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

Chickano

Hey everyone have you heard the news? Probably not right...
THERE'S A NEW FRIED CHICKEN JOINT IN TOWN!! IT'S CALLED CHICKANO!!

Well, I know we tried to be dramatic but FAILED! LOL

Anyways we actually came across this by pure chance. One of my colleagues, Hamidah, suddenly sends me this tip and says we have to try it. In fact, we tried ordering via the delivery hotline on the site but it wasn't available yet. Well, just so happens my Darling Wife and I were out with baby Alyssa and were decidedly hungry in the Bedok area...

3pcs Fried Chicken Meal ($9.50)

Of course - we had to try the fried chicken at a fried chicken joint right?!
I decided to to go for the 3pc because I was actually really hungry. You could have the 2pcs Friend Chicken Meal ($7.50) if you're not that hungry or maybe the 9pcs Fried Chicken Meal ($24.50) if you're out with the family (or just a really really big eater!!) They also have a roasted alternative if you're interested...

I have to say I really quite enjoyed the fried chicken!
The chicken was superbly cooked - nice and tender and juicy. The skin had a nice crisp to it with good seasoning to match.

The coating isn't the type with a super crunchy bite. I guess it's kinda more like Original Recipe but a bit crispier than usual. best enjoyed hot!!

Home-made Beef Burger ($8.50 for the meal / $6.50 ala carte)

If you're not in the mood for fried chicken, fret not! They also have other items on the menu including some burgers. You have a choice between a Beef Burger and a Chicken Karaage Burger. We decided to go for the beef since we're the meat people.

But... we started to question our decision after awhile...

The beef patty is definitely something they make from scratch here. It had quite a nice seasoning to be honest but for some reason, the top and bottom of the patty was burnt. Not charred... but burnt.

I quite like my burger to have a bit of char but I think this one was left a little too long on the grill. There's a difference between a charred flavour and a burnt taste. And this was really disappointing especially because the meat was quite tasty. If it wasn't so burnt, it's quite a nice burger actually.

Another problem was the bun. If you look at the first picture above, you can see it's actually quite out of sorts. It actually didn't fit the burger because it was so scrunched up like it had been crumpled up for so long. Maybe they should consider not using a bun if it's... errr... like that. It was like the bun had been in a fight and was in a really bad shape.

Besides that, you get some lettuce and cheese. Please note there is no sauce, which is fine because some burgers you just wanna enjoy the pure taste, so add your own if you'd like.

Cheese Fries

When you order a set meal, you get a choice of drink and a side order of fries.
If you're a Cheese Fries person, just add $0.50 and you can upgrade your regular fries to Cheese Fries! Power right!

I must say that the serving of fries was very very generous! It's enough fries to share actually.

But if you don't want fries then you might consider some other more 'traditional' sides with your fried chicken or burger?

Coleslaw ($2.50)

The coleslaw was not bad actually. Nice mix of cabbage and carrots and you even get a few plump and sweet raisins in there. It's on the sweet side so don't expect the sour type of coleslaw.

And what normally accompanies coleslaw?

Mashed Potato ($2.50)

Errrr... something is wrong with that picture...

I think maybe because it was not kept in a warm environment or maybe there was too much thickening agent or something but the brown gravy you normally get with mashed potatoes kinda coagulated on the top. Yeah... it's because a jelly.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with the taste but I guess the look of it was kind of a turn off.
Maybe Chickano might take some feedback and either keep their mashed potato in a warmer (if they'd like to pre-pack it) or maybe only scoop in the gravy )being kept warm and fluid) when someone orders it so that it's guaranteed to be at the desired consistency.

And I know some of you might be thinking "No lah can't be that bad until like jelly lah..."

We're really not kidding...

But like I said, absolutely nothing wrong with the taste.

From the counter, you can actually see into the kitchen and I think I saw someone creaming the mashed potato by hand so I guess this is another item they prepare manually which I can very much appreciate.

Adam's Verdict:
Fried Chicken 3.5/5 -- Beef Burger 2.5/5 -- Cheese Fries 2/5
Coleslaw 4/5 -- Mashed Potato 2.5/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Fried Chicken 3.5/5 -- Beef Burger 2/5 -- Cheese Fries 1.5/5
Coleslaw 2.5/5 -- Mashed Potato 1/5

I like the idea at Chickano because, hey, who doesn't like some fried chicken right?
And I think they have a really good product too. They've got a pretty good fried chicken recipe and some pretty interesting items on the menu. It's nice to see that they are also hand-making a lot of their stuff instead of using instant or prepared ingredients.

When we visited last weekend, Chickano was only about a week old so I'm pretty sure that given a bit of time, they should be able to fine tune certain things after awhile (ahem ahem mashed potato gravy)
Anyways let's support our local brands!

PS you might see a delivery number on their site but that's gonna be operational maybe only next month in October 2014 according to the lady at the counter.

Chickano

Blk 527 Bedok North St 3
#01-520

Tel: 6448 8660
www.facebook.com/ChickanoSG

Operating Hours:
10am to 10pm Daily

KFC: Asam Pedas Zinger and Cheezy Zinger

I happened to chance upon a video that was uploaded on KFC Singapore's Facebook page once day and I could not believe what I was actually seeing...

The fast food joints in Singapore come up with all kinds of promotional items on the menus and sometimes they try to incorporate some local flavour into it. We've had the Rendang Burger (Burger King and McDonalds), Prosperity Burger (McDonalds) and even Chicken Rice (KFC) in the past. And now KFC has come up with something I reckon very few of us would have ever expected.

Time to meet the Zingers!

Asam Pedas Zinger and Cheezy Zinger ($4.50 ala carte or $6.90 for the meal)

Okay so maybe the Cheezy Zinger is not so shocking but Asam Pedas??
That's definitely something very adventurous I'd say.

Asam Pedas Zinger

As usual, it never ever looks like the promo picture am I right?

I actually expected to at least see some of the Asam Pedas sauce dripping off the sides or something.
In fact, some of our readers say that different outlets seem to have different amounts of the Asam Pedas sauce on the burger. Inconsistent!!

No wonder the sauce is not visible. The sauce is on the crown and covered with the lettuce.
Perhaps it would have been a better idea to have the Asam Pedas sauce directly on the Zinger patty instead of the bun. At least maybe the flavour would have been more intense.

The Asam Pedas sauce on its own surprisingly actually tastes like an authentic Asam Pedas!
Well, close enough anyways. I'd say it's a good effort and it's even got a bit of a spicy kick to it (but not much). Unfortunately the flavour of the sauce is lost when you take a bite of the Zinger as a whole.
Perhaps a case of too little sauce?

And what's up with the slice of tomato? I've never has tomato in my Asam Pedas before.

Cheezy Zinger

Looks a bit closer to the promo picture (but not quite).

This is basically exactly what the name implies. You know the KFC Cheese Fries? Well, this is the same thing but on a Zinger. The nacho cheese and mayonnaise on a Zinger patty instead of a bed of fries.

I actually found this one quite boring.
People love the Cheese Fries for the cheesy flavout but somehow that is also lost here with the Zinger.
Perhaps it's because the nacho cheese flavour is not very intense.

I can see how come people might like it but I guess if I wanted to have a cheesy something at KFC then I'd probably just stick to the Cheese Fries.

And speaking of Cheese Fries....

Cheese Fries ($4.50)

BONUS REVIEW!!

Awhile back, KFC decided they were going to change their fries.
This meant a "Thicker, crispier and tastier" french fry. Supposedly a step-up from their old fries?

Well anyways this also means that the fries used in the Cheesy Fries is also changed to the new one.
You can pretty much see the difference in the picture above. The fries are thicker and a lot more solid than the older version and they definitely look a lot more solid and crispy.

I personally feel that as a standalone french fry, the new version is not bad actually.
But in terms of Cheesy Fries, I actually prefer the older version. There's just something special about the fries getting soggy with all the cheese sauce and mayonnaise and starts hanging on your forks as you bring it to your mouth.

Based on the some of the comments on KFC's facebook page, it seems that quite a number of people feel the same way too. But then again, we are merely comparing the new fries to the old. Some people will still enjoy this new version. Guess we will just need to learn to get used to it.

But the Cheese Fries experience still rocks.

Adam's Verdict:
Asam Pedas Zinger 2.5/5 -- Cheezy Zinger 2/5 -- Cheese Fries 3.5/5

I'd say it was actually a pretty good effort with the Asam Pedas Zinger. Not so much with the Cheezy one.
But if I had to choose between all of them, I'd choose the good old original Zinger.

Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)

Over 80 outlets island-wide

Delivery Hotline: 6222 6111
www.kfc.com.sg

Operating Hours: Varies with each outlet

Texas Chicken: Mesquite BBQ Burger

When I saw that displayed in a Texas Chicken outlet, the first thing that came to my mind is "Yes! Looks like Texas-style Pulled Chicken!". And boy oh boy do I love it. (Read HERE for more info)

So anyways, I had some time to kill so I got me a meal.

Mesquite BBQ Burger Combo ($6.60)

Firstly, let me say - that is NOT how it looks in the first picture.
Not at all.

I mean. I don't mean to sound like some Action Jackson dude but...
Is it my imagination or is that bun missing some sesame seeds compared to the first pic above?
Okay never mind. Small issue. What's important is the meat right?

Well, that didn't go very well either.

I'm sorry but that chicken tasted funky.
You know the 'chicken' taste you get when you either don't wash the chicken properly or if the chicken has been kept too long? Well, this had that taste. And if I can still taste it through all that BBQ sauce, then you know what I mean.

Call me fussy if you want but I'm pretty sensitive to this kind of thing and I surely didn't expect it here.

Texas Chicken claims that they make all their food items freshly and they use the freshest ingredients.
This did not seem to be the case at all.
And we pay $6 for this which is no small amount and can get us a meal at almost all other fast food joints

I ordered that meal at about 10.45am which is when the store has JUST opened.
That means 1) either they're lying about the 'made freshly' part or 2) they served me leftover chicken.
But hey, I'm not going to make wild accusations without trying to confirm things right?

So I went to their website and tried to send them some feedback and hopefully get a response.

================================================
"Hi Texas Chicken. I just have a quick enquiry. For your Mesquite BBQ burger, is the chicken meat fresh (as in is it prepared from meat which specially cooked for the Mesquite BBQ burger) or is it made from meat which may have been left-over (from perhaps chicken pieces which were not sold the day before)?

I had it this morning at your Tampines outlet at about 11am this morning. The burger was hot which means it was freshly prepared but the chicken meat had a distinctly 'stale' taste to it. And to me, if BBQ sauce cannot mask that taste then that chicken may not be fresh.

I am not making any accusations but I'm just curious about this matter. Hope you can shed some light.
Thanks."
================================================

I didn't get a response after 2 weeks so I re-sent it again.
I have not gotten a response even up til now.

Adam's Verdict:
Mesquite BBQ Burger 1/5

I'm not sure if this was my bad luck to get the stale chicken burger or if anyone else has experienced this.
For all I know, this might be someone's favourite burger and I just happened to get the wrong one.

I've heard that Taxes Chicken sells some pretty tasty Fried Chicken.
But I think I'll stay away from the Mesquite BBQ Burger.

Texas Chicken (Tampines Mall)

Tampines Mall
4 Tampines Central #04-23/24/25/26
Tel: 6783 5373
www.texaschicken.com.sg

Operating Hours:
10.30 am to 10.30 pm (Sun to Thu)
10.30 am to 11.30 pm (Fri & Sat)

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...

Ramadhan Special 2013: The Famous Satay Burger

I'm pretty sure that most of you would have heard of The Famous Satay Burger.
One of our readers, Syawal, sent me an email to try it at the Tampines Bazaar Ramadhan this year.
I wasn't able to battle it with the Ramly burger but it was still worth a visit.

I first heard about it a few years ago and it appeared to be a regular fixture at the Geylang Bazaar Ramadhan. It seemed like a really popular thing with the long queues at the stall too!

I tried it way back when (before the idea of this Halal Food Blog was even formed in my mind) but never really officially reviewed it so I decided that I would do so this year. But apparently they're not located at the Geylang Bazaar this year. They've apparently taken up a space at the Tampines Bazaar instead!

Satay Burger ($5.00)

So you have a choice of beef, chicken or mutton for your Satay Burger.
Is it any coincidence that it's just like ordering satay?! I think not!

Let me break down the anatomy of the burger for you...

The special Satay Sauce

Comes with lettuce, cucumber and onions

So it's a pretty standard burger from what I can see so far.
The uniqueness of it will be the taste of the satay sauce that gives this burger a truly local flavour.

You know what? Even the meat patty itself makes a big difference!
It's seasoned exactly the same as how they would season satay meat on a skewer! When you take a nice big bite, you're going to immediately recognize that familiar taste of satay spices like coriander, cumin and fennel seeds (jintan).

It was just like I was eating a steak made up of satay meat all compressed together!
In fact, you will see at the stall that they actually do press the patties at the stall itself. They actually have the patty press there! No joke! And they also charcoal-grill the patty so it's still juicy!

For my experience this time, unfortunately the bun was a little soggy (as you can see from the first picture posted above). I guess it has been sitting in the box waiting for packing for quite awhile and soaked up some water from somewhere. So I ended up eating just the patty and veggies.

But what about the Satay Sauce??

Looks a little spicy right? Well it's not that spicy.
I actually feel this was a really good Satay sauce. It had a great flavour and it went really well with the meat patty since it's like eating satay.

But this burger can tend to get a bit messy to eat...
It may not look it, but it's pretty big. So watch out for the dripping sauce.

World Halal Quest blogger Kak Mas tried it way back when in 2009 when they had a stall at the Pasir Ris fishing pond. I'm not sure if they still have a stall there to be honest. Check out her post HERE.

Adam's Verdict:
Famous Satay Burger 3.5/5

For all you Satay lovers out there - this is a must try!
It really really tasted like I was eating satay!

Famous Satay Burger

Tampines Bazaar Ramadhan
Beside Tampines MRT

Operating Hours: 12 noon til 10.00 pm Daily

Burger King: Rendang Burger

Here's a little-known fact.
My darling wife and I used to work at Burger King when we were younger!

It was just around the time after leaving school and I'm sure some of you also had a go at some fast food restaurant or other. In fact, it's quite an experience!

Well it's probably for that reason that my darling wife and I have a special place in our hearts for BK. Since we spent a lot of time with ingredients and the actual making of the burgers etc, that's probably why we hold BK in such high regard and also why we expect such high standards from BK.

Photo from Burger King

One of the most unique burgers ever in the history of Burger King (or even in Singapore I dare say) was the Rendang Burger. BK's flame-grilled beef patties topped with special Rendang sauce and onions! Yummy!

It was a sure winner back in the days and it was actually probably the only burger which uniquely held a special Singaporean flavour. I can't think of many other burgers which has such a uniquely local gimmick.
Well, the beloved Rendang burger unfortunately disappeared from BK menus islandwide quite awhile back.
It's been at least a few years...

You can imagine our excitement when we saw the ad... THE RETURN OF THE RENDANG BURGER!
Could it really be true???

BK Rendang Deluxe ($6.95 for the meal)

Let me start with the most important part of this burger - the Rendang Sauce.
And I have 4 words for you - IT'S-NOT-THE-SAME.

I don't mean that in a nostalgic-living-in-the-past kind of way. The sauce is literally different.
Trust me. My darling wife and I opened A LOT of Rendang Sauce cans when we were with BK and this is definitely not the same stuff. This one actually reminds me of Satay Sauce without the peanuts.

And for those of you who noticed - they use diced onions for this burger.
If there is one thing I remember about BK if there is onion in the burger, it's the round sliced onions.
I'm talking about the type you get with the BK Whopper you know what I mean. These chopped onions have no bite at all. They should have just left them out if this is the case.

And last but not least.
If you order the Rendang Deluxe (which is the double patty version), you get Turkey Bacon in the burger.
I'm not sure why. But there's some Turkey Bacon in there.

You can also have the Single Rendang Meal ($4.95) which doesn't have any Turkey Bacon.

Adam's Verdict:
BK Rendang Deluxe 2.5/5

Maryah's Verdict:
BK Rendang Single 3/5

Please don't get me wrong.

This wasn't a bad burger. It's just different from how it used to be and I reckon that quite a number of people will agree with me in saying they're disappointed because they were expecting a nice big bite of the old Rendang burger we all love. Oh well.

Burger King

35 outlets Islandwide
www.burgerking.com.sg

Operating Hours: Varies depending on outlet