Ticklish Ribs & ‘Wiches @ Sea Park PJ

Pigging Out!

Rumour has it that a new pig out place has been hogging the limelight in the vicinity of the Sea Park area lately. Barely open for a few months, Ticklish Ribs & ‘Wiches already has many porcine fans queuing up for a taste of their pride and joy ribs and sandwiches. Armed with a bold phrase of ‘Praise The Lard’ at their store front, it’s not unusual that many swine-crazy fans (like me!) would want a taste of Ticklish Ribs & ‘Wiches.

One evening, the six swine-crazy fans hit Ticklish Ribs & ‘Wiches in hope of satisfying our constant cravings for finger-licking ribs and other porcine dishes. Located at Sea Park right on the hot spot behind the corner petrol station, parking could be a challenge but fear not, it is a known fact that foodies like us will never give up hope in search of parking for a taste of porcine haven.

You know the team at Ticklish Ribs & ‘Wiches meant serious business because we were reminded of their ultimate porky fare at every corner of the restaurant. Lots and I mean lots of piggy photos and ornament, hog jokes and porcine idioms are splashed all over the place. They even have a super duper badass piggy icon on one of the painted mural on the wall while quite a few flying pigs were also in sight.

Décor is themed in dark colors with lots of black, wood, steel and splashes of color through the paintings, posters and ornaments. Opt for regular tables and chairs or there’s always the high tables with stools for a bar like seating. Way at the back is a private enclosed area for those who may need to consume their porcine in private. The concept is self-service as diners choose what they want at the counter up front and make payment before settling down on a table. Catch actions of your ‘Wiches being prepared behind the counter or your ribs sliding down their very own pig slide from the back of the kitchen.

The menu at Ticklish Ribs & ‘Wiches is tight and sufficient, with simple choices highlighting their signatures. Straight to the point, there are pork ribs, porky sandwiches and a few sides thrown in for good measure. Wash these down with sodas, coffees or beers and ciders.

We tackled The Ultimate Tickle Signature BBQ Ribs with rib-tickling happiness. Available in two sizes, choose 6 ribs for RM38 or 3 ribs for RM20. There is also two choices of sauce with one Spicy or the other Not Really.

Needless to say, we had both. Both sauces are somewhat similar with the only difference of one being a little spicy. I actually enjoyed both. The Spicy version only has minimal heat for a slight nudge of spiciness though I would have love more punchy heat notes. Nevertheless, the ribs are literally falling-off-the-bone tender due their cooking method of pre-boiling the ribs before finishing them on the Barbie with their signature sauces. The BBQ sauces are robust with good hits of sweet, savory, tangy and umami notes. It is definitely finger-licking good so just chuck away any cutleries you may have in mind as the ribs are simply best tackled with your fingers.

We did thought of the Psycho Sandwich (RM80), a humongous hog ‘wich with all their available choices of meat and sauces piled on in one long charcoal bun but did not attempt since we prefer to taste their individual first before taking on this big hog ‘wich.

Instead, we had their You Braise Me Up (RM16), Pull Your Leg (RM16) and Got Balls? (RM13).

Basically there are some options here you gotta select to create your ‘Wiches. There are 7 choices of meat from their fancy rib-tickling names of Lazy Bones (rib meat without bones), You Braise Me Up (braised pork belly loin), ChewBakkwa (Bak Kwa meat), Pull Your Leg (pulled pork) to Once You Go Black (lean pork slices), Ssshock Sendiri (battered lean pork in spicy sauce) and Hoilam Ting (pork chops in Hainanese sauce). Then select your choice of bread of Charcoal, Wholemeal or White and finally opt to have add-ons like fried egg, cheese or caramelized onions.

You Braise Me Up is my favorite of the three with its sinful layers of streaky loins braised in rich sweet and savory sauce. We had ours with charcoal bread, lettuce and cucumbers. It is always heavenly when savoring pork with layers of lean and fat for that extra lusciousness of textures and flavours.

We had Pull Your Leg with wholemeal bread and the usual suspects of lettuce, cucumber and onions. Its pulled pork slow cooked for hours, shredded and smothered in rich brown sauce so imagine pulled pork sandwich for this one.

Got Balls? A new addition the family of ‘Wiches and we were sure pleased with this latest offspring. It’s a meatball ‘Wich with a porky twist. We had this with white bread, lettuce and caramelized onions. Smoky with little notes of sweetness and savory pleasure, meatball fans will be pleased with this ‘Wich. Then’ there’s the secret of crispy pork lard in this ‘wich that may be the justification to order this!

If you cannot live on ribs or ‘wiches alone, here’s two more sides of Oodles of Noodles (RM12) or Rice Vice (RM12). Both are mediocre carb fillers. Oodles of Noodles is spaghetti with porky Bolognese sauce and Rice Vice is a version of Japanese inspired Katsudon of crispy panko-crumbed pork with rice and sauce. 

The pasta sauce was a tad on the saltier end but the rice was ok. Feedback conveyed so hope they can tweaked the salty part for better enjoyment. Loved the extra sin of crispy lard on the rice dish…

Freaky Fries (RM5) had golden fries smothered with pork Bolognese and cheese sauces. I would have just preferred fries with the cheese sauce as the pork Bolognese sauce was too salty for my likings.

Up for a Challenge?

Ticklish Ribs & ‘Wiches has got lots of good stuff here, especially the ribs! I would come back for their ribs and ‘wiches while the noodle and fries are misses for me now. I enjoyed the humorous touches on the concept of this restaurant and their signatures. It is a great hang out place for finger-licking pork ribs and some ‘wiches. Besides pigging out, there’s live jamming sessions on some evenings...

Let’s All Keep Calm & Makan Babi!

TICKLISH RIBS & ‘WICHES

5, Jalan 21/11A,

Sea Park,

46300 Petaling Jaya

Tel: 016 228 8419

Webiste: www.ticklishribs.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ticklishribs

Business Hours: Daily 5pm to 10pm. Closed on Mondays

Outback Steakhouse @ Nu Sentral

Outback Steakhouse Opens Second Outlet in Malaysia

I love a good piece of steak and there’s no better place for this than at Outback Steakhouse. The American steakhouse chain has been dishing up Aussie style barbie to steak lovers for the longest time I could remember during my college days in the States. I am really glad that Outback Steakhouse landed in our Malaysian shores. Now with a second Outback Steakhouse outlet opened recently at Nu Sentral, carnivores like me needed no extra push to head over for a taste of Down Under themed barbeque meat and seafood.

This second outlet has a 150-seater capacity all set in a warm palette ambience completed with contemporary wood furnishing and a lovely bar. Diners can choose to enjoy their meal in the cool dining room or at the al fresco area. The whole place felt cozy and is perfect for a hearty meal of steak and more. Dressed in bright colored walls and also glass panels, it’s minimalist and contemporary.

I have my own few lists of Outback signatures which are just my all-time-favorite so I was really looking forward to this. Outback Steakhouse has a long list of thirst-quenching beverages so make sure to order a few to go with the yummy barbeque to come. My Minted Lemonade Chili is so good and refreshing. It’s vibrant with good dose of citrus and mint. I didn't get much of the chili but that’s ok as I really still enjoy it a lot.

We kicked off our meal with Outback’s signature Typhoon Bloom (RM19.95), hand-cut fresh onion strings which are lightly battered and seasoned before being deep fried till golden brown. The onions are superbly light and crisp and taste even better with the signature bloom sauce which has a good dose of spices in it. These are highly addictive!

Next up, we had Alice Springs Chicken Quesadilla (RM27.95). Large flour tortilla has a filling of chicken, beef bacon, mushrooms and cheese and is grilled till everything melts together and the tortilla is warm and toasty. Served with a side of honey mustard sauce, the quesadilla is pretty much comfort food. I love the soft gooey filling and thought this really makes a lovely appetizer.

Now I know that Outback is famous for their Caesar Salad but we had their Queensland Cobb Salad (RM27.95). Portion is huge and enough to share or have it as a main meal itself. I really enjoyed the abundance of crisp greens piled with shredded cheese, crispy beef bacon, boiled egg, fresh tomatoes, seasoned chicken salad and their house made Thousand Island dressing. It’s such a pretty platter of flavours and textures.

For mains, we had burger, lamb chop, steak and beef rib. Going all the way, we took on the Typhoon Burger (RM26.95), A thick ground beef patty cooked to your liking before being topped with cheese, fried onion rings, lettuce, tomato and Typhoon Bloom sauce and sandwiched in a sesame seed bun. The burger comes with thick cut fries.

It is simply a darn good burger. The patty is moist and well-seasoned. The other condiments worked its charm and that sauce is super yum. The golden crispy onion rings did wonders for the burger too. It’s a manly burger that at sight makes everyone want to sink their teeth into this awesome burger!

Our steak was an 8 oz. Ribeye (RM56.95) cooked to medium rare and served with two sides of our choice. We had mashed potato and fresh seasonal vegetables. According to Outback, all their steaks are dry-aged for a minimum of 21 days to ensure that flavours are well enriched and tender.

Our steak has a good charred edge and yet it remained beautifully tender and juicy inside. I always choose ribeye because I like the well-marbled bits of the cut that gave the steak better flavours. Our steak was cooked medium rare and was very flavourful. It is a darn good piece of beef if you asked me. If you prefer a lean cut, then go for their Victoria’s Fillet or Sirloin.

Next up was Lamb Chops (RM49.95), four cutlets of well-trimmed chops nicely grilled. It was decently juicy but I would have love a thicker cut for the lamb for a good hearty bite. That said, the lamb chop was still good and flavourful. Diners get two side dishes of their choice and ours was mashed potato and fresh seasonal vegetables.

Outback is quite famous for their BBQ Beef Ribs (RM59.95). Our order had four giant beef ribs gorgeously glazed with a shiny BBQ sauce and served with golden thick cut fries. The beef ribs are so tender and really yummy. A gentle cut with a fork is all it needs. The BBQ sauce is smoky and tasty and exactly what it should be for a delicious BBQ sauce. It’s also not overly sweet and has a good balance of tangy flavours.

I have nothing but good ravings for the BBQ Beef Ribs. Since it’s a big platter of meat, you might want to share this unless you are a heavy meat –eater. The great news is that there is also a half portion order.

We added on the No Rules Pasta (RM29.95) for some carb. It’s fettuccini noodles coated in a creamy Parmesan cheese sauce with seafood. This one is decent enough and makes good comfort food. Pasta is cooked al dente, sauce is creamy and seafood is cooked well.

Don’t forget Outback’s outrageous desserts! We had Cinnamon Oblivion (RM17.95), a concoction of vanilla ice cream with warm cinnamon apples, crunchy croutons, pecans and caramel sauce. A wee bit too sweet for me and so I still prefer their famous Chocolate Thunder from Down Under as my all-time-favorite dessert!

Expect nothing short but hearty grilled steaks, burgers, chicken and seafood, awesome salads, tantalizing appetizers and sinful desserts at Outback Steakhouse. Portions are really value-for-money as well. It’s a great place to dine with family and friends!

OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE

LG-27 & 28, Nu Sentral Mall,

No.201, Jalan Tun Sambanthan,

50470 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: (603) 2276 6200

Website: www.outback-sea.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/OutbackSteakhouseML