KL Sedap 2014 Part 5: Chili's

Chili's is definitely one of the more popular names when it comes to Western food fare especially when we go over to Malaysia since we can't have it here in Singapore. And yeah there are more choices nowadays but Chili's has been around for quite awhile and still seems like a very popular place to visit!

Burgers, Ribs, Steaks, Mexican - you name it and you can get it here!

Classic Nachos (RM25.95)

Okay we have to start by saying that this was not what we were expecting... LOL
When someone says Nachos, I think of a nice big messy pile of Nacho chips, beef, jalapenos, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, lettuce and cheese all looking gooey and stuff like that.

Well, this was a very... err... well presented plate of Nachos!

The Nacho chips were coated with some melted cheese and you're supposed to scoop on some salsa, guacamole and sour cream and have the chips like that one by one. Well, I guess that's one way to do it but maybe having it the good old fashioned (and more messy) way might have been more enjoyable. The taste was okay but definitely something different from the norm 'Nachos' we have.

Wings Over Buffalo (RM22.95)

Another appetizer we decided to have was Chili's take on Buffalo Wings.
Comes with some celery sticks to dip into the ranch sauce provided as well so you get your veggie intake while enjoying the junk food LOL

Let us give you a WARNING...
These wings are coated with a buffalo seasoning which probably includes a nice big dash of Tobasco Sauce... How did we find out? When you bring the wings to your mouth to quickly, you're probably gonna get a nice big whiff of the Tobasco in your nostrils. And THAT'S when you find out.

But besides the surprise, the wings were okay for a started. A little crispy on the outside and the BBQ flavour is really gonna awaken your tastebuds.

And another thing... they're kinda... small.

Guacamole Burger (RM25.95)

Time to starts on the mains and a nice bid ol' burger will do the trick.
You've got a nice juicy beef patty that's piled on with sauteed bell peppers, fire-roasted Jalapenos, caramelized onions, cumin-lime sour cream, Monterey Jack cheese and, of course, a nice big dollop of guacamole!

For the benefit of those who might be going "What's Guacamole??" right about now...
Well, it's a Mexican-food must-have and made up mainly of mashed-up Avocados. Some seasoning like salt and pepper is probable and some versions even go extreme.

Well, just the simple stuff here and the beef patty was cooked to perfection. This would be a great dish for someone who really loves burgers or is just really really hungry.

Chicken Crispers (RM26.95)

I actually wish I had taken this dish because it looks so darn good!
Hand-battered chicken strips are deep fried to a nice crispy perfection before being bathed in sweet-spicy sauce. Served with fries and come corn... MACAM POWER LIKE THAT!!

Anyways, because it's chicken breast and because it's deep fried, it turned out a bit dry...

BBQ Beef Ribs (RM57.95)

Here's what I had... And you know I'm gonna go for the meat right?
And even though we'd just had ribs at Tony Roma's awhile back, I couldn't resist to see if the ribs here were any different (or any better for that matter)

I will say that the ribs were considerably smaller but still had a very distinct BBQ flavour to them.
As you can see, they really baste it on there and you can even add more if you'd like.

Meat was tender but a little on the dry side though. But I guess I really can't complain much because I still quite enjoyed the ribs. And the serving was actually just nice for 1 person especially if you're going to have some side dishes to go along.

Southwestern Grilled Lamb (RM36.95)

This was probably the best-cooked meat on the table this time around.
The lamb was simply perfectly cooked and a nice medium well. Tender to cut and a great juicy flavour to it too!

You've got some Black Pepper sauce to go along if that's your thing. Enjoy with some mashed potatoes and veggies too.

Flame Grilled Ribeye Steak (RM55.95)

Here's the biggest disappointment of the meal....

We'd asked for the meat to be Medium Well but it arrived Blue.
What exactly is Blue? Well, it's the stage in between Rare and Medium Rare. That means only the outside is lightly seared and the meat inside is still pretty much raw. You can actually see this towards the bottom of the steak in that picture above... See those raw bits?

Yeah some people might go for that but not us and it was disappointing to order a good cut of meat and have it served not to expectations...

Anyways we send it back and they cooked it a little bit more and that was that.

Adam's Verdict:
BBQ Beef Ribs 2.5/5 -- Classic Nachos 1.5/5 -- Wings Over Buffalo 1.5/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Southwestern Grilled Lamb 4/5 -- Classic Nachos 2/5 -- Wings Over Buffalo 2.5/5

Razali's Verdict:
Flame Grilled Ribeye Steak 3/5 -- Classic Nachos 3.5/5 -- Wings Over Buffalo 4/5

Fateha's Verdict:
Chicken Crispers 3/5 -- Classic Nachos 2.5/5 -- Wings Over Buffalo 3/5

Azim's Verdict:
Guacamole Burger 4/5 -- Classic Nachos 3/5 -- Wings Over Buffalo 4.5/5

So I guess Chili's is actually not too bad. They do have quite a big menu so you can really try a few things if you're looking for something you like.

CHILD FRIENDLY FACTOR

Ask the staff about the 'Kids Eat Free' specials they have! And yes they do have baby chairs upon request. But try and ask for a table near the window if possible because the booths are pretty crampy. Plus at least you'll have a nice view while you eat.

Overall Child Friend Rating - 4/5

Chili's

Lot 346B Level 3, Suria KLCC
Kuala Lumpur City Centre

Tel : +60 3 2164 1400
www.chilis.com.my

Operating Hours:
Sunday - Thursday :11.00am - 11.00pm
Friday & Saturday :11.00am - 12.00am

Nefertiti Restaurant & Cafe

No we're not here to give you a history lesson about Ancient Egypt (although it's pretty interesting) but we are here to fill you in (and fill you up) about the great food that can be found at Nefertiti Restaurant. And in case you were wondering, Nefertiti was an Egyptian Queen :)

So this restaurant is in the heart of one of our favourite makan areas - Arab Street.
In fact, it's been there for quite awhile and has been serving up some pretty awesome food!

They specialize in Egyptian and Mediterranean food so let's run through what we had.

Nefertiti Mixed Mezza Platter ($19.50)

The problem with us is that we love to eat and that means as many types of food as we can. So we normally end up trying any sort of platter there might be and if anything is extra special, we'd probably order up and extra serving of it LOL

The Nefertiti Mixed Mezza Platter is a great place to start here. Gives us a good chance to sample some of the flavours offered up at Nefertiti and gets our tastebuds in tune for the main course to come. So let's run down what we have in this platter shall we? Let's go clockwise!

Vine Leaves

These are actual Vine Leaves and they are stuffed with some rice which has been seasoned.
Most people will tell you that the leaves are a little bitter but it's not that bad. In fact, if you take a bite, you'll get more of a tart and sourish taste which is excellent to get your tastebuds going!

Mirza Gasemi

Mirza Gasemi is actually eggplant with some tomatoes, garlic and some other spices to make up this delicious concoction. When we have eggplant it's normally Baba Ganoush so this was a welcome surprise!

Hummus

Here's something pretty standard and in fact one of our faves ever. We could go through a whole tub of Hummus no jokes I tell you.

Chickpea puree with Tahini (Sesame Seed Puree), Garlic, Lemon juice and Olive Oil is a sure winner in our books! If you want a bigger serving, try the Hummus Bil Laham ($12.00) which also comes with lamb!!

Hummus Bngar

This is actually Hummus (Chickpea and Sesame Seed puree) with some beetroot added in.
That's what gives it a bright pinkish/purplish hue. This also gives it a little bit more of a sharp edge but still delicious nonetheless. Scoop it all up with the pita bread that comes along!

By the way, in that picture (and a few others too!) is another item on the platter- Falafel!
Those little cutlets are made up of chickpea, onions, garlic and some other goodies before being deep fried!

Moutabel

This is also an eggplant based dish. Kinda like the Mirza Gasemi but without so many spices we guess. This one has Tahini and lemon juice added in instead for a milder flavour.

Labneh

Fattoush

Labneh is actually strained yoghurt with a hint of mint and garlic. I didn't really get the mint nor the garlic but yoghurt is always welcome on my plate. Yoghurt and Arab/Middle Eastern food always goes together am I right?

The Fattoush is salad more than anything else. Lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber with some tasty dressing plus some toasty pita bits makes for a great salad!

Are you with us so far? That was just the appetizer platter mind you. Let's start with the mains!

Mix Grill Platter ($33.00)

If you're a meat eater like us, then this is the one for you!
We're talking about a whole lot of meat to chomp down on and definitely fill you up!!

You get a nice serving of this super fragrant rice which goes so well with the meat platter. Top it off with some light onion and lettuce salad and it's a winner!

And a special mention for the condiments! That's no ordinary sambal and mayonaise!
Try it and you will see why we say it's really special!

So besides the rice, you are definitely gonna enjoy the meat on offer too.
You've got Kofat Lamb, Kofta Chicken, Shish Taouk (Chicken) and Shish Kebab (Beef) and boy oh boy were the all good!

The Koftas were superb I tell you. Even if I were not a meat-lover, I'd still tell you to try this because it's that good! Tasty and seasoned really well. And the meat was still so moist and not at all dry like some place where I've had Kofta before.

There's also a piece of lamb chop for you to dig into. Cooked to perfection. Just cut into it when you order and you'll see what we mean. If you love Lamb Chops then you should get the Lamb Chops dish (coming up in awhile)

But to me personally the winner on this platter were the kebabs and specifically the Shish Kebab which is the beef kebab. The first bite I took of the Shish Kebab and I literally went "Wow". We all know how tough and dry beef can get if it's not cooked properly and it's so easy to overcook especially when you grill it.

Executive Chef Amr Elgohary comes all the way from Egypt with over a decade of experience so it's little wonder that the food is so good!

Lamb Chops ($22.00)

As we have mentioned, the Lamb Chops are superb!
If one small chop on the platter is not enough then you should go for the full monty and satisfy your meat cravings. Plenty of lamb here!

You can also choose from BBQ, Black Pepper or Brown Sauce but as you can see from the picture, we went without any of that and the Lamb Chops were still excellent. Truly the mark of a good dish!
I guess this is a combination of a good chef plus quality ingredients!

But one thing that surprised us is that the menu had more than just your typical Egyptian / Middle Eastern fare. You can find other cuisines with dishes like Fish and Chips, Fajitas and even Pizzas and Pastas on the menu!

Executive Chef Amr Elgohary explained that they wanted to give diners the option to have some alternatives just in case but they still make the dishes really well! But if you wanna stick to the theme, then you also have other dishes like Wraps, Kebabs, Mandi Rice, Assorted Grilled Meats and even desserts like Baklava.

Turkish Coffee ($5.50)

Or you could just wash down your meal with a Turkish Coffee.
This is Espresso-style by the way so expect it to be really strong!!

Adam's Verdict:
Nefertiti Mixed Mezza Platter 4/5 -- Mix Grill Platter 4.5/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Nefertiti Mixed Mezza Platter 3.5/5 -- Mix Grill Platter 3.5/5 -- Lamb Chops 3.5/5

Azlan's Verdict:
Nefertiti Mixed Mezza Platter 4/5 -- Mix Grill Platter 4/5

In the end, I know you might say that there are plenty of makan places in the Arab Street area that serve the same type of food and yeah that's true but I think it's the small details that make the difference.

If you have not yet tried Nefertiti Restaurant, then have a go and you'll see what we mean.

Nefertiti Restaurant & Cafe

No 47 Arab Street

www.nefertiti.com.sg
www.facebook.com/nefertiti.restaurant
Tel: 6294 1135

Operating Hours:
12.00pm til 11.30pm Monday til Thursday
12.00pm til 2.00am Fridays and Saturdays
12.00pm til 11.30pm  Sundays

J's

When we first started the blog not too long ago (like 2 years ago lah!), we received a message inviting us to a newly Halal-certified restaurant located at Purvis Street. And that place was J's.

We were so busy with work and one thing always leads to another and we never did get to visit J's.
Every now and then we'd hear someone mention J's or we'd read about it somewhere online and we were sure we'd eventually be lucky enough to visit. And finally the day had come. And we didn't come down as invited guests mind you. We visited a normal diners to see if we would have the experience we had been hoping for almost 2 years in the making.

Boy oh boy did I hope this was a good meal!

Poppers ($17.00)

So we started off with something to whet our appetites and what better than some Jalapeño Poppers!
This is a classic appetizer and a great snack on its own actually. Jalapeño peppers are stuffed with mozzarella cheese, breaded and deep fried!

Served with a small salad and also some salsa and guacamole to go along.
And how does the inside look like?

Chef's Salad ($18.00)

Something else to start with is the Chef's Salad.
This is definitely one to share with a group because as you can see it's pretty.. errr... vast!

It has the usual mix of green leaves, tomatoes, onions, baby radishes (which were a nice touch), avocado and some pretty nice roasted chicken. Also coming along is a sesame dressing which you can choose to drizzle over or just simply leave it out depending on your tastes.

Have I mentioned this one is definitely for sharing?

Beef Fajitas ($33.00)

Mein Brudder went for the Beef Fajitas (you could also choose the chicken if you'd like) which is served up with onions, peppers on a sizzling hot plate.

The only other place we've had Fajitas is at Hard Rock Cafe when we visit across the Causeway and we hold that as the standard because, well, we don't have anything else to compare with. Well both are served on a hot plate and even though it comes with some peppers, I'd say that the Fajitas here look kinda messy to be honest.

 

The Fajitas of course some with some accompanying tortillas, guacamole, salsa, sour cream and cheese to tuck in and pack up before you gobble down.

But if you're a meat lover than this is it! Wish they'd have an option to have a mix of meats though.

Sirloin of Beef ($32.00)

Another choice for all you meat lovers is the Sirloin of Beef. 180gms of pure meat for you served with some garlic mashed potatoes and accompanying veggies.

The feedback on this is that it's pretty standard but a real pity that again we don't get the correct doneness that we asked for. Does the picture above look like medium-well to you? Quite disappointing considering the price you pay.

Catch of the Day ($27.00)

A departure from all the meat perhaps? Then you might want to try the Catch of the Day!
When we visited, it happened to be the seabass which was cooked perfectly.

My mum really seemed to enjoy this (and she's REALLY picky about her fish) so that means it must have been good right? They even try to dress up the plate quite creatively but I guess in the end the fish had better be nice and thankfully this time it seems like it was.

Braised Lamb Shank ($33.00)

I could have gone for the Adobo Chicken or the Paella but hey I'm the meat guy o I went for the Braised Lamb Shank because I have a soft spot for slow-cooked meats.

Pretty generous lamb shank rests on a bed of parmesan mashed potatoes and dressed up with some simple garnishes so you can enjoy the meat and the braised flavour that comes along. And as you can see the meat is pretty tender.

And there was absolutely no gamey 'lamby' taste. How can I confirm that? Mein Bruder hates lamb and mutton because of the smell/taste but even he took a few bites of this dish!

And since it was a celebration, we decided to finish off with some desserts because there some pretty interesting ones on the menu that we wouldn't mind trying.

Bocas Negras ($12.00)

This was a warm chocolate lava cake with "edible soil" (yes the menu actually says that), citrus espuma and  chocolate ice-cream. I guess this is one of those desserts where you get a little of everything. You get your dose of chocolate with some citrus tang and even the chance to try something innovative.

So what exactly is the "edible soil"?

"Edible Soil"

We were son intrigued that we literally asked the staff whether this was really soil?
Well, sorry to burst your bubble kiddos - it's a peanut-based crush mixture. Oh well. It's innovative I'll definitely give it that much!

And how was the lava cake?

Churros with Bananas & Mangoes ($12.00)

Well we saw Churros and you know we simply can't resist right?
And what's more - it's paired with Mascarpone!!

Okay so it's actually a Mascarpone sabayon mixture that's infused with a little coconut flavour (that we actually couldn't detect). Inside the jar, you'll find a delicious mix of salted caramel bananas and sweet fresh mangoes while some berries line the top of the mixture.

This was really the highlight of the dish to us. Maybe we love cheese and all the more when it's used in a dessert but this was simply a delight and (believe it or not) the best thing I had that evening.

Unfortunately the Churros themselves didn't fare so well...
I'm not sure if maybe it's because they were too thick or something but the insides were not really cooked through properly... Check out the picture below... That's just dough...

We also had some of the specialty drinks aka J's Signature Drinks that evening to wash our meal down. You could choose from their Sodas or even some soft drink but if a place has 'Siganture' drinks then you know you have to try them right?

Salty Lime ($8.00)

I was the hero and went for the Salty Lime which is fashioned like a margarita-styled beverage complete with salt around the rim so you get the 'salty' part whenever you take a sip. And boy oh boy was this drink living up to its name because the 'lime' was really sour too!

I guess this was something refreshing and helped to awaken my tastebuds but I'd recommend this only if you love sour things.

Lychee Cooler ($8.00)

My Darling Wife went with the safe choice known as the Lychee Cooler. Quite a safe bet.
Fruit punch gone fizzy and you have some lychees in there too.

It's so nice that Mein Bruder is already having a go in the picture LOL

Cuban Mint ($8.00)

And last but definitely not least was the Cuban Mint which turned out to be pretty much everyone's favourite that evening.

This one is style after the Mojito and has a fresh flavour with lime and some mint. It's not as sour as the Salty Lime so it's nice and easy on the palate but you'll have to accept the fact that it comes in a pretty small glass.

Adam's Verdict:
Poppers 3.5/5 -- Chef's Salad 3/5 -- Beef Fajitas 3/5 -- Catch of the Day 2.5/5
Braised Lamb Shank 3.5/5 -- Bocas Negras 2.5/5 -- Churros with Bananas & Mangoes 3.5/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Poppers 2.5/5 -- Chef's Salad 3/5 -- Sirloin of Beef 2/5 -- Bocas Negras 3/5
Churros with Bananas & Mangoes 2.5/5

Azlan's Verdict:
Poppers 2.5/5 -- Chef's Salad 4/5 -- Beef Fajitas 4/5 -- Sirloin of Beef 3/5 
Catch of the Day 4/5 -- Braised Lamb Shank 4/5 -- Bocas Negras 4/5
Churros with Bananas & Mangoes 2/5

Dad's Verdict:
Poppers 3/5 -- Chef's Salad 3.5/5 -- Sirloin of Beef 3/5 -- Catch of the Day 3/5
Braised Lamb Shank 4/5 -- Churros with Bananas & Mangoes 1/5

Mum's Verdict:
Poppers 3/5 -- Chef's Salad 4/5 -- Sirloin of Beef 3.5/5 -- Catch of the Day 4/5
Braised Lamb Shank 3.5/5 -- Churros with Bananas & Mangoes 2/5

Leslie's Verdict:
Chef's Salad 3.5/5 -- Beef Fajitas 3.5/5 -- Sirloin of Beef 2/5 -- Catch of the Day 4/5
Braised Lamb Shank 2/5 -- Bocas Negras 3.5/5 -- Churros with Bananas & Mangoes 3/5

One thing I notice about J's Restaurant is that it does not have a very wide selection of food. you could probably go through the whole menu in 2-3 visits but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Perhaps J's is taking the stance that they serve only a limited selection but these are dishes that they do extremely well.

And so they should especially since the dishes are priced on the higher side than most.
But you do get quality ingredients for the most part. Now, if only they could cook the steak the wat we asked... Hmmmm.... Well at least the staff were very nice.

J's Restaurant

7 Purvis Street #01-01

Tel: +65 6887 4787
www.dineatjs.com

Operating Hours:
Lunch
12.00pm to 2.00pm Mondays-Friday, Sundays
(No Lunch on Saturdays)

Dinner
6.30pm to 10.00pm Mondays - Thursdays
6.30pm to 10.30pm Fridays - Saturdays
6.30pm to 10.30pm Sundays