The majority of Singaporeans surely have heard of this chain of coffeeshop stalls called Botak Jones. Botak Jones sells American fare such as steaks, cutlets, Fish and Chips, burgers and so much more and it has become so famous that they have outlets found almost everywhere in Singapore. If a business like that succeeds, what do they usually do? They expand. As of writing, Botak Jones expanded and created other businesses such as Botak's Favorites and Great Big Food. The former is the Halal version of Botak Jones, suitable for Muslims, while the latter is a catering company that usually serves American fare just like its other businesses. For today's article, I will be concentrating on Botak's Favorites, a Halal version of Botak Jones like what I have mentioned earlier. Read on further to find out more about all the mouthwatering food that I have ordered during my visit.
The Menu
Unlike the original Botak Jones, Botak's Favorites has fewer outlets. However, they are still located in coffeeshops so you don't have to pay exorbitant prices for their Western food. The outlet that I went to was the outlet at 5 Changi Village Road near the famous Changi Village Food Centre and Changi Village Bus Terminal. It was not difficult to get there because all you have to do is board any service that terminate at Changi Village Bus Terminal (except service 29) and alight at the second last bus stop. You will see a small coffeeshop with the Botak's Favorites logo on it. After I have taken my seat, some coffeeshop helpers handed me the menu and asked what drinks I wanted. Service was quite prompt and its similar to ordering at a restaurant. Anyway, the menu was overwhelming. There were so many items and I wanted to try all of them. However, there were some items that were too expensive and should be reserved for my next visit like the steaks (which are their specialty).
Another Peek at the Menu
Here is another look at the menu (the back view) and as you can see, there are a wide variety of items available such as hotdogs, steaks, Fish and Chips and so much more. If you order a main dish, you get to choose two sides which includes items like Coleslaw, Butter Boiled Sweet Corn and so much more. Do note that if you choose Double Baked Cheese Potato as a side, you have to add an extra $1.00. Overall, I think the food is actually quite affordable given the portion sizes.
Cool-looking Electronic Device
Unlike restaurants, someone will not be coming over to your table to order the food for you and deliver the food to you when it's ready. That only applies to the drinks. If you want to order, just head on over to the Botak's Favorites coffeeshop stall and take your order. After that, you will receive this electronic device which will notify you that the food is ready to be collected. However, the cool thing is that this is not the normal ticketing system whereby they will give you a ticket and you collect your food when your number is being called. Instead, Botak's Favorites will give you this device in which it will light up and flash if your order is ready. Just bring this back to the counter, collect your food back to your table and you can start digging in.
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| Cajun Chicken |
The First Set Meal
This was the first set meal that I ordered at Botak's Favorites and it's called the Cajun Chicken. Basically, it's a piece of chicken cutlet that has been marinated with a blend of spices. They claimed that no chemicals are present in the dish itself which is pretty believable. When I first tried the dish, I was amazed by how amazing it tasted thanks to the great blend of spices in the chicken itself. However, the grilled chicken was not really that moist and it didn't melt into my mouth unlike what I originally had in mind. On the bright side, the chicken was juicy and delicious. The sides that complemented the Cajun Chicken was kind of okay. The Butter Boiled Sweet Corn tasted exactly like how regular boiled sweet corn is supposed to taste like and the Fries, they tasted great. Unlike normal fries, Botak's Favorites' Fries were well-seasoned with some sort unspicy spice. The chicken was not spicy but it really tasted delicious and I could taste the flavours in the chicken. If you like Chicken Cutlet, you will surely like this variant compared to the normal Chicken Cutlet. Do note that this is grilled chicken not the regular deep fried chicken.
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| Mushroom and Cheddar Burger |
The Second Set Meal
Another set meal that I (well, actually my sister) ordered apart from the Cajun Chicken, is the Mushroom and Cheddar Burger. According to the menu, the Shiitake mushrooms are mixed with garlic and butter. As you can see from above, the mushrooms were actually separated from the burger itself. I'm not entirely sure why but you can manually add the mushrooms into the burger itself if you want to. The burger itself was okay although I did not eat the whole thing because it actually belonged to my sister. I took a bite out of the burger along with the mushrooms and overall, it tasted okay. Not entirely great but it's okay. It's bigger than a typical fast food beef burger and the meat is slightly juicier but it did not really have that much oomph. It tasted more like a slightly better version of a typical fast food burger.
The two sides that my sister ordered for this Mushroom and Cheddar Burger, are Coleslaw and Mashed Potatoes. I am not a big fan of Coleslaw so I can't tell you how it tasted. Go and get the Coleslaw if you are a Coleslaw fan and let me know how it tastes like. On the other hand, the Mashed Potatoes were a bit bland to be honest. It lacked flavour and there was no gravy (or very little) so the Mashed Potatoes were not really that delicious. However, I could taste the fresh potatoes that were present in the side.
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| Cheese Fries |
Extra Side
I ordered another extra side to accompany the two set meals that I have ordered so that I had plenty of food to try. The extra side that I ordered was this. It's called Cheese Fries and it's basically regular crinkle cut fries smothered with cheese. It's also sprinkled with this vegetable that looks like lettuce to me. When I tried it, the Cheese Fries were not that good, unfortunately. It tasted bland and the cheese did not have this cheese flavour that I was expecting. Somehow, it tasted more like unsalted cheese to me. On a positive note, the fries itself was okay as it was fresh and crispy but the cheese was a tad too disappointing to me.
I think the Cheese Fries in fast food restaurants tasted better. I don't usually write entirely negative food reviews but unfortunately, I had to write this because it just was not that good. If you want Cheese Fries, I suggest you to just skip this entirely and get the Whoopass Chili Cheese Fries which is one of their more popular items. Next time, I must get myself the Whoopass Chili Cheese Fries and hopefully, it will taste better than their Cheese Fries.
Conclusion
In conclusion, my visit to Botak's Favorites at Changi Village was half good and half bad. Half good because the Cajun Chicken was totally delicious and it's one of the best chicken cutlet dishes I have ever tried plus their Spiced Fries tasted great. The Boiled Sweet Corn was also quite good. On the other hand, it's half bad because the Mushroom and Cheddar Burger was okay and it did not taste that bad while the Mashed Potatoes lacked flavour and the Cheese Fries was disappointing. I am not saying that Botak's Favorites does not serve good food, I am just saying that you should try their more popular items like their steaks, hotdogs and signature burgers. I will definitely visit Botak's Favorites again despite my disappointments with some of the food and I will try their more popular dishes and sides. Botak's Favorites is a very good place to find affordable Halal Western food and it's good that now, Muslim customers can also enjoy the best of Botak Jones without worrying. There are several outlets around Singapore so do check out their Facebook page to find out more and which outlet is the nearest to your home or workplace.
Botak's Favorites is HALAL certified
Getting Here
Bus services available: 2, 59, 109 (Bus stop along Changi Village Road outside Blk 5)
Nearest MRT Station: Not Available
Website: http://www.facebook.com/BotaksFavorites
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