New clean look, same yummy food

If you haven't noticed, Kenny Rogers Roasters restaurants around Singapore are sporting a new look. Bye bye country-feel cowboy saloons, say hello to the no-frills American family diners instead. While I miss the old rustic ambience, I'm thankful that my chicken and ribs here are roasted and barbequed the good old way.

While there is little variety when it comes to cooking styles at Kenny Rogers, it certainly isn't a weakness - the establishment knows that the way they roast their fowl and grill their ribs is the one way it should be done. No compromise.

And after chomping done half a chicken and half a rack of ribs -together with a friend of course- I have to agree. We ordered a Lucille combo meal ($32.90) so that we could sample, or rather indulge in, as many of the signature items as possible. The combo comprises the familiar chicken and ribs, with two corn muffins and a selection of three sides. Of course that wasn't enough to satisfy, so we added one more for $2.50.

The marinated chicken was superbly prepared. The end result was a moist piece of meat that is tender and leaves the bone cleanly, leaving behind something that is both healthy and flavourful- the sure proof that your chicken is roasted to perfection.

And as I sunk my greedy teeth into the meat, the lemon salts and pepper sprinkled on the skin mixes with the natural flavour of chicken to explode into a burst of flavours in my mouth. Here's my attempt at  breaking down the experience: slight citrus taste from the lemon salts, the spiciness from the pepper seeds and herbs, the savoury goodness that comes naturally from the chicken, and the smokey scent of being wood roasted.

The ribs fared equally well too.  The slab was marinated in a special Honey Bourbon BBQ sauce didn't over power the meat, though my friend thought it was a tad too sweet. Unlike other establishments that might serve more bone than meat, the hog that my slab came from was thankfully not anorexic. And it was succulent to say the least. 

Most of the combos allow you to pick a couple or so from a myriad of sides, ranging salads, carbs and cooked vegetables. The selection was so appealing I couldn't resist ordering more than what came with my combo. I picked sweet corn, cheezy pasta, cut potatoes with herbs and garlic, and french beans.

The unskinned potatoes with herbs and garlic was healthier alternative to the more common mayo potato salad and was very tasty. The Cheezy pasta was equally tasty with the pasta drowning in huge volumes of melted cheeze, though obviously not as equally healthy. But my personal favourite are the french beans which were sauteed lightly with salt, herbs and tomatoes. Who says a carnivore can't love his greens as well? 

And finally the corn muffins were the items I consumed last. I regret not eating them earlier - I was afraid that they would fill me too quickly - because by the time I reached them, they were pretty cold. But I imagine had I eaten them earlier, they'd be warm and moist on the inside with a crisp crust on the outside, making each bite a comfort. The corn kernels added a naturally sweet hint that gives the pastry its identity. 

About service, I wish we wouldn't need to self-serve, especially for the prices we're paying, but the food is so delectable I don't really mind. With its new look, Kenny Rogers is a great place for the family to tuck into a warm, authentic American meal.