Review: Chicago Rib House, 1 Utama

Overall comment: Tender ribs that will satisfy + a good variety of non-ribs dishes to enjoy as well.
Halal: No

You would have passed by the Chicago Rib House when you shop at 1Utama's New Wing. It's one of the very few places within the shopping mall that serves porkilicious meals! Now, aren't you excited? :D

Chinese New Year is just a week away. With the many restaurants offering their Chinese New Year promotions, Chicago Rib House will not miss the opportunity to introduce to you their Porkalicious Joy Luck Sets in addition to their famous pork ribs!

The promotional Porkilicious Joy Luck Sets are available from 17th Jan to 13th  Feb 2014. Prices range from RM39.90 (individual platter), RM88.80 (for 2 pax) to RM168.80 (for 4 pax).

To add to the festive mood, Chicago Rib House has introduced the Ang Pow Dip to further reward their customers. For every order of the Porkalicious Joy Luck Set (2 pax), customers are entitled to one lucky dip, while every order of the set for 4 pax will entitle 2 lucky dips. A la carte customers can also stand a chance for the lucky dip.Every RM100.00 spent entitles for 1 lucky dip. All lucky dips are while stocks last, so don't miss out the opportunity!
  

Jade Empress (RM23.80++ per jug)

A refreshingly cool and lightly spiced cocktail

This is one of their CNY promotional items. It is quite a refreshing drink that paired well with the load of meat served in the set. It has a good variety of textures, flavour & fragrance. The base of the drink is the apple cider vinegar, accompanied by soda water for the fizz, cinnamon powder for the "kick" & it's topped with chopped green apples & oranges for some "bite". I kinda liked it, but I thought the taste of the cinnamon powder was a tad heavy.

* Carlsberg Beer is also available by the jug at only RM38.80++.


So what's in the set, you may wonder. I had the opportunity to taste the set for 4 pax, so here are the dishes included in the set (4 dishes):

Yee Sang

Norwegian Salmon, shredded mango, carrots, red cabbage, white radish, cucumber, cilantro, spring onion, sesame seeds, crackers and served with Chicago Rib House's specially made in-house Plum Sauce

Unlike the typical Chinese Yee Sang, Chicago Rib House uses the smoked Norwegian Salmon, which is more salty. I personally didn't like the combination of smoked salmon with fresh vegetables with a sweet sauce as it was just over-powering with salt. As per its original name of "yee sang" (yee = fish, sang = fresh), I much prefer fresh slices of fish to go with the medley of fresh vegetables.

Toss it, mix it - for a more prosperous year 2014!

The end result of the mixed "yee sang" - salad with a Chinese touch

Platter Set (RM39.90++ per set for ala carte/individual platter)

Spare ribs, pork sausages,  grilled fresh water prawns, grilled mussels, vegetable sticks & cheese dip

I love the colours on the platter; it's rich in colour & the pieces of meat were nicely positioned to bring you on a "journey" through the whole platter. I actually liked the cheese dip, although I felt as if this platter was left out to be served for quite some time (the sauce looks "left out on the counter for a little too long"). The sausages lacked the "charred taste" & same goes the spare ribs. I felt that the spare ribs were somehow too soft. Not that I like tough & rough spare ribs, but these felt "boiled"/"pressure cooked" to get it tender before grilling it just for a while (not long enough) & smothering it with the BBQ sauce. Aroma is key for such ribs & it's falling short. On the other hand, the seafood weren't exactly top-notch. Prawns weren't very fresh, but mussels are still fine. It's something that Chicago Rib House will have to look into so that their mixed platters won't be affected by their seafood pieces. Remember, ribs is key here!

Braised Pork Belly

Braised pork belly served with an Asian-inspired tangy sweet sauce of passion fruit, spices and wine

When I saw this dish, I was like "oolala...". It's like our Chinese "tau yu bak" (braised dark sauce pork) + "dong por yoke" (braised pork belly - REALLY thick fatty one). Flavour is quite good, but somehow not much got absorbed by the meat i.e. the flavour was mostly just on the surface. The braised pork belly was tender, lacking flavour & realllllllly fat!

Baby Back Ribs

Tender baby back ribs char-grilled with Plum Sauce accompanied with 2 sides

 What's there to complain about a plate of baby back ribs? Chicago Ribs House is living up to its name for a good plate of pork ribs :)

Some of the side dishes available:

Beer-Battered Fries

Crispy fries just like your favourite serving of the "fish & chips" fish.

Mashed potatoes with its skin + cheese
Not the best as it's somewhat dry, but I'm a sucker for mashed potatoes, so I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Corn, Fragrant Rice, & Fresh Vegetables

Baked potato topped with sour cream, cheese & bacon bits, I think

I didn't get to try it.

Coleslaw

Ah, after those 4 dishes, I think I was over-dosed with pork, meat, & cholesterol. If you're adventurous & won't mind indulging in more sinful dishes, Chicago Rib House is also introducing the Drunken Prawns this festive season!

Drunken Prawns (RM68.80++ per set)

Steamed with white wine, flambé with brandy

It's not just a plate of steamed prawns, but an interesting "performance" as well when the staff flambé the prawns with brandy :) I didn't really like it as it lacks the alcoholic "punch" that I usually get from typical Chinese restaurants. I also felt the prawns weren't very fresh for that day.

For some variety this Chinese New Year with your family & friends, drop by Chicago Rib House & enjoy a Porkilicious Joy Luck meal! :)


Chicago Rib House
Lot F346, First Floor
1 Utama Shopping Centre (New Wing)
1 Persiaran Bandar Utama
47800 Petaling Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan
Malaysia.
Tel: (+603) 7727 3210
Business Hours: 11:00a.m. - 11:00p.m. 
URL: http://www.chicagoribhouse.com.my
FB: https://www.facebook.com/CRHMalaysia
No. of Seats: 120
Forms of Payment: Cash & Credit Card


Ratings:
Presentation: * * * *
Price: * * *
Environment: * * *
Taste: * *  1/2
Service: * * * 1/2

 
Overall:







Pork is GOOD!