I’ve heard about Checkers for a while and always wanted to try their famous pork ribs, years after I was first recommended by a friend about this place, we finally went there for dinner over Pearl’s (belated) birthday.
Checkers at Damasara Heights, there isn’t a sign board
Located at a pretty quiet part of Damansara Heights with ample parking space, Checkers is very small family run restaurant that gives you the homey ambiance with the stern looking proprietor and his friendly wife. Most everyone that shared the other 5-6 tables in the dining hall seemed to know the owners on first name basis.
Equipped with plastic chairs and basic white table cloths on square dining tables, interior decoration at Checkers were probably done in 5 minutes. In fact, the restaurant doesn’t even have a sign board. But we’re here for food, right?
village bread, served with a side of sliced tomato & salami
Menu is a simple one page A4 sheet with choices of pasta, appetizers, grilled meat, and a few types of desserts. There are also usually some off-menu dishes you could order, all you need to do is ask.
We started the night with an order of village bread (off menu) and it turned out to be surprisingly good. The bread was steaming hot and served with a side of sliced tomato and salami as well as olive oil and vinegar. Perfect to munch on while waiting for the main attraction. The bread might look deceptively small in portion, but it’s good enough to serve a table of four.
Lord of the Ribs, the main attraction
The aptly named Lord of the Ribs (RM 120) is what we came here for. A giant slab of pork ribs expertly seasoned and grilled with perfection. While the exterior looks a bit dry, it was prepared so to seal in the juices within. Home made bbq sauce (I think), and an olive oil based sauce comes with it. While some have complained about the ribs being a little dry, I thought it was lovely and not over powered by too much sauce (then all you taste is sauce instead of meat).
The dish also came with generous portion of salad and mash, if there’s only two of you, this slab of ribs should be the only thing you order.
some chicken pasta, grilled pork tenderloin and sausage
We also shared a chicken pasta dish (off menu, can’t remember the exact name) which could have been lovely if we didn’t wait till it was cold to consume. I did like the way the poultry tasted though.
The grilled pork tenderloin and sausage (RM 39) is something I wouldn’t mind having if dining alone at Checkers. The thin sliced pork  were tender and lovely, and I particularly love the way they served the potato, in thin slices with onions mixed in. This dish is as porky as it ias tasty.
Pearl, David, KY, Haze at Pearl’s birthday dinner
If you’re to pay Checkers a visit, do call for bookings to avoid disappointment as they have less than 10 tables even if you count the two non-weatherproof tables on the balcony. Prices aren’t cheap, but quality of food is good, and that homey feeling and very personal service is something you don’t get in most restaurants these days.
Address:
Checkers
19 Lorong Setiabistari 2,
50490 Kuala Lumpur
GPS: 3.143856, 101.65728
Tel:Â 03-2095 3304
Hours: 6-10 pm
this place is a real survivor, eh! its menu seems to never change, but it still has the magic formula to keep its customers loyal after all these years 😀
Sean: yea! we need more places like this.
so did u disappear with pleasure when you ate the lord of the ribs. 😛
ciki: haha, pretty much!
i wonder what hobbits taste like…..
immature: probably hairy.
If it’s delicious, I think it’s worth to pay that much amount of money. I once ate at some grill place in PJ, where the portion is small and the food is just ordinary. Not a good experience.
JD: I guess sometimes you get what you paid for 😀
Er…that place is not cheap too! Hence the dissatisfaction. I wouldn’t mind paying extra if the food is good…
JD: haha to each his own. I find it quite satisfying leh.
i think it takes 3 or 4 of me to finish the lord of the ribs! that’s big!
eiling: yah it’s massive!
Sliced tomato with salami….that is yummy! A perfect balance of flavours too I must say.
Lord of Ribs…tempted to check them out tonight….if someone is not on dietlah:P
missyblurkit: ya it’s awesome oneeee
Went there with family last week and definitely not going back. We ordered some kind of bread with tomatoes and anchovies, guess what, it’s rm55 and all they serve is bread with tomatoes and dipping (apparently the anchovies is in the dip). All of us has 2 slice of small bread only. The main course is OK, but the starter really brings the mood down.
Satisfy?No: that sounds bad, last I went was a couple years ago so maybe things changed a bit since.