Tian Wei Signature Confinement Food Review

I am about 4 months post partum and I am very glad that during my 12 weeks of maternity leave, I was blessed with nutritious and delicious meals every day.

Confinement when done well, is a phase whereby a woman’s body is able to rejuvenate to an even better state than before and diet plays a huge role. I was determined to continue eating healthily after my confinement lady left and had the privilege to try out the confinement meals from Tian Wei Signature.




Before my confinement lady left, I was already racking my brains about the logistics of my meals for the rest of my maternity leave. It was such a coincidence that Tian Wei Signature reached out to me. I have read and heard a lot of good things about Tian Wei Signature whether from sponsored or non-sponsored reviews and was really thrilled that I would have 2 weeks’ worth of lunch and dinner settled till I returned to work. Whatever I write here are what I truly feel about the whole experience and I have lots of good stuff to say!




Packaging

The meals are delivered in plastic containers and stored in zipped thermal bags.

I usually eat my meals really late, as late as 2-3pm for lunch and 8-10pm for dinner because like all babies, Baby Ash was quite unpredictable. Leaving the food in the thermal bag till I was ready to eat them kept them warm enough for me. I did not have to reheat the food which was a good thing as my microwave oven has been spoilt for the longest time.

The plastic containers are double sealed with plastic cling wrap (one outside and another below the lid) to prevent leakage of gravy and soup. Everything was really neat and it was the first time I experienced eating from takeaway plastic containers that are so clean with no gravy smeared on the outside.

Everything is really convenient and hassle free which is great for new mummies who hardly have time for anything else. Just eat and throw! However, if you are someone who is into saving the environment, you might feel a tinge of guilt each time you throw these containers away. I would wash the non-oily ones and keep them. Oh yes, the thermal bags are to be returned to the delivery guy with the last thermal bag for the customer’s keeping.


Serving Size

My hubby and I were pleasantly surprised by the amount of food for the Signature trial meal. It was more than enough for the both of us. The trial meal included the traditional and fusion meals. I thought that the trial meal was an exception and that I should not be expecting such huge portions for the daily meals.

Boy was I wrong. The portion is pretty generous. I am quite a huge eater and already, I found myself inviting my parents over for dinner quite a lot. You could see from the photos and I would also elaborate in greater detail under some of the photos.




Good Customer Service and Customization

I experienced excellent customer service from the email communication, phone coordination and right up to the delivery service.

Upon confirmation of the meal package, a staff called to check on my food preference, allergies and other special requirements. I suffered from PUPPP and post-partum hives. Ginger and alcohol are both strong triggers and these are common ingredients used in most confinement dishes.

When I told them about this and said I understood that it was a rather demanding requirement to not include or reduce the amount of ginger and alcohol, the guy over the phone assured me that it could be arranged. He informed me that many of their dishes are cooked with ginger juice while some contained ginger shreds. He said he would inform the kitchen not to use ginger juice for my meals but ginger shreds would be fine since I could easily pick those out. I thought it was rather troublesome for them to go the extra mile but they did. Check out the photo below that states "no ginger juice" and "ok ginger shreds". As for alcohol, I did not manage to taste alcohol in the dishes so I guessed they settled that part too.



You could also call them anytime to update your personal requirements. For example, I simply called in advance to inform them that I did not want food delivery during the weekends as I would be out with my hubby or family and we resumed the food delivery on Monday. The only thing was that I missed out on some appetizing weekend fusion dishes.

The delivery guy would most of the time hand me the thermal bag but whenever I was busy with my baby, he would hang the bag at the door and texted me that food was here. Sometimes I would text him beforehand as a heads up so that he would not ring the doorbell.


Taste and Menu

I love eating confinement food and home cooked food. Tian Wei Signature is both of this. I didn’t quite expect that meals designed to help boost the recovery process and milk supply of mothers could taste so appetizing.



I am one who do not like food that is too flavoured or too oily and I’m happy to know that there is no artificial flavourings and MSG used in their cooking. Some people who are into flavours(重口味) might find the meals a little too “healthy tasting” though.

You know how economical rice sold outside are also rice with dishes but somehow they could never have the home-cooked taste? Tian Wei Signature food tastes totally home cooked! I admit that reading about their Head Chef Eugene Tan allows me to visualize him and his team lovingly cooking these meals for post-partum mummies. Haha!

Oh yes, I’m so impressed by the variety of rice they serve. White rice is a staple in Chinese meals and those could be so unhealthy in large portions. I recall seeing only 2 to 3 meals with white rice and read up that Tian Wei serves 9 different kinds of rice, from barley millet, millet mixed, calrose, tri-colour, five grain, quinoa mixed, brown, fried and pumpkin rice.


Let me take you through my daily meals in pictures and elaborate more along the way!



Week 1 Day 1 Lunch
STIR FRIED CELERY WITH STRAW MUSHROOM AND WHITE FUNGUS
西芹草菇银耳
RED FERMENTED WINE CHICKEN SESAME BRAISED CHICKEN
红糟鸡 麻油鸡
EUCOMMIA KIDNEY NOURISHING SOUP
杜仲补腰炖汤
BARLEY MILLET RICE
薏米小米饭




Right from Day 1, I fell in love with their soup and lapped up every single bowl of soup thereafter. In fact as I was doing this blog post, I found myself craving for all their delicious soups.

I am someone who hates celery and all other strong smelling vegetables so imagine how much I cringed when I saw celery in the first meal. Surprisingly, there wasn't the usual tart kind of celery taste I dislike. I amazed myself when I could finish that dish.

You would also notice the replacement for the chicken dish. Due to my allergy as mentioned before, I have to abstain from alcohol. Hence, Tian Wei could not serve me the Red Fermented Wine Chicken and specially replaced it with Sesame Braised Chicken. Caring for their customers certainly goes a long way!





Week 1 Day 1 Dinner
STIR FRIED BROCCOLI WITH GINGER AND TWIN FUGUS
姜丝双木耳炒西兰花
STEAMED WOLF-BERRIES PORK RIBS WITH BLACK BEAN SAUCE AND RED DATES
黑豆豉红枣枸杞蒸排骨
DISPEL WIND CHICKEN SOUP WITH LEMONGRASS
香茅祛风鸡汤
TRI COLOUR RICE
三色饭



I am one who likes black fungus and eat it quite frequently but for people who don't like, they may get a shock seeing black fungus in 2 dishes. Black fungus is especially beneficial for cleansing the body and expelling stale blood. It is not only great for confinement but for overall well being too.





Week 1 Day 2 Lunch
STIR FRIED KAILAN WITH GARLIC
蒜香香港芥兰
LEMONGRASS FENUGREEK BRAISED FISH FILLET
香茅葫芦巴焖鱼柳
GINGKO LOTUS SEED PIG STOMACH SOUP
白果莲子猪肚汤
PUMPKIN RICE
南瓜瓜子饭







Week 1 Day 2 Dinner
SILKY EGG WITH AMARANTH IN SUPERIOR BROTH
上汤蛋花苋菜
STIR FRIED PORK AND KIDNEY WITH GINGER AND SESAME OIL
姜丝麻油炒肉片腰子
NOURISHING AND BEAUTIFYING CHICKEN SOUP
滋润养颜炖鸡汤
PLAIN RICE
白饭




I love green leafy vegetables without thick and hard stems so this silky egg with amaranth vegetable dish is something I love a lot.





Week 1 Day 3 Lunch
STIR FRIED LETTUCE WITH MINCED MEAT AND GINGER
姜丝肉碎油麦菜
BRAISED PORK TROTTER IN BLACK VINEGAR
猪脚醋
POLYGONUM MULTIFLORUM BLACK CHICKEN SOUP
何首乌乌鸡汤
FIVE GRAIN RICE
五谷饭



The Braised Pork Trotter in Black Vinegar was not too thick and rich and has a homely flavour. Do you know that black vinegar has the ability to purify the blood and cleanse the arteries? It also helps break down the mineral content in the trotters and ensuring that the resulting gravy is rich in calcium, iron and gelatinous collagen. So even if you’re someone who dislike fatty trotters like me, you’ll still get your collagen from the gravy. I love the lean meat portion of this dish best and I would always water my rice with the black vinegar. Yumz!

This was one of the meals I enjoyed a lot and finished almost everything except the fatty parts of the pork trotter. Whenever there was pork trotter in black vinegar dish, my parents would be able to whip up enough for the whole family from my leftovers with added ingredients.





Week 1 Day 3 Dinner
STIR FRIED CHINESE YAM WITH KAILAN AND LEAN MEAT
山药瘦肉炒芥兰
STEAMED THREADFIN WITH GINGER IN SUPERIOR SOYA SAUCE
港蒸姜丝午鱼
STRONG NOURISHING SOUP
大补元血汤
BROWN RICE
糙米饭



I appreciate it a lot when dishes are easy to eat. Other than the fact that I need to eat my dinner quickly to tend to Baby Ash, I'm a super lazy person who dislike picking bones from my fish and the threadfin dish was one of my favourite protein dish.





Week 1 Day 4 Lunch
STIR FRIED SHANGHAI GREEN WITH CONPOY
清炒干贝上海青
BRAISED SESAME CHICKEN IN SWEET POTATO VERMICELLI
麻油鸡红薯细粉
FENUGREEK GREEN PAPAYA HERBAL FISH SOUP
葫芦巴青木瓜药材鱼汤



The main vermicelli dish itself is enough for my usual lunch serving so you could see just how huge the meal portions are. I usually dislike thick bee hoon and was wondering why this one tasted so good. No wonder! It wasn't thick bee hoon but sweet potato vermicelli, something which I found really unique and wonderfully tasty.





Week 1 Day 4 Dinner
STIR FRIED PEA SHOOT WITH KING OYSTER MUSHROOM
白灵菇炒豆苗
MARMITE MARINATED PORK RIBS
妈密排骨
LOTUS ROOTS AND RED DATES CHICKEN SOUP
莲藕红枣鸡汤
BLACK BARLEY MIXED RICE
黑薏米饭



I just HAVE TO talk about this black barley mixed rice. OMG! I love biting onto the bits of black barley. Before looking at the menu online, I often wonder what the black stuff was whenever they served this rice. My parents also agreed that the texture of the black barley made a lot of difference to the rice. I think my kitty cat Miyo agreed too!





Week 1 Day 5 Lunch
STIR FRIED PORK LIVER WITH WHITE BEEHOON AND KAILAN
芥兰猪肝焖白米粉
SWEET AND SOUR FISH SLICES
酸甜鱼片
HEART CALMING SOUP
安神甜汤



Just like the vermicelli meal, the bee hoon itself was more than enough for my lunch. And I really appreciate the variety of carbs in the whole meal package.





Week 1 Day 5 Dinner
FRENCH BEANS WITH SHIMEJI MUSHROOM
四季豆炒茶树菇
STIR FRIED CHICKEN WITH CAPSICUM IN PUMPKIN SAUCE
金瓜酱炒鸡丁灯笼椒
PORK RIBS SOUP WITH BLACK BEAN
排骨黑豆汤
TRI COLOUR RICE
三色饭



Without looking at the menu, my parents and I could not figure out what the yellow sauce was and thought it was salted egg yolk without the salt to make a healthy dish. It was delicious even if it wasn't salted egg yolk and I was so amazed that pumpkin could achieve such a salted egg yolk sauce effect.





Week 1 Day 6 Lunch
PUMPKIN WITH BLACK FUNGUS
姜丝木耳炒金瓜
STEWED PORK WITH GALANGAL AND LEMONGRASS
香茅南姜炖肉片
CORDYCEPS BLOSSOM SOUP
虫草花炖汤
QUINOA MIXED RICE
藜麥饭



I didn't quite like the visual presentation of this meal without the greens (I need my green vege) but once I started eating, I finished everything. And that cordyceps blossom soup? It tasted like a soup I drank in an atas Chinese restaurant.





Week 2 Day 1 Lunch
STIR FRY ASPARAGUS JAPANESE STYLE
日式炒芦笋
BAKED FILLET FISH WITH GINGER MIRIN SAUCE
味醂香烤鱼柳
UTERINE TONIC SOUP
子宫收缩炖鸡汤
BARLEY MILLET RICE
薏米小米饭



I did not have the weekend meals delivered except for Saturday lunch so I missed out on some delicious weekend meals.





Week 2 Day 1 Dinner
STIR FRIED BROCCOLI WITH SCALLOP
西兰花炒带子
ROSE WINE BRAISED CHICKEN
玫瑰露焖鸡
FENUGREEK GREEN PAPAYA MILKY FISH SOUP
葫芦巴青木瓜牛奶鱼汤
TRI COLOUR RICE
三色饭



While this meal was delicious, I gave my feedback on the broccoli and the chicken. I love broccoli but not when they have thick stems or when they are lightly cooked and hence too crunchy hard. The chicken had some small bits of bones which did not pass my discerning (lazy) mouth. It felt really good when the staff over the phone said he valued my feedback and that he would relay my feedback to the kitchen.





Week 2 Day 2 Lunch
SEARED SALMON WITH CAULIFLOWER CREAM
香煎花椰菜奶油三文鱼
RED BEAN PUREE WITH ORANGE PEEL DESSERT
陈皮红豆沙
TRI COLOUR GRAINS
三色谷



During my difficult pregnancy, I would every now and then have craving for salmon as it is a fish that has a nice “oily fish” taste. It has amazing nutritional value, improves cardiovascular health, enhances tissue development, boosts overall ocular well-being and provides efficient metabolism. Great for pregnant and confinement mummies!



During my maternity leave, I look forward to dishes that are fuss-free and easy to eat as I need to be able to tend to Baby Ash readily. The salmon dish is one such dish. I could finish this Seared Salmon with Cauliflower Cream and Tri Colour Grains in 15 minutes when I usually take 1 hour to finish my meals because Baby Ash loves to sabo me by fussing and crying when I’m eating.





Week 2 Day 2 Dinner
AMARANTH WITH SLICED FISH
鱼片苋菜
STEWED CHICKEN WITH BASIL AND PUMPKIN
九层塔炖金瓜鸡肉
PORK KNUCKLE SOUP WITH LOTUS ROOTS
莲藕猪脚汤
PLAIN RICE
白饭



Super love this green vege amaranth with sliced fish dish. With such a balance of proteins and vege in this single dish, the stewed chicken with basil and pumpkin dish was too much in a meal.





Week 2 Day 3 Lunch
STEAM OKRA WITH CONPOY AND JUJUBE
清蒸干贝红枣羊角豆
BRAISED PORK TROTTER IN BLACK VINEGAR
猪脚醋
MIND CALMING AND LUNG NOURISHING SOUP
健脾润肺甜汤
FIVE GRAIN RICE
五谷饭



I like lady's finger (okra) and never knew they are an important confinement ingredient.  It is rich in potassium, vitamin B, vitamin C, folic acid, and calcium. It is low in calories and has a high dietary fiber content. Lady's finger has been suggested to help manage blood sugar in cases of type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes.





Week 2 Day 3 Dinner
STIR FRIED NAI BAI WITH SHIMEJI MUSHROOM
奶白配茶树菇
STEAMED THREADFIN WITH GINGER IN SUPERIOR SOYA SAUCE
港蒸姜丝午鱼
PORK RIBS SOUP WITH LOTUS SEED AND LILY
莲子百合排骨汤
BROWN RICE



I mentioned I love all their soups right? I remember I did not quite like this soup with pork as the main ingredient and not much Chinese herbs. I somehow found the porky taste really overwhelming.





Week 2 Day 4 Lunch
TIAN WEI SIGNATURE COQ AU VIN
天味招牌法式红酒炖鸡
PAPAYA WHITE FUNGUS DESSERT
炖木瓜雪耳
TOASTED OATS MILLET MIXED RICE
燕麦小米饭



Other than the seared salmon, the coq au vin cooked in red wine is another of Tian Wei Signature fusion meal. The chicken itself was a lot so I left the rice aside. The antioxidants that can be found in the skin of red wine grapes have beneficial effects in women. Red wine can help prevent certain cancers and protect you from heart diseases and osteoporosis, while reducing inflammations caused by arthritis.





Week 2 Day 4 Dinner
STIR FRIED SLICE FISH PEA SHOOT WITH GINGER
姜丝鱼片豆苗
BRAISED GIANT MEATBALL
红烧狮子头
GINSENG NOURISHING SOUP
人参大补炖汤
BLACK BARLEY MIXED RICE
黑薏米饭



Hey look! It's my favourite rice again! And that giant meatball was good too. I tend to avoid large meat balls for Chinese food as I'm afraid of the strong porky taste. These meat balls were yummy.





Week 2 Day 5 Lunch
SPAGHETTI POMODORO AND CAPONATA
茄酱意大利面
BLACK PEPPER FISH FILLET WITH BASIL
九层黑椒鱼柳
MIND-SOOTHING AND HAIR-PROTECTING SOUP
安神护发炖汤



I can't figure out if this meal was fusion or traditional. All I can say is that the soup seems out of place with the spaghetti and fish fillet which are western. However, everything was yummy. I was craving for a new variety of carb.





Week 2 Day 5 Dinner
STIR FRIED FRENCH BEAN WITH EGG AND TOMATO
西红柿四季豆炒蛋
BEETROOT OVEN BAKED CHICKEN
甜菜根焗鸡柳
APPLE WHITE FUNGUS PORK RIB SOUP
苹果银耳排骨汤
TRI COLOUR RICE
三色饭







Week 3 Day 1 Lunch
STIR FRIED CELERY WITH WHITE BEECH MUSHROOM, LOTUS ROOT AND BLACK FUNGUS
西芹莲藕白玉菇木耳
BAKED FILLET FISH WITH GINGER MIRIN SAUCE
味醂香烤鱼柳
SPLEEN STRENGTHENING ABC SOUP
健脾ABC汤
BARLEY MILLET RICE
薏米小米饭



Once again, I skipped the food delivery on weekends and missed the Japanese fusion meal. The dishes from here onward had slight repetition since it was a new week. If you were to take a package with Tian Wei during your confinement period when you are truly confined, you would not miss out on their weekend meals.





Week 3 Day 1 Dinner
BROCCOLI WITH BRAISED SHIITAKE MUSHROOM
西兰花炖花菇
BRAISED CHICKEN WITH BLACK FUNGUS AND ANGELICA
当归木耳焖鸡
TIANQI BLOOD-TONIFYING SOUP
田七补血汤
TRI COLOUR RICE
三色饭






Week 3 Day 2 Lunch
SEARED SALMON WITH CAULIFLOWER CREAM
香煎花椰菜奶油三文鱼
RED BEAN PUREE WITH ORANGE PEEL DESSERT
陈皮红豆沙
TRI COLOUR GRAINS
三色谷







Week 3 Day 2 Dinner
STIR FRIED EGG WITH AMARANTH AND SILVER BAIT FISH
银鱼苋菜炒蛋
HAWTHORN CHICKEN
三楂鸡扒
PEANUT PORK KNUCKLE SOUP
花生猪脚汤
PLAIN RICE
白饭






Week 3 Day 3 Lunch
STEAM OKRA WITH CONPOY AND JUJUBE
清蒸干贝红枣羊角豆
BRAISED PORK TROTTER IN BLACK VINEGAR
猪脚醋
CHINESE YAM AND WOLFBERRY CHICKEN SOUP
山药枸杞鸡汤
FIVE GRAIN RICE
五谷饭






Week 3 Day 3 Dinner
STIR FRIED FRENCH BEAN WITH MUSHROOM AND CHICKEN FILLET
香菇鸡柳四季豆
STEAM GINGER THREADFIN FILLET
姜蓉蒸午鱼
FOUR OBJECT DECOCTION PORK RIBS SOUP
四物排骨汤
BROWN RICE
糙米饭







Week 3 Day 4 Lunch
TIAN WEI SIGNATURE COQ AU VIN
天味招牌法式红酒炖鸡
PAPAYA WHITE FUNGUS DESSERT
炖木瓜雪耳
TOASTED OATS MILLET MIXED RICE
燕麦小米饭




Each meal came with 1 litre of red dates tea which came in 2 cups as shown. I get unbelievably thirsty while breastfeeding that after my confinement period, I resorted to drinking 100 Plus and coconut water straight from the fridge as plain water could not quench my thirst. These red dates tea could quench my thirst such that all the drinks in my fridge were untouched. I don't know the logic of how red dates tea could quench thirst but it really did!




My parents and sometimes my 2nd sis would come over my house every few days. Here is an example of how the portions are so huge that my parents were able to make use of that day's meals to whip up a dinner for 3 to 4 pax. My mum would even rehash the leftover nutritious ingredients from my finished soup to make a new batch of wonderfully tasting soup!




All in all, I had a really pleasant experience with Tian Wei Signature. Should I have another child and should my confinement lady not be available, I would definitely engage Tian Wei's service.

For more information, you can visit:
Tian Wei Signature Home page
Tian Wei Signature Facebook
Tian Wei Signature Instagram