Several months ago (Nov 2012 to be exact), 3 types of delectable ribs were contending in an ‘election’ campaign hosted by Tony Roma’s, in conjunction with their 40^th anniversary celebrations. They were the Bountiful Beef Ribs, Beef Short Ribs and Malaysia’s very own Lamb Ribs. I have tried them all and my favourite ‘candidate’ was the Bountiful Beef Ribs, followed closely by the Lamb Ribs. Both ribs were tender and juicy and their sauces (BBQ for Beef, Honey Plum for Lamb) complemented the meat well. They do a pretty decent mash too. The beef short ribs unfortunately was not as tender as expected and err-ed on the dry side.

Well, it seems that the Malaysian Public agreed with me, for the Bountiful Beef Ribs was declared the winner (aka the Best Ribs in town), despite the heavy competition. The voting process was totally democratic by the way, as everyone had a choice to cast their votes into designated ballot boxes at each Tony Roma’s outlet, or through their website.

We were invited to witness the ‘Award Ceremony’, held at the 1 Mont Kiara branch, and the result was announced by Mr Dickson Low, Chief Operating Officer of Revenue Valley, sole franchise holder of Tony Roma’s in Malaysia.

“Our main purpose of having this election was to better engage with our customers and find out their thoughts on our dishes. Nearly all of them mentioned that it was not an easy task to cast their votes as all three ribs were their favorites,” said Mr Dickson Low.

The Bountiful Beef Ribs comprises of big, meaty beef ribs topped with Tony Roma’s original BBQ sauce – or with any sauce as per diner’s request – has indeed delivered on its promise of ‘meaty goodness that we can believe in’, as it was the most popular dish opted for by Malaysians during the contest.

There were also weekly lucky draws for those who voted in the election and the luckiest voter gets to enjoy a whole year worth of free meals at Tony Roma’s.

I hope she has a gym membership!

We got to devour all three ribs once again in tasting portions and chit-chatted our ways through the evening. Needless to say, I hit my meat quota for the week!

Don’t worry if you didn’t get to participate in the voting process, because there’s a new Facebook contest launched by Tony Roma’s called ‘Cherish The Moment’, and this is once again open to the public, with the intention to foster a spirit of togetherness amongst its diners.

To participate, all you need to do is to snap a photo of yourself with your loved ones and the ‘Cherish The Moment’ promotion set* (your meal). There also has to be in the picture any item bearing Tony Roma’s Logo. You can then upload the photo to Tony Roma’s Facebook Fan Page, tag your friends, current location of the photo and mention the receipt number on your Facebook status.

The six best entries will win special complementary dinner for two at Tony Roma’s Malaysia on 14 February 2013, during which they will also receive a special surprise, courtesy of Tony Roma’s. Terms and condition apply

*The Tony Roma’s ‘Cherish The Moment’ promotion comprises a starter, two entrées (the Bountiful Beef Ribs and Lamb Ribs are on the list too), dessert and two beverages, all at a reasonable price of RM 143++.

For more information on Tony Roma’s visit http://www.tonyromas.com.my/. You can also connect with Tony Roma’s by liking their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/TRMALAYSIA or follow them on twitter at https://twitter.com/TRMALAYSIA1 for more updates on their latest promotion.

Photos courtesy of Tony Roma’s Malaysia and Tim Chew.