Smoky Jack Ribs & Steak House

My Ratings: 3 Stars

Cuisine: International

Location: Upper Penang Road, Penang

(opp. MOMO club/next to Segafredo)

Non Halal

RM20-30 per person

My friend told me about this place. It was featured in a chinese daily and received good reviews. So I decided I give it a try.

Anyone walking past the restaurant cannot avoid looking at the front facade of the restaurant. Looks like a large tree is growing insidethe restaurant and its long and many roots is just bursting out and crawling in every crack and nook of the restaurant. Once you step into the restaurant, you will be wowed by its interior. It is dark and I could not really tell the theme to the restaurant. Is it rainforest? Bird's nest or a creepy alien nest? I will leave it to you to interpret

My wife and I was seated in a half egg shell-like seat and you will kinda feel cocooned snugly into the seat. The restuarant offers a variety of seating theme from egg shell to tree branches and even inside a big drum. The lighting is very dim. I had trouble looking at the menu but for those who wants privacy, seclusion or secret dating...this is the place for you. Unless your eye sight is good unlike mine, you probably have trouble recognising the diner next to you.

The food varieity is good from soup to salads to mains to dessert and at a price that is not too pricey. I have the Roasted Squab (RM28++), ceaser salad (RM9++). My wife ordered the grilled half chicken with BBQ sauce (RM24++) and Boston Clam Chowder (RM8++) while our friend had the Grilled Chicken Fettucini (RM16++) and Cheese Cake (RM9++)

The portions were had were quite large except for the cheese cake which is quite small and probably not worth the price but the half chicken and squab is half a chicken each. One half chicken is enough for two so we had too much food. The half chicken is so big that it came out still with blood inside so we had to return them to the kitchen for extra cooking. They should have serve small portions or sliced up the half chicken so that it is easy to cook and eat. And talking about ease of eating. It took me and mt wife to carve the half chicken. So I probably wouldn't recommend so couple who is trying to have a romantic dinner coz you will be busy carving the chicken and spending less time on the more important stuffs.

The fettucini is good and the Boston clam chowder is served with puff pastry baked over a ceramic pot. The clam chowder has a funky taste. It is still eadible but not my favourite. Probably it is not that fresh coz the waiter asked me if I can wait for the entree coz the chowder needed 15-20 minutes to cook. Maybe the kitchen needed to thaw the clams that has been in the freezer.....maybe.

The dinner rolls is good and healthy (wholegrain) and comes with a veirety of flavoured butter (garlic, sweet and spicy) but really really small portions of butter. More butter please!

Overall the ambience is really unique and the food is good. But I think the decor wows more than the food. Good set lunches available on weekdays