation is still a little far from those good times — but its return is still a welcomed one; perhaps one that would bring back pleasant moments and memories for those who have grown with them during the times before they have left the Singapore market.

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