Food reviews - Singapore SOUTHWESTERN FOOD AT CHILI’S 16 September 2011

Chili’s Restaurant
Tanglin Mall
163 Tanglin Road
Singapore
PRICE: $$$
RATING: ????-

I’m pretty (in)famous for having some kinda food fetish for American food. Specifically, diner style food / Southern food. I just love Southern Fried Chicken, burgers, ribs, fries, corn bread, etc etc. I’m pretty sure I should’ve been born in the South 😉

Chili’s Restaurant in Tanglin Mall has a cozy ambience that feels really cheery and warm – mostly contributed by the fact that the staff are simply fantastic. They are friendly, eager to help, and just plain nice. Even more amazingly, there is no 10% service charge. The thing that kinda irks me about restaurants here is the compulsory service charge – in my opinion it should be either tipping (if service is good) or absorbed into the cost of the meal. The main reason the extra service charge annoys me is, more often than not, service here is just flat-out bad. Anyway, it was impressive that Chili’s had fantastic service, but left it up to you to tip. What a nice touch!

The Tostada chips with house-made salsa and appetizing cheese dip with seasoned beef in a sizzling skillet was the highlight. The (big) basket of chips is BOTTOMLESS!!! Oh. Yes. The chips aren’t oily (I assume they’re baked) and neither are they salted, so they carry they carry the flavour of the sauces well. The salsa was mild and served chilled, so it was a nice contrast to the amazing sizzling cheese and beef sauce. Mmmm… this sauce was divine. Thick, creamy, not too salty but with a deliciously rich flavour. We scooped up every single last bit of it 🙂

Tostada chips with house-made salsa and appetizing cheese dip with seasoned beef in a sizzling skillet.

 

The Chili’s Cheesesteak was a very decent portion (the photo below shoes 1/2 of the sandwich) and came heaped with lashings of sliced beef and onions. I wouldn’t say it was ‘smothered’ in Swiss cheese, as the menu artfully described, but at least there was still some cheese there. It was served with a heap of deliciously crisp fries. A fab dish, but left me feeling a little bit unhealthy afterwards 😉

Chili's Cheesesteak with onions, capsicums, mushrooms and smothered in melted Swiss cheese.

 

The Mini beef burgers were a surprising good choice as they was sufficient beef-to-bun ratio. I’m often suspicious of “mini” burgers as often it’s too much bun and just a little dollop of patty and other ingredients. Fortunately these were decently sized and the onion strings that it came with? Fantastic!!!

Mini beef burgers made with USDA choice ground steak, topped with applewood smoked bacon, American cheese, sautéed onions and Ranch dressing on sesame seed buns. Served with crispy onion strings and jalapeno ranch dressing.

 

No dessert as we were left feeling rather full and fat afterwards 😉 I was eyeing their molten lava chocolate cake though.. so next time I’m at Chili’s I might get that!

 

So anyway, I am still loving our Bugaboo Bee+ that we bought for Hunter. However, as I’m out with friends on a daily basis, sometimes I want a stroller that’s ultra compact and portable, but also comfortable for Hunter to sleep in.

Any mums out there with super lightweight strollers that can help recommend some to me? 🙂

I’m after the following:

  • as light as possible (obviously must be lighter than the Bugaboo’s 8kg)
  • must recline so he can sleep
  • 5 point harness
  • sturdy so I can hang a diaper bag off the handles
  • preferably easy to open/close by myself
  • under SG$300
And so far, my shortlisted ones are as follows (with thanks to debbstar, the stroller expert that has been consulting me, heh):
  • UppaBaby G-LUXE
  • Britax Blink
  • Capella Compact
  • Inglesina Swift
  • Cielos Evolution
  • Phil & Teds Smart Buggy
Forward-facing for the first time, in Plaza Singapura's free stroller rental (awesome service!)

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Combi well comfort is highly recommended for it’s one hand open and fold mechanism. But I’m a little concerned that it’s way too light, Contradicting yeh? I’ve seen it on sales sometimes at S$200+, watch out for it 🙂

Yeah, I do find it real light, but I want light as well lol!! I think it is fine for walking around malls, but not on the road/rough terrain..

Hey Beverly,
if you are looking for Mama’s & Papa’s, can check out http://mumsandbabes.com.sg/ i’m also looking out for a stroller for my 6and a half mths old baby, been looking around for a while now but haven’t found an ideal one, looking for something lightweight and easy to manage on my own and aesthetically pleasing as well =( i like one from the jap brand, Aprica but it’s an old model that is not available anymore. Buying a stroller is akin to buying a car, in my opinion haha… Let me know when you find your perfect choice =)

Oh thanks for the tip!
So far seems my fave is the Combi ‘well comfort’. Only 4.3kg and does everything I want. Except… it’s SG$339 🙁

Hehe T might say that’s not real American food :p but chilli’s ain’t bad. If you love authentic American food, luke’s oyster bar is a must go!

It tastes good enough compared to all the food I have every time I pop into the USA.. so it’s good enough for me 😉 I do want to try Luke’s though!!

Strollers! I love to look at them, lol.

We have a Mama’s & Papa’s – I can’t remember the actual style but they don’t sell these anymore I think. http://www.flickr.com/photos/traceytakesphotos/2491121911/in/set-72157602921836054 We still use it for Jovie and I love it. I think it’s easy to fold, but my parents can’t ever figure it out!

I like the Phil & Ted’s Smart Buggy – http://www.pramwarehouse.com.au/cateitem/sp/pname/Phil__Teds_Smart_Buggy_NEW.html I just think it needs a pram liner to make it comfier but it’s super compact

Ooo thanks for the info Tracey! I like the look of the Phil & Ted’s one, and the fact that we can get a maxicosi for it for #2. Just added it to my list above, heh.

And i’m off to check out Mama’s and papa’s.. haven’t even heard of the brand before, so not sure if they’re available here?