Previously located at the Glass House, and now reopened in The Heeren Shops after yonks, T.G.I. Friday’s is back—with excellent frontage at that. We’re big fans of nostalgia, so we decided to revisit good ol’ Friday’s and see if its return was worth thanking God for. So we trooped down on a weekend during midday. The staff looked confused when we informed her of our reservation, and hesitantly led us up a steep flight of steps to the air-conditioned second story (the first story is a smoking area). We had to pass by a decidedly unglamorous washing/cooking area, before finally getting to the pretty part of the restaurant; and consequently to our table. The vibe was standard Americano—bright posters and wooden tables, like a diner; while the menu was surf ‘n’ turf, with a big emphasis on ribs and steaks. So we went for a half rack of Jack Daniel’s glazed ribs, a Friday’s Shrimp platter, chicken fingers and an Orange Slush. The grub took forever to arrive, but thankfully the Orange Slush got to us first. The first sip of the drink set the tone for things to come: It was disappointing—and was more ice than orange, and more tasteless slush than Orange Slush. Now on to the grub. While the Jack Daniel’s sauce slathered on the ribs added some robust sweetness, it wasn’t the most tender or fall-off-the-bone ribs we’d had. Despite its name, the shrimp platter only had about five shrimps in it, which they tried compensating with tons of fries. The fries were OK, but the few shrimps we had were disastrous (doubly so, considering the price—a total rip-off). They tasted like the prawns had been deep-fried without marination. The chicken fingers were dry and stringy, and we had to struggle to finish it. Long John Silver’s could have done better, and at a fraction of the price. After these letdowns, we pinned our hopes on the dessert—hoping to end our meal on a less catastrophic note. The peanut butter pie was everything the rest of the grub wasn’t: Delightful, rich, and oh-so-yummy—with a lovely peanut butter graham cracker crust, chocolate ganache, peanut butter mousse and whipped cream. But the rest of the meal was dismal—and we really can’t say we’re glad Friday’s is back if they continue with such food, and at such prices too.
