Eckywoobee scores again

It's an unusual name for a sports cafe and one that  instantly demands attention.

It sounds like something out of a futuristic science-fiction movie, but owners Shalina Johan and her brother Shazman Suhaimi said they wanted a quirky name for their sports cafe.

It was their mum Haskie Hussain who came up with the  name four years ago.

The restaurant, however, is not new as its original outlet in Taman Tun Dr Ismail owned by the duo's  father Johan Adam Wong and Haskie, which had garnered a loyal following, had to be relocated because the building's owners wanted it back.

Thus, the new saga of  ‘Eckywoobee The Sports? Cafe' began at Solaris Dutamas in Jalan Dutamas 1 when the duo were handed the reins in running the restaurant.

It  has not lost any of its loyal customers because of its  good food and great ambience. Indeed, it has garnered new customers.

“Eckywoobee is a place for the younger crowd to chill out. We have a lot of many football enthusiasts coming here,” said Shalina, the manager of  the cafe.

One is gob-smacked the moment one steps foot into the cafe. Hockey sticks, badminton racquets, F1 and football items, tennis racquets, roller blades, a  boomerang, golf clubs, rugby collectiblessuch as jerseys, a bowling jersey signed by Shalin Zulkifli and Azidi Ameran, a dart board and ice-skating shoes,  among others, are just some of the many interesting sports paraphernalia that vie for attention displayed on the walls of the outlet.

Why, even a go-kart is up on the wall.  There is also foosball table for those who want to have  a go at the popular game while the chefs whip up their order.

EPL football matches, F1 and other popular sports are also shown on large-screen TVs. As for the food, it's delicious.

“We used to serve more local than Western food in TTDI, but now our focus is on Western food,” said Shalina.

Try its Ice-skating Diva (poached dory fish topped with Ecky's famous cream sauce), Swedish Team (meatballs cooked in brown sauce accompanied by fries and fruit jam),  Row The River Thames  — Fish & Chips ( dory fish fillet in batter that is deep-fried to crispy golden brown and served with garden greens and topped with tartar sauce and a wedge of lemon) or Ecky's Wingers (half-a-dozen deep-fried chicken wings).

At its English Corner, you can order dishes such as Granny's English Gourmet Pie (oven-hot beef pot pie).

There is no shortage of variety here.

There's the Spaghetti Aglio E' Olio Chicken (31-centimetre-long chicken hot dog with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, yoghurt sauce, mustard and fries) for instance.

Then there's the homemade cheese burger served with fries.

The more-than-a-mouthful 200g juicy burger is scrumptious as is its pizza — a rich, thick crust beef pizza, full of beef pepperoni, capsicums and olives.

But the best dish must be its Down Under Favourite dish.

Imagine tucking into three pieces of lamb chops served with mashed potatoes and  sauteed vegetables of broccoli and baby carrots, and mint sauce.

The lamb chops  are marinated in olive oil, English mustard, rosemary, thyme, garlic, among others,  then placed in a chiller for two days before they are pan-fried until they start to brown.

Then they are grilled for another 15 minutes. You  just have to savour this dish to realise why it's a crowd-puller.

Its huge 500gm porterhouse steak  will have you salivating the way Fred Flintstone looks forward to a big,  juicy steak!