Manna From Machine
WINE&DINE|March/April 2018

Sophisticated vending machine grub is taking convenience food to another level

Charlene Chow
Manna From Machine

Imagine you’re stuck in the office at an ungodly hour, exhausted and famished. Or it’s pouring rain, you’re out of groceries, and you don’t want to go out or wait for delivery. That’s when having a vending machine within walking distance, one that pops out a proper hot meal, is a godsend.

It’s no pipe dream. The forerunner in this area is probably Japan, where vending machines are a way of life. Here in Singapore, it’s just gaining traction, and the recent advances in technology mean that the ready-to-eat offerings at vending machines dotted around the island are varied and—dare we say—appetising.

Chef-in-Box

Chef-in-Box by JR Group offers affordable, quality bentos prepared fresh daily. They do this using advanced cook-chill and cook-freeze technology to prepare and store meals without the use of preservatives, additives or artificial colouring.

From their six Vendcafés and numerous standalone vending machines islandwide, you can get anything from paella with salmon patty and black pepper sauce ($4.90) to Japanese chicken curry rice ($5.80) and chicken char siew with rice ($4.80).

This story is from the March/April 2018 edition of WINE&DINE.

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This story is from the March/April 2018 edition of WINE&DINE.

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