Cheeqaboom@Simpang Bedok- Meet,Eat n Burp 2

Leave a Comment / Blog, Singapore / By Lina Masrina

The crowd that turn out this time is different from the first meet,eat and burp session.

It was a delight getting to know new faces and their personalities.Lots of chirpy comments and shout-outs on the local current halal food scenes.

Simpang Bedok has long been a vibrant nite life.This is where most love to hang out after a long week of work.There are various type of restaurants located here from the chinese cuisines at Tang Tea house, to Italian @Badoque ,Chicken rice @new Hawa,Western Food @Spize and Roti John @89.7 and loads more.

If its ur first time in Singapore, to play safe…come here for a jolly good tummy time.Insya-Allah u wont go wrong.This is where the locals come to have lunch,dinner or supper…

So upon reaching there, I was all dressed up in my PT attire,black jeans,track shoes, sporty long sleeves and if not for my bright blue scarf, I must have looked all black camouflage by the dark night.(I wanted to wear red (fav) but I will look FIERY..ermm so I changed my mind hehe!)

As agreed @ the designated time, we met and head to the vibrant orangey name that flashes across the busstop. The restaurant seems quiet for a weekend.anyhow I have heard about its raving spaghetti ayam merah (red chicken is a malay delicious recipe which are normally found in festivities or major events such as Hari Raya and weddings.Its main ingredients are normally whole chicken with loads of tomatoes and tomato purees.It can be mild spicy but mainly its savoury sweet with some doses of coconut milk/non fat milk (healthier version) and spices.

To have an idea,click here: http://tinyurl.com/putriayammerah

We were given a warm welcome.We were the second group of people there.The staff (mixed races) are quite friendly.They gave us recommendations and told us that dessert is given free for some sets.(YIPEE!)ALthough the desserts are limited choices, we also welcome DESSERTS irregardless..

The restaurant is simply decorated.It looked like a normal coffeehouse kind of ambience.Perhaps, that needs to be improved on whispered by some of our newly founded makan kakis.Some felt that the ambience is not there to depict the italian asian fusion menu that they serve.It is more cosy restaurant feel with a classy touch, perhaps many would want to enter cos of curiousity and wanting to know more about its food.

As promised,some comments are not gonna be publicised individually but anonymously as a group cos most are shy cos they felt scared that their humble comments are tiny or perhaps will be laughed at or be “threathened” that me and some regular makan kakis are there.(hey,its ok, we are humans too…and we won’t bite..Im no celebrity,there isnt any celebrity..either all of us are or none of us are..hehe!)We are here to learn and share experiences from each other.

Most of us dressed casually.Jeans,pants,skirts…t-shirts….casual wear like meeting our friends.U need to feel comfy cos its an impromptu makan session.We can end up at a hawker centre or a restaurant,anything can happen.

Ok, while we ordered our beverages while waiting for some people to come.(its ok, if u are late too,understandable that some need to work late and the location might be too far east…)

After all are there, we asked the waitress recommendations and ordered in sets of 4.Wanted to order all and share but I guess we need to have some sort of random unity.These are what we ordered.

As we scrutinised the menu,we were told that their signature dish of spaghetti ayam masak merah is no longer on the menu.I saw spaghetti with beef rendang on the list.But the waitress said it can be done if requested but take note, the chefs are not the same.Hmm…

What’s the verdict?

Overall-Most give us hi-3s (out of hi-fives) for the food.

Comments:

LAMB SHANK -4,3,4,3,3.5,4,3,4,4,

Love the tender meat,love the mashed potatoes,a bit dry, prefer more sauce

CHEQABOOM PLATTER-2,3,2.5,4,2.5,3.2.5,3,3,3

Meat not that tender,fish has sweet taste,fish is fresh,too much black pepper,like rojak too many items in one hotplate,cannot taste the food-too much black pepper

PASTA AYAM MERAH-3,2,3,2,3,3,3,3,2,2

Yummy,kinda sweet,not my favourite,if its spicy its better,okeylah

CREME BRULE (FREE W SET)-2,2.5,2,2.5,2,2.5,2,2,2,2.5

kinda bitter, burnt sugar,whipped with air,okeylah,not as expected,thought it supposed to be white and creamy..

HOTFUDGE (FREE W SET)-3,3.5,3,3.5,3,4,3.5,3,3,3,3

reminds me of Swensens,not too sweet,love the combination of ice-cream and brownie,the best of them all, the brownie is good,should have chocolate syrup or something…

DRINKS-3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3,4,4

average,not so kick-ass(pardon the lang) ,nothing to shout about,not bad,smoothies are nice,lovely

Ok those are some of the reviews given by theirs truly, the lovable fans and friends.

Now its my turn…

The LAMB SHANK is tender,the grilled vegetables of eggplants and zucchini is nice and tender.The sauce is nice but if its thicker and more, it would be better.I prefer mine with dollops of gravy (Reminded of Secret Recipes,its unfair to compare)

3.8 stars

CHEQABOOM PLATTER is nice with blackpepper taste.It is a mixture of beef steak,squid,prawns and boneless fish steak(perhaps dory). To me, the food are ok, not bad but I dont really like the black pepper taste except on the meat given, which is considerably good for the beef steak.For fish and seafood, I prefer mine sweet sour or mayonaise with lemon or something.Maybe they can have all in one platter but separate the sauce of have different type of sauces ,allow the customers to choose.e.g barbecue sauce,sweet and sour,sambal belacan,chilli padi or something…3 out of 5

PASTA AYAM MERAH is average.Perhaps when I heard it ,it kinda overrated itself in my mind since it is considered signature dish but then again since the chef has changed, it is pardonable.The taste is mild tomato basic pasta taste.Nothing different.The pasta is not too hard, nor too soft, but its not al-dente either.I dunno how to describe it.Hmm… 2.8 out of 5

CREME BRULE is the first time Im tasting this.It tasted like burnt sugar (like some have described above)Its a mixture of chocolate and coffee taste.Like something is missing in here…whip cream? 3 out of 5.(Like I said, I dont have a yard stick to compare,Im a creme brule newbie)

HOT FUDGE-I actually like this! This is the best delight for me.Most said it tasted like swensens, Hmm…I cannot remember.But this is one of the best meal amongst the others. 4 out of 5.The warm hot fudge is soft,bitter sweet and with the vanilla icecream, it gives that tiny shout out!YIPEE! 4 out of 5 stars.

I think they have forgotten to rate the chicken chop on hot platter.Cos it was last minute order…

BONELESS CHICKEN LEG on hot plate with rosemary juice-The black pepper is overpowering the rosemary juice.But I love the tenderness of the juicy chicken and how its fats melts at the sides.3.5 out of 5.

Drinks-They have some unique combinations.But smoothies are better amongst their range of drinks.I chose the gingerly lemon drink.Its mild ginger and lemony taste is ok.And if u miss A& W float, u can have it here…

Take note, when the hot plates arrive, please indulge in that first, cos the taste might differ once it cools down.

Overall, I find that they play it safe with the food.I wanted more, I wanted more zesty,more fiery combinations fusion of best of asian and Italians with that kind of restaurant prices.Even if the deco cannot be improved, then I prefer the taste wise should be improved.They have lots of competitions here, like Badoque,Spize,Tang Tea House,Sedap Corner which excel in their own cuisines.

Will come back to check out other food (pizzas maybe)…insya-Allah. I kinda like its laidback relax ambience…as compared to the busy noisy clamour @ Spize.