Botak Jones, Darn Good Food At A Darn Good Price

Change is something a consultant needs to constantly deal with and gracefully adapt to. Moving from one project to another translates to meeting new people, encountering different sets of challenges and embracing a variation of scenery every so often. Of course, this also means making new friends, obtaining a wider perspective and discovering new things.

As consultants who are always on the move, the hunt for new places to eat in search of gustatory pleasures is among the things my colleagues and I take delight in outside of work. It's a perfect way to cope with future shock. Still, being new to a place and having no dictator in the group, it isn't always easy for us to decide where to go for lunch. So when Michael proposed Botak Jones, which was a mere "two bus stops away", a feeling of relief and excitement abounded in us.

We took bus 57 from the Bukit Merah interchange and got off at the stop opposite Yue Hua Eating House at 118 Depot Lane. With the blue neon sign on the roof of the hawker center, it wasn't difficult to find. I later found out the Botak Jones outlet in this area is just one of several they had in Singapore.

Botak Jones' logo, which consisted of an outline of a man that resembled Michael Jordan, save for the ears, told us where to go inside the food center. There was a queue when we got there -- a very good sign indeed. I found the offerings of authentic American food in the menu quite tempting and the decision on what to try first challenging. In the end, I opted to go with Michael's suggestion and ordered The Botak Burger set. There would be plenty of time to try out the others once the initial experience proved wonderful.

I was not to be disappointed. The beef was juicy and tasty, making The Botak Burger absolutely fantastic. I also found the coleslaw the way I had wanted it to be. I was too stuffed to finish the other side (I forgot the name and the menu isn't updated to reflect the available choices apart from coleslaw and fries) I had ordered.

Everyone in our table seemed pleased with his or her food. We were happy with our new find. We agreed to eat there at least once a week.

We were back only two days after that. I had the Italian sausage and found it to be very pleasant. Everyone in the group had the same positive comments they gave previously. As for their staff, we found them to be polite and they looked happy to be doing their job. They sounded really interested in our answers when they asked us if we enjoyed their food. They even offered to replace the fries if we weren't happy with it. Turns out they've recently introduced new fries based on a different style of cooking. We actually like them; I just hope they're still cooking it with corn oil.

I think Botak Jones lives up to their slogan, "Damn Good Food At A Damn Good Price". And if I may add, "...At A Darn Good Service!"

More info on Botak Jones can be found in their web site.