Uncle Botak BBQ Grilled Chicken

A lunch meeting turned into a round of 'Where do we go?' over WhatsApp. I'm more adventurous when it comes to trying out different places for lunch, whereas I tend to stick to my old favorites for breakfast. Our little group settled the issue by agreeing to check out a new restaurant called Uncle Botak BBQ.

The name of the place definitely piqued my interest. It wasn't easy to find - it's located in a row of shoplots right opposite Yamaha Music along the LDP highway in Petaling Jaya, but you can't see the signboard from the highway itself. Parking can get tight so be prepared to double park. One advantage to zooming around on two wheels is being able to slot the motorcycle in an empty slot, in between cars.

The proprietor Daniel is a friendly guy who loves talking to customers about getting grilled and smoked meats done right. I'm ogling at the huge Mitsubishi Zero radio-controlled plane hanging from the ceiling; it turns out the owner used to be a frequent RC flyer.

There's a large variety of lunch sets available, ranging from rice and pasta dishes to grilled chicken, beef and lamb. I opt for the grilled chicken with roasted potatoes. The chicken is savory, moist and tender, basted with a spicy sauce carrying a hint of sweetness. I could eat it on its own without the black pepper sauce, which I end up dunking the nicely roasted potatoes into. I'm a big fan of the coleslaw with crunchy bits of cabbage in a vinaigrette-style dressing.

Their specialty is smoked chicken, duck, beef and lamb, most of which require pre-ordering. They also offer holiday sets bundling together meats and sides for a small group at a very affordable price.

Uncle Botak BBQ is available for events with a buffet menu and a custom selection of grilled and smoked meats.