Chiko Pollo — Restaurant in Singapore

went here when the place first opened and the food and service was great. subsequently throughout the years it became worse and worse. recent visit was the final straw.

Reserve for 10 pax 2 weeks in advanced and it was also confirmed on that very day i reserve. On the day of the reservation, they called me and asked if it was ok to move forward my reservation to 2hrs earlier to which it was definitely NOT OK. They called again and said that only outdoor seating was available to which i had no issue with.

upon arriving, we were first given an indoor seating. they then move us as they said that 11pax was coming. then, they told us we had 90min dining limit which was understandable as it was dinner time. we then had to squeeze to their small outdoor seating area.

we took the first 10-15min to place our order. the drinks came and it was questionable. ordered an ice lemon tea and ice peach tea. ice lemon tea was missing the tea(as you can see from the picture how white it was) and ice peach tea tasted so diluted. we asked the waiter if it was ice lemon tea and he said yes. we told him that there was no tea and all he said was " oh " and then walk away. we were stunned by his attitude, the least he could do was send it back and ask them to make a new one WITH tea and not just essence of tea.

the food came in 40min-50min after ordering. 2x woodfire chicken rice bowl & 1x XL sotong rice bowl : rice was undercooked, could see the raw rice grain and it was crispy told the guy the rice was undercooked and he went to change it for us, rice then was fluffy and salty chicken and sotong was big in size and sotong was chewy(gum-like) 2x cheeseburger : fries was saltier than the seawater burger was salty too 1x hanger steak and fries : fries was saltier than the pacific ocean (it tasted like they harvest potato from the ocean) steak was cut wrongly, texture wasn't great and it was chewy despite being medium 1x carbonara with steak & 1x truffle pasta with steak : both steak was drier than sahara desert and tough 1x aglio olio with chicken : chicken was nice and thick not too sure why the aglio olio look creamy and had tomato (i aint no chef but to my understanding aglio olio doesn't have tomato, i may be wrong)

overall, the food wasn't great and it's like their only seasoning is salt.

service wise : asked for a change in the undercooked rice and he did change (great ngl) asked for ice water, 10mins later asked for it again and yes he forgot about it 10-15mins later upon the food arrival, the guy told us we have to give the table back in 30mins (we understand that there is a dining limit but service was so slow we had to quickly eat) we then asked the girl to dabao our food for us and also asked for the bill, she came back with our food and then left without giving us the bill we then told the guy we asked for the bill 10mins ago and he told us we had to pay at the cashier, to which we were stun as the previous time we were here, they brought the bill to us and the girl didn't tell us we had to pay at the cashier the girl also seem really lost bringing the foods and drinks all around finding which table is which

overall, service was not great, definitely need a fix.

total damage : $290

i could have eaten better with that $290. overall, service and food was bad. definitely the last time i...

Went there on a very quiet Thursday night where maybe the restaurant was 40% filled (upon arrival) staff decided to put us into a corner table which was so cramped it was impossible for us to even sit down let alone have a decent meal. Upon further prompting only then were they gonna move us to another table. As we browsed the online menu which we had to scan, we realised that the prices for entrees were quite expensive. I ordered a steak and fries ($35) while my partner ordered some fried rice with beef ($35). Instantly expectations were high due to the high price points which seemed closer to fine dining than a upscale dining spot. She also ordered some lemonade ($7). Presentations for the food and the drinks were great, very Instagramable but sadly that's where the positive comments end. While portions of meat were quite generous, there's huge chunks of tendons and fats on the meat in both dishes which is something you wouldn't expect from this kind of price point. The fried rice was overly salty as well. This led me to be quite disappointed with the food and I left the restaurant rather unsatisfied.

Service Being from the service line too, I sorta understand the struggles that they have to undergo and how difficult it is. But things I would consider as basic especially for a upscale dining experience were not even offered. Simple things like arranging a decent table for us when we first step foot into their restaurant. I understand that they might have some reservations but perhaps informing us that they might need the table at a certain time would at least give us an option rather than putting us in that corner. The fact that upon prompting they gave us a table so easily leads me to believe that it could've been done from the start? Just that they did not want to go through the hassle of turning over tables? Up to interpretation but that's what I felt at that point in time. Basic things like water had to be on request which even in a place like Astons or Jack's grill (which are of lower price points) offer. Even when my cup was empty, I wasn't offered a refill or anything instead having to pour from my own bottle. Food was cleared less than 5 minutes after we had finished our courses. But none of the interactions with the staff felt like I was welcomed or they were happy to serve which was disappointing.

Overall I just feel that this place is more for the gram rather than an actual place to have good meal. From the food and drink Presentations but when you get to the actual quality of the food itself, its all show. And I wont think that the lacklustre food and service would be a problem if its of a lower price point, but If my meals + 1 drink for 2pax amounts to $82. I think that its only natural for some expectations to ensue. Would definitely avoid and would recommend others to avoid unless you would like to go to a place to take pics for your Instagram feed. Otherwise theres many food options out there with better quality at much better...

Muslim-owned. Offers a variety of mouth-watering treats from Asian to Western fare, including pizza, pasta, fried rice, and even tulang merahhas. Definitely has something for everyone. The portion sizes are on the bigger side too.

We tried,

😋 Smoked Duck Brown Butter Pasta Exquisite and flavourful dente luiginue pasta tossed in in-house signature brown butter sauce topped with tender slice of smoked duck.

😋XL Salted Egg Sotong Tom Yum Fried Rice Ultra crispy majestic squid coated with light crispy batter lathered in rich & creamy salted egg sauce that makes my mouth water. The texture slightly chewy without being rubbery. The fluffy fried rice is infused with a distinct tom yum fragrance. We happily gobbling spoonfuls of this pairing.

😋The Banjir Burger A must-try for cheese lovers! This decadent burger is perfectly stacked with tender juicy beef patty & perfect sunny side up in between 2 fluffy bun serve alongside crispy crinkle cut fries. Of course not forgetting the main lead – a generous portion of cheese sauce serve seperately on a bowl for you to flood your burger & tantalise your tastebuds with just the right amount of cheese according to your preference. Get unapologetically messy with this The Banjir Burger!!

😋Creamy Garlic Butter Mussels with Mantao Buns. Delicious & comforting!! Garlic butter is the perfect partner for Mussel!! The crispy fried mantao mopping up the sauce is just so divine!

😋Kambing Perap (Marinated Lamb Chop) Cooked beautifully, the lamb chop is seriously tender & juicy, & did not have the distinctive lamb taste. Each bite is incredibly flavourful. Served with Cheese Fries. The fries are crispy & the cheese VERY tasty.

😋Spicy Korean Drumlets & Wings Crispy on the outside while the meat within succulent & juicy. Glazed in a sticky, sweet, & spicy sauce yet did not ‘steal' away the crisp of the outer skin. Makes me drool just thinking of it now!!

😋Chiko Pollo Sour Ranch Popcorn chicken & crinkle cut fries mixed with in house special 'chiko sambal' topped with sour ranch sauce. Love the perfect bite-sized crispy fried popcorn as it is meaty not too many flour. And the sauce just makes it even better.

😋Bulgogi Beef Fries Feature a bed of piping hot crinkle cut fries topped with thinly sliced marinated beef, mayonnise & chopped onions. The succulent beef had a good balance of sweet & salty flavour & is very tender. Incredible

😋Buttermilk Belgian Waffles Perfectly golden brown, with a crisp exterior, yet still remain delectably fluffy. Topped with a scoop of icecream and we got a clear winner.

😋Salted Caramel Frappe & Paddle Pop Iced Float This Sea Salt Frappe has just the right amount of salty & sweet for a great treat while the Paddle Pop Ice Float the classic icecream makes into a drink. It is a...