Having a confinement nanny around for the first month can take care of your post-natal nutritional needs. But if you’re not used to having a stranger at home, why not get the food delivered to you?
Natal Essentials, which claims to be the first in Singapore since 2002 to provide confinement tingkat, says its service appeals to independent young couples who don’t want a confinement nanny. Today, there are at least four caterers in the market.
Katherine Koh engaged a caterer recently when she had her second baby, Sarah, who just turned a month old. “I had a confinement nanny when I had my first child and her cooking was awful,” says the 33-year old office administrator.
“Now that I have a maid to help out with housework, I only needed help with my meals and I was quite pleased with my caterer – the taste and variety were great.”
While most mums YP polled found the service useful, they were also put off by the price. For 28 days of lunch and dinner (after you’re discharged from the hospital), caterers charge about $1,400 to $1,600.
This costs almost as much as a confinement nanny, says Angeline Sim, 33, an engineer and mother of 13-month-old Matthew.
That is one misconception Natal Essentials’ director Kelvin Ong hopes to correct. As he puts it, $1,400 is only the nanny’s basic salary.
Factor in fees including levy charges for a work permit (if the nanny is non-Singaporean) and the cost of confinement food ingredients, and the total bill could come up to $2,650. YP’s checks with confinement nanny agencies found that the final tally could be as high as $2,800.
To meet the needs of budget-conscious customers, caterers offer various packages which allow them to opt for only one meal a day for a month, or order just one week of meals.
They also justify their price by using quality herbs and premium fish like threadfin and cod, and use only fresh meat. What you get is low-fat, low-salt, and MSG-free confinement food – just like mum would cook.
YP put four caterers to a taste test to find out which ones offer the best value.
Special delivery
The caterer
A four-year-old buffet catering business, i.Host Foodworks & Catering started providing confinement meals in 2007. General manager Nigel Kok is happy to accommodate your special requests, so tell him if you don’t want internal organs like pig liver. The company delivers islandwide.
The food
You’ll get your meals delivered in a traditional three-tier tingkat which contains rice and two dishes. There’s a warmer for the soup and a flask for the confinement tea.
We tried the pork ribs steamed with wine and ginger, which had a lovely aroma that hits you immediately. The asparagus which came with the stir-fried chicken was a tad overcooked and the dang shen black chicken soup was satisfactory, but could do with more herbs.
The price
$1,379, includes red date longan tea with every meal.
Find out more
Call 6261-4600, visit www.ihostfood.com or e-mail [email protected]
3 out of 5
Truly traditional
The caterer
Natal Essentials claims to have pioneered the confinement tingkat service in 2002. Director Kelvin Ong makes no bones about his prices – it’s the most expensive of the caterers.
In fact, he’d rather turn down your business than compromise on tradition. For example, basic ingredients like ginger and sesame oil are a must in confinement recipes.
His company, a spin-off of Buffet Paradise which also started in 2002, does not deliver to some areas in the East, including Eunos and Tanjong Rhu, and has a surcharge to places like Holland Road and Thomson Road. Its website doesn’t only display the menu but also the dishes’ benefits.
The food
We were impressed with the soup and tea, which are served in machine-sealed, leak-proof disposable containers and packed in a thermal bag.
We couldn’t get enough of the tender pig’s trotters in black vinegar and ginger, and sweet and sour fried sheng yu slices, served with green pepper. The double-boiled black chicken soup had an intense flavour that would win over any Cantonese mum.
The price $1,588, includes red date longan tea with every meal.
Find out more
Call 6755-4747, visit www.natalessentials.com or e-mail [email protected]
4 out of 5
Special delivery
The caterer
A four-year-old buffet catering business, i.Host Foodworks & Catering started providing confinement meals in 2007. General manager Nigel Kok is happy to accommodate your special requests, so tell him if you don’t want internal organs like pig liver. The company delivers islandwide.
The food You’ll get your meals delivered in a traditional three-tier tingkat which contains meals. Operations manager Johnny Yeo says the company serves all parts of Singapore, including the CBD.
The food
It scored green points by using recyclable airtight microwaveable containers but the set looked slightly worn. We lapped up the pig’s kidney with ginger and sesame oil – it had a rich gravy that was perfect with a bowl of steaming hot white rice.
The stir-fried lean meat was slightly overdone but the accompanying celery remained fresh and crunchy. The double-boiled fish with papaya soup was rather bland and oily as the sheng yu was deep-fried.
The price
$1,380, includes confinement tea.
Find out more
Tel: 6345-2229, visit www.newbaby.com.sg or e-mail sales@ newbaby.com.sg. It also goes by its URL, www.confinementfood.com
3 1/2 out of 5
New on the block
The caterer
Florence Tan has been running Florence’s Gourmet as a buffet business since 2000. She branched out into confinement tingkat in December last year.
The company doesn’t have a website, so call if you want the menu. It covers most of Singapore, including the CBD, but does not go to Sentosa, Jurong, Bukit Batok and Woodlands.
The food
Mums who are lazy to wash up after their meals will appreciate the use-and-throw microwaveable containers. We loved the steamed frog legs which were fresh and cooked lightly enough not to be leathery.
The braised chicken was thoughtfully skinless and its honey and glutinous rice wine sauce did a good job of rousing the appetite. The black bean pig’s tail soup with dang sheng and bei qi
got our thumbs-up too.
The price
$1,468, excludes red date longan tea.
Find out more
Tel: 6292-9188 or e-mail [email protected]
4 out of 5
Prices are based on 28 days of lunch and dinner.
Each meal includes a soup, two dishes and rice.
Other packages are available, so check with the respective caterers.
Get a copy of the Sept 2009 issue of Young Parents for expert advice and local tips to make you a better mum or dad. Young Parents, published by SPH Magazines, is available at all newsstands now. Check out more stories at Young Parents online, www.youngparents.com.sg.
