Makan vs Makan --- Rendang Burger

I don't know why it took us so long to think of this...
In fact the promo for BK has already ended and McDonalds' one is probably gonna end soon but we are gonna put up this post anyways just for debating sake.

Anyways I think quite a number of you have already had this debate amongst yourselves...

Everyone was abuzz when Burger King suddenly re-launched a special promo for one of Singapore's most beloved burgers of all time - The Rendang Burger!

But for some reason... something just wasn't right. It just didn't seem to be able to match up to the original burger that was stopped back in 2004...

And then, McDonalds masuk campur and released their own version of the Rendang Burger...

McDonalds' (Single) Rendang Burger ($6.80 for the meal)

BK (Single) Rendang Deluxe ($6.95 for the meal)

As always, we had to be fair and order the same version for both places.
We ordered the Single Rendang version but both BK and McDonalds offered the Double version as well.

The first thing we simply have to touch on was the taste. Were they able to replicate the unique taste of Rendang with their own versions of the special sauce?

In this department, the hands-down winner was the McDonalds' version.
It tasted the closest to actual Rendang so much so that you could even taste a hint of lemongrass when you took a big bite of the burger. The BK version however merely tasted like a not-so-peanuty Satay sauce.
And they go the extra mile by adding, of all things, mayonnaise and  turkey bacon.

Which really makes you wonder. If the original BK version had such a fantastic and popular sauce, why wouldn't they try and get the same thing or at least something close? It can't be that not a single person didn't realize that this didn't taste anything like the original right? And adding stuff which doesn't really compliment the burger doesn't really help either...

Besides the sauce, another thing we noted was the onions that top the burger...

As you can see from the pictures above, McDonalds definitely gives you more onions which will surely pack a punch in the flavour department.

It's actually really baffling. The original BK Rendang burger used fresh onion rings which made a big difference so it's kinda weird that they would used chopped onions in the new version. And further to that, McDonalds, which is famed for using chopped onions in almost all their burgers, uses bigger onions strips in this burger.

Even small factors like this make such a big difference...

As you may know, my Darling Wife and I used to work at BK when the original Rendang Burger was being sold and it was definitely one of the most unique burgers out there. But in this case...

The winner is -

The McDonalds Rendang Burger

I think this one was pretty unanimous and I'm guessing most of you had the same feeling?

Actually, I think there are some people who might actually choose BK as the winner and we're actually prety curious to know what might have made you decide that the BK version was better than the McDonalds one.

Please leave us a comment!

Well anyways, let's be honest.

Even though the McDonalds Rendang Burger won here, nothing matches up to the original BK Rendang.

So far...

The Battle Of The Bone Steak Part 1: Al-Tasneem

So we have the Quest For Briyani Series. Soon we will have the Nasi Lemak Chronicles.
But the one thing that A LOT of readers have been asking me to start is a series that samples the various offerings of Bone Steak aka Tulang Merah that we can find around our little island.

It used to be really simple because the only place you needed to go to for Tulang Merah was the Beach Road Army Market where there was a row of shops for you to choose from and indulge in a plate full of the fiery red dish we all love. But the times have changed and now there are makan places spread far and wide across Singapore and trust me -people are willing to travel from one side of the island to the other just to get some of their favourite Tulang Merah.

So this time we are not starting at the 'heart' of Bone Steak in Beach Road...
But it's pretty nearby.

Tulang Merah ($10.00)

Al-Tasneem is not really the first name that comes to mind when someone says "Tulang Merah".
In fact, we didn't even know we were going to be having Bone Steak when we made our way there!

We just got off the bus at Beach Road and wanted to have some dinner.
Our original destination was actually M.A. Deen Biasa for some of their famous Tulang Merah but unfortunately they were closed for renovations. So we walked a little further down and stumbled upon Al-Tasneem.

What caught our eyes initially was the Murtabak Rusa but when we found out there was Tulang Merah on the menu, there was no question. It's definitely value for money because you get about 6-7 bones for $10.

If you're like me, then the meat around the bones is a really big factor. And at Al-Tasneem, you meat lovers will have absolutely no problems!

The meat on the bones is plentiful and EXTREMELY tender. It tears off the bones easily (you can even use a fork and spoon) and it does not have that overwhelming mutton smell/taste that you might expect.

A nice piece of bread to soak up all that delicious gravy!!
Doesn't that look lovely?? *mouth watering*

The gravy itself is a little on the spicy side but I don't think anyone will complain about that. Razali says that it's good for tourists who wanna try the local flavour but maybe can't take the spicy food.
It's mixed up with some eggs to give it a big of texture (Azim thinks it's a little too much egg) and your bread is all ready for action from the plate to your mouth!

I know one thing is cause for concern - the red food colouring problem.
Quite a lo of places add artificial red colouring to give their Tulang Merah the extra 'merah' part and that means that yr hands an mouth ad face (ad possible clothes) will be red by the time you are done.
So is this the case?

Not at all. I am glad to report that there is little (or I dare say NO) food colouring used here.
And although that means no red coloured faces, my darling wife warns all ladies to try and 'maintain' while eating the Tulang Merah or else you might have a different type of 'red face' especially if people are watching.
Hehehe.

But I do have one down side to report - the gravy was a little on the salty side...
It was so weird because even the Murtabak Rusa (and curry) were salty too. Maybe a case of the chef having a bit too much fun with the salt that night? Hmmmm....

So am I forgetting anything? Oh yes.

Something is peeking...

This is something I am SURE is one the big reasons people love to eat Tulang Merah.
The much coveted marrow or 'som-som' is an acquired taste for sure but once you you start, you're probably going to need to start wrestling with others for it.

And the quality of the marrow at Al-Tasneem that night was extremely fresh and plentiful.
It was so fresh that it comes up in one big piece for you after a few knocks as compared to some places where it's half-liquid by the time you complete your struggle to knock it out.
No straws required here!!

Adam's Verdict:
Tulang Merah 3.5/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Tulang Merah 3.5/5

Razali's Verdict:
Tulang Merah 3.5/5

Azim's Verdict:
Tulang Merah 3/5

I'd say this is not bad for start on our grand tour of Tulang Merah.
Hopefully next time we visit Al-Tasneem, it'll be less salty!

Al-Tasneem Restaurant

709 North Bridge Road
Tel: 6291 1781 / 6298 2047

Operating Hours:
8.00am til 11.00pm Daily

Makan vs Makan --- Indian Rojak

When I first started this blog, I had this idea where I would have what I referred to as 'Battles'.
That's right. Say it with me people - BATTLE!!! (Sounds very the Iron Chef right?)

These were just comparison posts where, instead of the usual format where each makan place or dish would have individual posts, 2 makan places would go head-to-head. But how will the winner be decided?
Well, that's where YOU come in!

It's actually very simple. Makan vs Makan. And we see who's the winner is.

The only hard and fast rule is that the makan being compared has got to be the same.
Meaning, if I'm reviewing Nasi Briyani, I'd have to compare the same type, like Mutton Briyani vs Mutton Briyani because it wouldn't be fair to compare Mutton Briyani vs Chicken Briyani you know what I mean?

And so without further ado, I present to you

MAKAN vs MAKAN -- INDIAN ROJAK!!!

ABDHUS SALAM ROJAK vs HABIB'S ROJAK

The weird thing is this was a totally unexpected development.
We had actually gone all the way to Ayer Rajah Food Centre based on some recommendations by some of our readers to try the Mee Kuah there. Bu when we arrived, I remember that @SarinaMohamed had told me about some Indian Rojak which was apparently the bomb.

And so we decided on the spur of the moment to have both. At the same time.

 Resident Reviewers - Maryah & Adam

Guest Reviewers - Azlan & Yana

So we went to place our orders at both stalls. And as per the rules, we chose all the same items from each stall so we could have an even review on the Indian Rojak.

We orders Hotdog, Paru (Beef Lung), Fish Cake, Fish Fillet, Potato, Wadeh, and Dough with Egg.
So that makes 7 items on each plate x 2 plates.

And this is what it looked like what they arrived.

Abdhus Salam Rojak ($11.00)

Habib's Rojak ($10.00)

Okay firstly, the orders were placed at the same time but they arrived separately.
Abdhus delivered the food after 15 minutes and Habib's only arrived another 10 minutes after that.
A sign of inefficiency? Or a sign that Habib had more orders to cope with signalling they were more popular?
Hmmmmm...

And another thing to note - for exactly the same items, Abdhus' plate of rojak costs $1.00 more.
A small amount I know and I surely wouldn't mind paying $1.00 more if the rojak is better.
But was it better?

Well for some of the items (Hotdog, Fish Cake and Dough with Egg) it was even down the middle with 2 votes each. And for some other items, it was a little more clear cut.

Abdhus won the round when it came to the Paru (Beef Lung) and it was obviously down to personal preference. Do you like your Paru thin and crispy or slight thicker cut? Well Abhus sliced their Paru a little thinner so that means it was a little less chewy (rubbery) than Habib's.

Habib seems to have swept most of the remaining items though!
The Potato from Habib was unanimously better than Abdhus.

Maryah was the only one who preferred the Wadeh from Abdhus because she says it didn't have such a "strong prawn-y smell) while the rest of us thought the one from Habib has a better dough.

But when it came to the Fish Fillet, I was the one who went the opposite direction.
I went for the Abdhus one while the rest were obviously smitten with the one from Habib.
And I guess one of the reasons was the batter that they used.

More Batter? Less Batter? Which is Better?

And by the way, Abdhus coated quite a number of their items with that batter you see above.
I guess in most cases, it rocks but some might find it a little bit too much after awhile.

And now, the part that some (or dare I say, most) people would consider an important part of Indian Rojak.
What about the Kuah?!?

Abdhus' Kuah

Habib's Kuah

Yana has no comment on the kuah because she preferred her Indian Rojak au naturel.
But what did the rest of us think? Well, Abdhus seemed to be the favourite.
Azlan liked Habib's better because it was sweeter while Maryah and me agreed that Abdhus' was tastier and I thought it was better because it had a little bit more of a spicy kick to it.

And as you can see, Abdhus' kuah is thicker so perhaps again down to preference?

The Final Verdict:

Adam's Choice - Abdhus Salam Rojak (Presentation plays a part)
Maryah's Choice - Abdhus Salam Rojak (Most steady Kuah)
Azlan's Choice - Habib's Rojak (Conflicted but Habib wins based on Kuah and price)
Yana's Choice - Habib's Rojak (Family always eats at this stall)

OMG! Couldn't the first ever BATTLE end in a draw? Well it sure seems like it.
Looks like I'm going to have to put this to a vote and hopefully the audience will help us decide...

And after a whole week, literally no one voted... Hmm I might to re-think that part.
Well I guess in that case there's only one outcome...

DRAW MATCH!!!

Well these two stalls were so closely matched I think this was a fair result.
It seems to be just minor differences in opinions mostly due to personal preferences.

So which one do you think you'll like better?

Abdhus Salam Rojak (Stall 73)

Blk 73A Ayer Rajah Crescent
#01-73

Operating Hours:
11.00am til 11.00pm (Closed on Mondays)

Habib's Rojak (Stall 68)

Blk 73A Ayer Rajah Crescent

#01-73

Operating Hours:

11.30am til 10.30pm Daily