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

KL Sedap 2014 Part 2: Tony Roma's

Tony oh Tony... you master of the beef ribs.
I don't know about you guys but when someone says beef ribs, we think of Tony Roma's. Yeah we know that we have to go across the Causeway to get our fix (for now) but hey when we're in the area we figure why not? Cos it's the rocks!

But first, something to get the appetite going (as if BBQ Beef Ribs were not enough)

Kickin' Shrimp (RM26.90)

I'm not really the shrimp/prawn guy because I'm really fussy about it. Yeah I know but hey that's just me. It's gotta be done some way I really like or I really can't be bothered. But these Kickin' Shrimp were not half bad to be honest.

They're coated in this kinda like spicy mayonnaise cream and just the right size to pop into your mouth for a nice bite. The sesame seeds are a nice tough and give a nice texture contrast. Not a bad start to the meal I'd say.

Onion Loaf (RM12.90)

Something deep fried can seldom go wrong and the Onion Loaf is a good example. When you're talking good ol' deep fried goodness, onions are a good bet!

Giant Spanish onions are ringed, battered up and fried to a nice crisp for you to dig into. You could go in with a fork but you know the best way is to just dig in with your fingers. The batter has a nice crisp to it and the onions are not going to overpower your tastebuds don't worry.

The only fault I found is that it's served with a BBQ sauce. I'd much rather have my deep fried battered onions served with a nice creamy ranch sauce. It's because of this factor that I'd still rank the Onion Glory at The Manhattan FISH Market still #1 in our books for deep fried onions.

Strawberry Walnut Salad (RM19.90)

For all you salad fans this one is for you. Some greens tossed in with walnuts, strawberries and feta cheese and a tangy vinaigrette here. Nothing really spectacular here but I'd definitely give points for the fate cheese.

Bountiful Beef Ribs

 Now this is what we are talking about - MEAT!!!

Time to unleash your inner caveman/cavewoman and enjoy a nice rack of BBQ Beef Ribs. These big ol' things are BBQ-ed to perfection in BBQ sauce. The meat is so succulent and tear off the bone with no issues whatsoever.

Like we said - cooked perfectly! It's got a nice char on the outside and inside you get some meat and some chewy bits. ZOMG I'm drooling just thinking about it!!

If you find the meat a little too dry for your taste, you can squirt on some additional BBQ sauce too.
They have a few flavours to choose from depending on what your taste is... Blue Ridge Smokies for that extra smoky flavour, Carolina Honeys for that sweet hint, Tony Roma's Red Hots for the spicy seekers and last but not least The Original BBQ Sauce.

Put on whatever sauce you want in whatever combination. The star is still the meat!!

You can choose to a Roma Rack of Ribs (RM53.90) or go the full monty with a Full Slab (RM78.90).

Filet Medallions and... Beef Ribs (RM69.90)

We decided we wanted to try some steak too and the Filet Medallions seemed like a good choice. But as you can see from the picture, it was a big disappointing.... And those ribs there are supposed to be the same Bountiful Beef Ribs from the first picture above but errr.... so different right...

So if you're going for the BBQ Beef Ribs, then we'd suggest you just go for the BBQ Beef Ribs.

Anyways as you can see from the pictures above, you do get some sides to go with your ribs...
You can choose from

• Fire Roasted Vegetables
• Cole Slaw*
• Corn on the Cob*
• French Fries*
• Loaded Mash Potatoes*
• Rice
• Ranch Style Beans
• Fresh Vegetables
• Baked Potato

The ones with the * are the ones we have tried. The Loaded Mashed Potatoes are a must and the Corn is a nice touch to be honest. If you want more sides that what you get in your meal, feel free to add on as much as you'd like but keep in the mind that the ribs are a big filler-upper!

Mint & Fruit Dream (RM14.90)

Orange juice, strawberries and cane sugar plus some mint make up this refreshing beverage that is guaranteed to cool you down. To be honest, one is not enough LOL
But do keep in mind that the fruit garnish may be fresh but not necessarily sweet *wink*

Adam's Verdict
Kickin' Shrimp 3/5 -- Onion Loaf 2/5 --  Strawberry Walnut Salad 1.5/5
Bountiful Beef Ribs 5/5 -- Mint & Fruit Dream 3.5/5

Maryah's Verdict
Bountiful Beef Ribs 4.5/5

Well, until a better beef ribs joint comes a long (and is Halal) then this is tops in our list.
May the beef be with you.

And before any of you go "Are you sure Halal? No lah not Halal! Got alcohol how come you say Halal?", please note that they do it a little differently in Malaysia compared to Singapore :)
Please do enjoy this read at this link. Maybe it'll help.

http://www.businessinsider.sg/heres-tony-romas-won-customers-muslim-majority-malaysia/

PS no need to go all the way to KL! Johor Bahru City Centre also got Tony Roma's!!
Thanks to our reader @NoraHirin for the heads up!!

Tony Roma's

Pavilion KL
168 Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur
Lot No. 1.15, Level 1

Tel 603-2143 3278
www.tonyromas.com.my

Operating Hours:
11.00am til 10.00pm Daily

Badoque Part II

Okay so I'm sure you all remember our first visit to Badoque right?
After so long talking about it, we finally made our way there but I guess a lot of you were still expecting us to try dishes that might be considered their 'signature' dishes?

Well, we went back. And we did.

Badoque Beef Ribs ($28.00)

Oh yeah. We decided to try the "Daging Gedegak" as they affectionately refer to it. Seen so many Instagram pictures of people holding up what seemed to be dinosaur bones and we finally had one in front of us!

Firstly, let me confirm that the Beef Ribs are as big as they look like in the picture. In fact, they look bigger in person! *GULP*

And we are talking about the real deal here. No pussyfooting around here. It's a huge chunk of meat still on bone and smoking hot waiting to be devoured. It's actually pretty intimidating LOL
Heard a few friends say they tried before and could not finish and I can see why.

It's predominantly a BBQ-sauce flavour because that's what the sauce is but beef ribs are definitely power when it's BBQ right. And you get a nice serving of roasted seasonal vegetables (which you might not be able to finish) but I have seen some shots where the ribs are served with some potato fores instead. Oh and there's a salad too. But I'm guessing you'll be concentrating on finishing the meat first!

If you're in the mood for a fiesta of meat on your plate, then look no further. This is probably the best beef ribs I've had in Singapore so far and so worth the price. If it's too much, then share it between two people also can should be just nice.

Don't think I need to remind you guys to skip lunch if you're planning to have this for dinner right?

Naughty Mojito ($7.50)

I was actually planning to have the famous Iced Salted Caramel since I enjoyed it so much the last time but I saw something on their daily menu board which caught my eye...

A mocktail called the Naughty Mojito sounded nice and refreshing. Nothing like a nice lime icy drink to wash down my maximum beef ribs experience right?

Well it's definitely got a strong lime flavour so if you like your drinks like Calamansi and the likes then you're definitely gonna enjoy this. A nice cool beverage! Not as naughty as the name implies but definitely something to try if you're looking for a drink to perk up your tastebuds.

Adam's Verdict:
Badoque Beef Ribs 4.5/5 -- Naughty Mojito 3/5

Well, so far it seems like everything I've tried so far at Badoque has gone down really well. And the best thing is there are still so many more dishes that seem like the bomb! I guess more visits are in order and I've gotta try really hard to resist the Badoque Beef Ribs if I want to have any chance of trying other stuff on the menu.

PS the staff are still super friendly!

Badoque

298 Bedok Road (Simpang Bedok)

Tel: 64466928
www.facebook.com/badoquecafeSG

Operating Hours:
12pm to 10pm Daily

Badoque

So I've known about Badoque for a damn long time. Seriously long.
I have no idea what took me so long to visit because pretty much every single person who told me about Badoque has told me to visit ASAP cos it apparently rocks.

I guess maybe I was waiting for the right time? Or maybe that's just an excuse?
Well, I finally decided the time had arrived when the HungryGoWhere project came around and I thought what better time to finally visit Badoque.

And I know I only mentioned the pasta in my HungryGoWhere Guest Instagrammer feature but the truth is - I had more than just pasta!

Garlic Chilli Chuka ($7.50)

When they say "Chuka" here, they mean the baby octopus. Yes, it took me awhile to get it (I was thinking of cuka as in vinegar... I'm slow I know... LOL). But for those of you who love baby octopus (maybe in your sushi?), this is a must have.

The baby octopus was cooked to perfection and not tough or chewy at all. Had a great bite to it and you could definitely get the hints of the chilli without being to spicy. Scoop it up with some of the chopped garlic there for a great mouthful. If you're a fan of garlic like me, you're gonna wish they gave more garlic.

Smoked Duck Pasta Putanesca ($24.00)

This was the reason I made my way down to Badoque during Ramadhan to iftar on a rainy evening.
It was either this or the Squid Ink Pasta. I decided on the duck because I was feeling a bit quacky.

I'll be honest and say that the pasta and the accompanying tomato sauce was pretty okay. I mean, there wasn't anything wrong with it but I guess it was overshadowed by the smoked duck. That's right, the star of this dish is definitely the smoke duck (like duh it's in the name right).

It is not easy to find Halal duck anything these days let alone Halal duck that is prepared well. And this smoked duck is super duper in my books. Some might say it's a little tough but I think it's pretty okay actually and I really enjoyed the smokey flavour.

So if you're a fan of duck or smoked meats for that matter, you should try this dish.
No doubt, it may not be for everyone but I think quite a lot of people love this (especially judging by Badoque's Instagram page!)

And they are super generous with the serving of smoked duck and also the pasta. Actually, I guess they'd better be with a $24 price tag on this dish.

Iced Salted Caramel ($7.50)

To wash it all down, I decided on another item I kept seeing on Badoque's Instagram page.
And boy oh boy I found out why this was so popular.

If you have a sweet tooth, you're gonna love this. It's sweet and a hint of salty with the caramel flavour completely taking you in. Nice and refreshing and you're going to find it hard to just sip this slowly. I ended up taking bigger and bigger gulps each time.

And they are not stingy with the caramel either.

Adam's Verdict:
Garlic Chilli Chuka 3.5/5 -- Smoked Duck Pasta Putanesca 4/5 -- Iced Salted Caramel 3.5/5

I'd heard mixed feedback about the service at Badoque with some reviews online saying that the staff was top notch and the rest saying the opposite. Well, my experience was power! The crew were very friendly and even took the time to chat for a bit while waiting for my food, checking if everything was okay while I was eating and even after I'd paid and was ready to go. And it was a full house too and it seems like the managed pretty well.

I think one of the reasons for Badoque's popularity (besides the food) is that it's run by people who love what they do and they're not afraid to have some fun while they do it. They try to inject a light-hearted mood into your experience without being too irritating. One good example is the menu. Quirky quotes and making small jokes is a winner in my book. PS that's my uncle in the picture.

Lots more on the menu to try at Badoque so I foresee visiting lots more times. Next in my sights is their Ribs aka Monster Ribs aka Daging Gedegak!!

PS they have 2 outlets - one is Simpang Bedok and one in Thomson - and some items are available only at one store and not the other so check first.

And don't forget to read the article on HungryGoWhere.com!!

Badoque

298 Bedok Road (Simpang Bedok)

Tel: 64466928
www.facebook.com/badoquecafeSG

Operating Hours:
12pm to 10pm Daily

KL Sedap Part 2: Hard Rock Cafe

I'm sure you guys remember when we headed to Hard Rock Cafe (HRC) in Melaka right?
Well before there was HRC Melaka, there was HRC KL!

But before we start, let me apologize in advance for the quality of some of the pictures.
The place was rather dark and I had no choice but to fire the flash in most of the shots so they appear rather bright. But I guess that's better than having pictures of the silhouettes of the food right?

Hickory-Smoked Chicken Wings (RM26.00)

When you order your wings, you have to choose between either Classic (Normal), Tangy BBQ (Mild) or Heavy Metal (Spicy). Talk about lighting the fire of my appetite am I right?

Well it's basically like an order of Buffalo Wings.
The wings are tossed with the special sauce of your choice. They douse the wings with the sauce just nicely because you will get some on your fingers when you pick it up but not too much that it's overpowering.
Served with a Blue Cheese ranch dressing!!!

And at RM26.00 for half a dozen wings, it's a steal!!

Famous Fajitas Trio (RM55.00)

So these are the famous HRC Fajitas. (My mum's favourite!)

You have a choice of beef, chicken, shrimp, a double combo of two meats or a trio like mine!
It's served on a hotplate with a bed of sizzling onions. Awesome!

Fajitas Accompaniments

The Fajitas come with some accompaniments of course.
Some tortillas for you to stuff with the meat. You've also got lettuce, guacamole (avocado), herbed diced tomatos, Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses plus sour cream!

So if you're looking to have a party in your mouth, all the guests are already invited!

I can tell why my Mum loves this so much.
The grilled meat on the hot plate taste so much better when they're still sizzling hot and getting to choose what you want (or don't want) to be in your tortilla makes it even better. In fact, ditch the bread and just eat the meat! It's totally fine!

Hickory-Smoked Bar-B-Que Beef Ribs (RM78.00)

This is something we wanted to have in HRC Melaka but we passed.
And my darling wife decided she wasn't going to pass it up twice in a row!

BRING ON THE MEAT!!!

The tender beef ribs come smothered in BBQ sauce and cooked absolutely superbly.
The meat is so tender you don't even need a knife! You can just use your fork to twist of the meat and it comes falling off the bone just like that. Wish they would have laid off a little on the sauce though because I'd rather enjoy a little more of that beefy flavour instead of the BBQ sauce which is also in the baked beans.

It comes with fries, coleslaw and some baked beans.
This is a MUST HAVE for any meat lovers!!!
(My mouth is literally watering as I type this now while looking at the picture above)

Adam's Verdict:
Hickory-Smoked Chicken Wings 3/5 -- Famous Fajitas Trio 3/5
Hickory-Smoked Bar-B-Que Beef Ribs 4/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Hickory-Smoked Chicken Wings 2.5/5 -- Hickory-Smoked Bar-B-Que Beef Ribs 4/5

Still so many items to try on the menu at HRC.
I reckon we'll be making our way there a few more times. At least.

Hard Rock Cafe (Kuala Lumpur)

Concorde Hotel
No 2 Jln Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tel: +60 3 27155555
www.hardrock.com

Operating Hours:
11.30am til 2.00am (Sunday til THursday)
11.30am til 3.00am (Fridays and Saturdays)

Kitchen closes at 10.30pm Daily

Charco's Part II

Beef Ribs + 3 Salad Choices (16.90)

So do you guys remember my first post about Charco's?
Well the last time, everyone had the Beef Ribs and nothing else I figured that the next time I'd have something else... and the time had come.

So my darling wife again had the Beef Ribs and this time, the ribs were nice and tender unlike the last time where consistency seemed to be a bit of a problem. And the only difference she made to her 3 salad choices was that she took the Fruit Salad for one of 'em.

And her verdict on the Fruit Salad? - Don't take it.

But you know what still rocks?

 Creme Potato ($5.60)

Simply delicious lah I tell you.

So what is this "something different" that I decided to try in the end?
Hmmmmmm...

Chicken Schnitzel and 3 Salads ($10.30)

Firstly, let me start by saying that the Egg Salad is still the BOMB!

The Schnitzel itself was basically a big piece of boneless chicken (most likely the breast in this case) which is hammered out til it's flat then breaded and deep fried. This means it's cripsy chicken goodness!
And I'll be honest, I don't know of anywhere else that serves a Halal Schnitzel.

Well I guess you gotta like chicken if you're order this because it's a damn big piece of chicken.
Seriously. It's big enough for 2 to share I reckon. I couldn't even finish it lah.
But the Egg Salad is the bomb.

And this is all killer no filler okay.
100% chicken meat and the breading is really good too. How can you tell? Because even after it cools down, it's still crispy! A sign of a good schnitzel?

See that little plastic bowl in the back? They actually serve this dipping sauce with it.
I guess it's kind of a cross between a black pepper and a mushroom sauce. But not really.
I had a little but the schnitzel itself is actually pretty tasty without the sauce but they still have good old chilli and BBQ sauce if you'd like.

And last but not least - the Egg Salad is the bomb.

And in case you were wondering.

My brother had the chicken too but the roasted variety. And I think I'll review the chicken properly next time because they have at least 2 types on offer at Charco's.

Definitely seems like it's worthy of a separate review based on the first tastes.



Adam's Verdict:
Chicken Schnitzel 2.5/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Beef Ribs 3.5/5

Well I guess we'll be having a few more visits to Charco's in future.
Their extensive menu looks like it has a lot more in store for us!

Charco's

Blk 80 Marine Parade Central #01-770
Tel: 6455 3711
 www.charcos.com.sg

Operating Hours: 11.00am til 10.00pm Daily

Charco's - Beef Ribs

A couple of years ago, we were introduced to Charco's.
Situated in AMK at the time, the draw of this place was that it served authentic BBQ Ribs and a special Roast Chicken at an affordable price.

However, the ribs were Lamb Ribs.
When we tried it a few years ago as a Father's Day treat, there seemed to be more fat than meat on the ribs.
Firstly, we're talking lamb ribs so automatically the size is smaller and the on top of that the fat outweighs anything else of the plate. So I wasn't really impressed with the whole thing.

So recently I'm told that Charco's is now serving Beef Ribs as well so obviously I have to check it out right?
The only way we could get Beef Ribs is when we go to KL and makan at Hard Rock, Tony Roma's or Chilli's but it looks like finally we might have it right here!

And to make it even better - Charco's has relocated to Marine Parade!

The one thing that they still have is their Salad Bar.

So you have a choice of Caesar's, Seafood, Tuna Pasta, Egg, Greek, Potato, Chicken Avocado or good ol' Coleslaw.

You can get it ala carte at in either 2 or 3 salad choices on a platter in Regular or Large Sizes. (Between $5.70 to $8.80 depending in your choice of salad)

Or you could buy a meal when you order your meats which come with a choice of salads which may be more worth it in the end.

You'll see what I mean in awhile.

All this talk of salad alone is making me hungry.
Bring on the meat!

Beef Ribs + 3 Salad Choice ($16.90)

Beef Ribs Creme Meal ($16.10)

Okay maybe a bit more suspense.
A little bit more info on the side dishes first okay?

So my darling wife decided to choose Caeser's salad, Egg Salad and Coleslaw.
I have to say this - the Egg Salad was THE BOMB!!

On my plate you can see some peas (which were surprisingly tasty!!) and Charco's 'famous' Creme Potato.
It's basically potatoes in cream with some chilli powder sprinkled over it.
And I remember it being bloody delicious from our previous visit to the AMK branch all those years ago so I thought it would be a good idea to get an extra serving of veggies.

Veggies Plate ($7.00)

More peas and more Creme Potato.
Add in a Corn-on-the-Cob and some roasted potatoes and you have a healthy add-on side dish!
But to be honest the Creme Potatoes seems to have lost their magic. I remember they used to be slice a lot thinner which seems to make a difference. Or may it was just Potato Overload.

Okay okay enough about the vegetables and the side dishes.
Let's get down to business and talk about the actual ribs.

Actually the reason I've been putting off talking about the ribs is because I'm in a bit of a quandary.
After tasting it ourselves and then later checking with my brother how it was when they had his meal there (my brother and his wife were the ones who alerted me to the Beef Ribs), I think I'm going to find it very difficult to come to a conclusion on this one.

These were the ribs served on my wife's plate.
See the one on the left and compare it the one on the right. This is important.

Taste-wise I have to say that the ribs were delicious.
They had the nice smoky taste and the BBQ sauce was excellent. Not too strong at all.
But the next part is the problem.

The rib on the left was perfect apparently.
Nice. Juicy. Tender. Fell off the bone when you pulled it with your fork. Sounds like a delicious Beef Rib!
But the one on the right...

The rib on the right (aka The Right Rib) was a different story altogether.
It was on the tough side. You really had to use your knife and put some elbow into it.
Taste was still there. But definitely not as tender as the one on the left. An obvious case of overcooking the meat which caused it to dry out.

And the photo at top of the post?
Those were the ribs on my plate and you can see they look exactly like The Right Rib on my wife's plate so that means I got all dried-out ribs.

As you can see - on the left it looks juicy and delicious but on the right it's dry and stringy.
And I was quite disappointed actually. It was a waste of meat. Bad enough we didn't have much choices in SG and it turned out that the one place we found was serving dried-out meat.

And then I called my brother and asked him about his experience about a week ago and he claims that ALL of the ribs they got were tender and juicy!!
Hmmmm.... so this could either be a case of inconsistent cooking or my bad luck I got the wrong ribs...

Well it looks like we'll probably have make another trip to Charco's to test our theory and decide once and for all if this is the real deal for Halal ribs.

Oh and by the way. Just  few more notes.

Charco's has quite an extensive menu for the whole family. You have chicken, beef, lamb and fish in dishes ranging from kebabs to rolls, served with veggies or rice and even a kids menu.
(One of the items I'm gonna try next time is the Schnitzel!)

But one item I'd actually advise you to avoid is the Mushroom Soup.

Soup of The Day - Mushroom Soup ($3.50)

Looks delicious I know but it's not that great.
It's actually the instant powder type (not even Campbell's lor) and they make some modifications.
I'm not saying it's terrible but if you're the type (like me) who expect to have a proper fresh made mushroom soup then you should give this a miss. The $3.50 price tag compounds my decision to advise you to avoid.

For those of you who are curious, that's the Charco's Portuguese Chicken.

They actually have two types;
The Herb Chicken which is milder I guess and the Portuguese Chicken which is more robust in flavour and spicier by the looks of it.

You can order 1/4, 1/2 or a whole chicken and as usual you have a choice of the side dishes you wanna pair it with.

Unfortunately we didn't order it this time so we can't give you a proper review but Fadhilla and Aziz Rai say it's juicy and tender and pretty worth the money. 1/4 Chicken with 3 Salads will cost you $11.00.

Charco's also offers Family Feasts which gives you a helluva lot of food for a helluva lot of people so you might wanna check it out if you're gonna have a family reunion there soon.

Adam's Verdict:

Beef Ribs 3/5 -- Salads 3.5/5 -- Creme Potato 2.5/5 -- Mushroom Soup 1/5

Maryah's Verdict:

Beef Ribs 2/5 -- Salads ?2/5 -- Creme Potato 3.5/5 -- Mushroom Soup 3/5

Don't worry Charco's. I promise to return soon and try your ribs again.
Let's see if you can give me some consistency the next time and not a slab of dry meat.

Charco's

Blk 80 Marine Parade Central
#01-770
Tel: 6455 3711
www.charcos.com.sg


Operating Hours: 11.00am til 10.00pm Daily