Mad Jack Cafe (Jalan Kayu)

Situated along a stretch of bungalows and shophouses rests an Australian themed restaurant designed to ensnare young buckaroos like myself who are hopelessly in love with the country and food while endlessly hoping to get the same fare in Singapore. Mad Jacks is part of a chain of restaurants under the same name which have been around for a couple of years. The question one begs to answer is normal. Does it do justice to the country and food it supposedly represents? Answers in a short while.

The interior is simple with a serving counter not unlike fast food chains while the tables and chairs are simple wooden decors. Walls are simple and drab with interesting signs filled with humor.The are no service charges which explains the lack of service i guess, gst is still a must however.

Coke and mushroom soup - Coke is well....coke so there's nothing much i can add on about that. The mushroom soup is pretty terrible really. No doubt there are mushroom bits inside but the cream and soup is so salty, it makes the sea taste bland. I'm exaggerating of course, but truly, the soup is not something anyone can finish easily.

Fish and Chips ($11.90) - My gf had the fish and chips and well, i'd say it was more or less hawker standard with a thick batter, sub par fish and generally oily exterior. Nowhere near the sweetness, freshness and crispiness of the actual offerings in Australia.

Blue Mountain Beef Burger ($9.90) - On the menu, it was billed as one of the biggest burgers in this side of town. Well, to be honest, i can think of quite a few burgers bigger then this, take for example Aston's I Eat Superburger which is a little more expensive, but a hell of a lot more tasty. The fries are worse then Burger King's while the 3 patties that make up the burger seriously needs a new recipe. Reason being, the beef is practically indisguishable, it could be chicken or lamb for all i know. The meat is soggy and overly mashed and lacked any taste whatsoever. The bottom line? Never order this again.

The final bill turned up at $23.30. A little too much for a fare less then ordinary.

To be fair, its not a terrible place. The food is in dire need of some help and new recipes however. I honestly don't see how else this can bring back repeat customers without a new recipe. On the flipside, i never tried their desserts, which looked great but looks can be deceiving. Sad to say, i won't be back to try it until i know the food has improved. Australian food is leaps and bounds better then this, so be sure not to judge this as what you'll get down under. Its a world of difference.