This week, we go on a quest for the ultimate burger! We’re not talking fast food burgers here. We’re hunting for non-frozen beef patties made from scratch, with unique sauces and marinades, crisp greens and freshly baked buns.
We shortlist these five burger joints, and sample both their signature beef and non-beef burgers for this taste test. Read on to find out who’s got the biggest and juiciest burgers!
Swiss Grill EDITOR’S PICK!
587 Bukit Timah Road
#01-05 Coronation Road Shopping Plaza
Opening hours: Tue-Sun: 11.30am-10pm
Price: Burger With The Lot ($14.90), Grilled Cod Fish Burger ($19.90)
Rating: 4.5/5
Tucked away at the back of the building is the most unlikely place for awesome burgers. Operated by gourmet meat specialist Swiss Butchery, Swiss Grill is a little bistro cum fresh meats and sausages deli.
Go straight for their bestselling Burger With The Lot. Beneath that enticing sunny side-up is a gorgeously thick patty of premium beef chuck. Tender, juicy, grilled to the perfect doneness and brimming with flavour, the meat is truly stunning. Even the egg and bacon are beautifully executed. Save for a stronger presence of char-grill fragrance, this burger is an almost flawless creation.
Another winner is Grilled Cod Fish Burger. Sandwiched between airy sesame seed buns are a whole piece of luscious grilled marinated cod, grilled peppers and a special blend of herbed mayo. Every bite is a divine burst of juices and flavours!
For an extra $2.50, you get a side of chunky fries and mesclun salad. Both make lovely companions to the burgers.
Comparatively, Swiss Grill’s burgers are on the pricey side. But if you factor in the use of premium quality ingredients and hearty portions, we think they’re absolutely worth it!
Fatboy’s The Burger Bar BEST VALUE!
18 Mohamed Sultan Road, #01-01
Opening hours: Mon-Thu: 5pm-11pm, Fri-Sun: 12pm-11pm
Price: Wimpy Beef ($12.00), Bolly Wooly ($11.00)
Rating: 4/5
This is Fatboy’s second outlet and first foray from the suburbs into the heart of town. Nestled in a breezy open-air alley, the vibe here is casual and laidback. You can choose to DIY your own burger from Fatboy’s popular Build Your Own Burger menu, or choose from their wacky signature creations.
We opted for Wimpy Beef ($12.00)–which consists of beef patty, cheese, and egg. The patty—made from fresh ground chuck tender—is rather lean, with suspicious bits of gristle here and there. Also, it’s cooked to well done, which probably accounts for the less than juicy patty.
Much more impressive is lamb burger Bolly Wooly ($11.00). Even those of us who normally shy away from notoriously gamey lamb were bowled over! Gorgeously pink and moist in the centre, the slightly charred patty is packed with meaty and juicy flavours. The spicy, creamy curry remoulade and sweet mango chutney complement the lamb perfectly. Sweet and chewy honey oat buns complete this brilliant piece of work.
Overall, there are more hits than misses. Prices include a generous serving of thick-cut fries. Coupled with hearty-sized burgers, meals here are truly excellent value!
Bergs Gourmet Burgers BEST FRIES
137 Amoy Street, #01-01 Far East Square
Opening hours: Mon-Sat: 10am-10pm
Price: The Berg ($8.50 / $10.50), Budgie Smuggler ($9.50 / $12.00)
Rating: 3.5/5
Burgers here come in two sizes—small and Bergs—and the larger portion is certainly formidable. Apparently, Bergs is the conception of two Aussie mates who, frustrated with the lack of great burgers here, wanted to create the perfect burger.
The house specialty, The Berg, features a prime beef patty of impressive thickness. Full of bold beefy flavour, the patty is accompanied with generous amounts of Bergs sauce, red onion, tomato and lettuce, sandwiched between two chewy buns. Our buns looked toasted, but were cold. Point to note: Cold buns do not make great burgers.
Flavour-wise, Budgie Smuggler makes a more favourable impression. This Asian-inspired creation is a lovely ensemble of grilled chicken breast, orange honey marinade, sweet chilli, and fresh greens. Thumbs up for tender, succulent chicken, and also the zesty marinade and sauces!
Crisp and fluffy, the thick-cut fries here are a sheer delight! Our order stayed beautifully crisp and greaseless right till the end.
One common peeve among the tasters is presentation. For a joint that claims to serve gourmet burgers, they could do more than just flimsily wrap the burgers in paper and then serve the food in paper bags.
6 Eu Tong Sen Street, #01-30 The Central
Opening hours: Daily: 11am-11pm
Price: Freshness Burger ($4.50), Spam Burger ($4.50)
Rating: 3/5
Being a Japanese franchise, the burgers here aren’t the typical American-sized variety. Think dainty and petite. In fact, our test tasters—who have average-sized appetites—all feel that the burgers here suffice for a snack, but not filling enough for a meal.
The house signature Freshness Burger is a letdown for meat lovers. The beef patty is so thin its flavour is drowned among pumpkin buns, fresh tomato, chopped raw onions and tangy sauce. This is probably a grouse that the friendly staff has encountered before, for they did warn us before we ordered, and helpfully hinted that we could try the Classic Burger (that comes with thicker beef patty) instead.
While the Freshness Burger isn’t a total disaster, the one that we’d go back for is Spam Burger. Lightly toasted soft buns, shredded cabbage, tomato, Japanese mayonnaise, a slice of fried Spam, and a runny sunny side-up egg—easy enough ingredients, but each bite is pure heaven!
559 Bukit Timah Road
#01-01 King’s Arcade
Opening hours: Mon-Thu: 11am-10pm, Fri-Sun/PH: 11am-10.30pm
Price: Original Burger ($5.70), Pulled Pork Burger ($6.20)
Rating: 2.5/5
Like Freshness Burger’s creations, the burgers at Burger Shack are designed for elves. Smaller than regular burger buns, the white bread buns are nicely soft and pillowy. Depending on your choice of filling, the burgers here could either delight or disappoint.
We really dig the Pulled Pork Burger—a groovy creation of succulent meat and barbeque sauce that made us ooh with delight. The shredded pork is beautifully tender, while the sauce is delectably tasty, spicy, and smoky all at once.
The same can’t be said for the Original Burger. The beef patty is as impressive as the frozen variety. Frankly, the whole thing is just a yawn. Lightly sprinkled with cayenne, the shoestring fries are marginally more interesting than the usual plain variety.
inSing.com made anonymous visits and paid its own meals at the eateries featured here.
