Let’s be clear. I don’t usually review chains. Standardized kitchens rarely produce food with soul. They are designed for efficiency, not excellence.
But I am a pragmatist. Sometimes you are in a mall like Nex, and you need a meal that offers value. Collin’s has a lunch set that fits that specific need, provided you know exactly what to order and what to ignore.
I went for the lunch set. It is an outlier in my usual rotation, but value is value.
The main event was the chicken chop. It arrived with a proper char on the skin. Most chains steam their chicken on the grill; this was actually grilled. The meat retained its juices. It was tender, savoury, and cooked with a surprising amount of competence. It was a simple protein, treated with respect.
The deep-fried squid tentacles were the highlight. They were oily, crisp, and crunchy. The batter shattered correctly against the teeth. The squid inside had a good chew; substantial without being rubbery. I loved the texture. It was unapologetically fried food, done well.
If the meal ended there, it would have been a success. But the sides dragged the experience down.
The pasta was a mistake. The sauce was weird; synthetic and overly sweet. It coated the noodles in a way that felt artificial. It lacked balance. I took two bites and pushed the plate away.
The lobster bisque was worse. It tasted of thickeners and additives, not shellfish. It had a heavy, cloying texture that coated the mouth unpleasantly. It was horrible.
We also tried the burrata. It had a strange aftertaste. Perhaps I have been spoiled by eating excellent burrata elsewhere, but this version felt tired. The creaminess was there, but the fresh, clean milk flavour was missing.
This is the reality of a massive chain. You cannot expect everything to be good. The menu is too big, the operations too sprawled. Inconsistency is part of the business model.
But I will still come back to Collin’s. I will come back for the flame-grilled chicken chop and the deep-fried octopus tentacles. Those two items are honest and executed well.
I will skip the pasta. I will skip the soup. I will ignore the burrata.
If you stick to the grill and the fryer, you will leave satisfied. If you venture into the more “refined” items, you will be disappointed. Know what they are good at, and order accordingly. Or better yet, seek out places that specialise completely, like those featured in our Hawker Series: Kim Keat Palm Market, The Only Two Stalls You Need where every plate has a singular purpose.
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