Sneak Peek: The ieat SuperBurger Mk II

ieat SuperBurger Mk II
Akan Datang/Coming Soon!

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Relish: Burgers, Beer, Burgers, Beer, Burgers......

With Glaxo, Smith and Kline

Curry Chicken Burger $17

Burgers -- They hold a special place in my heart (And I don't mean the cholesterol that has been deposited in the arteries) as it does in many a foodie. The very thought of eating a burger just conjures up childhood memories of eating this delectable sandwich in clubs, Swenson's, A&W and MacDonald's. Yes, back in the days when you only get to go to MacDonald's when you scored well on your exams -- the Big Mac was quite a treat then.

Just why does the Hamburger have such a aura of desire around it? It quite simply is the King of the sandwiches just as the Durian is the King of the fruits. Just what draws (predominantly) men to a hamburger? How does a thick slab of minced meat cuddled by big soft round buns resonate so well with the male machismo? Is it because it is simple to cook, that husbands would occasionally give their wives a break, fire up the BBQ and pretend to be Neanderthal Chefs? Or is it simply because a good burger is just darn good to eat?

Whatever the case may be, when I heard that Wilin from Wild Rocket had opened a Burger Restaurant, I just had to check it out.


Relish Burger $17

Now the idea of a Gourmet Burger Restaurant is not new. I think most people still remember the ill fated Uberburger and their $101 Wagyu Burger. Well, if you want to make people pay $101 for a Burger, it better be darn good. So opening another Gourmet Burger joint so soon after the demise of Uberburger must be quite a calculated risk. Whatever the case may be, I am just glad that Singapore still has a restaurant where the people simply live and breathe Burgers.

Relish has quite a list of gourmet burgers to choose from so I decided that I would just try a selection. The curry chicken burger was first out of the kitchen. The pattie was made from chopped chicken spiced with curry leaves, chilli and other bits of these and that and it was accompanied by sauteed onions and a curried mayonnaise. It was interesting, but pretty mild if you are gunning for a robust Cowboy meal. The whole thing had a colonial taste to it. You know, like the curries the Indian Chefs used to cook for the British Aristocracy -- lots of spice but without the heat. Quite enjoyable, although I felt the pattie could have been juicier and punchier. It's an alternative for people who don't take beef. 3.75/5



Next up was the well reviewed Relish Burger. I have been wanting to eat this burger for a long time. The pattie is made from Australian Chuck, machine ground and hand molded. It's thick and done to a beautiful medium rare. The texture was great, but it lacked that chargrilled smoky beefy ooomph I was yearning for. What does stand out was the sundried tomato relish which added a delicious zing to the burger. 4/5


Ram-Lee Burger $19

I remember having a incredible Ramly Burger when the Malaysian Tour Bus stopped at the interchange for a toilet break. It was 2am in the morning, chilly and there were cow pads littered all across the bus-park. That first bite of the piping hot Ramly Burger (accompanied by the aroma of dried cow pads) is forever etched in my temporal lobes. It cost only RM $1.50 at the time.

Therein lies the problem with the Ramly. If you are going to serve a gourmet Ramly Burger and charge $19 for it, it can't just be bigger, it has got capture and go beyond that elusive Ramly burger taste. The problem is that a lot of the Ramly Burger's taste comes from that piece of spiced up Cow Spareparts they call the pattie. It is of such dubious quality that our AVA won't even let us import it into Singapore and it is certainly something you want to eat WELL DONE and truly dead.

The rest of the Ramly is quite reproducible. Once the pattie is done properly (it needs to be pan fried with curry powder and other condiments), it is wrapped in a thin egg omelet and topped with mayonnaise and (cheap) sweet chilli sauce.

So the problem with the Ram-Lee is the way the beef pattie was prepared. It was simply the standard burger pattie used in all the other burgers. It would have been much better if the pattie was spiced up so that it had more of that "Ramly" taste. It has potential as I feel that a beefier, juicier, spicy beef pattie can really bring the Ramly to the next level. Considering that I can get a pretty shiok Ramly for $3.50, I would find it hard to fork out another $19 for my next Ramly fix. 3.5/5


Char Siew Burger $19

The one that really hit the U-Spot (Umami Spot) that afternoon was ironically, the Char Siew Burger which was not really a burger, neither was it really Char Siew. (At least in my books) It was an open sandwich topped with a luscious melt in your mouth piece of pork soft bone. Not very pretty to look at but it does amazing things to your taste buds. 4.25/5

Conclusion

There's a lot going for Relish. The place has a nice laid back, airy feel about it and the simple menu of Burgers and Beer would appeal to many people. For a Specialty Burger place, I was disappointed that they didn't serve a Classic Burger with the Works. (Closest they had was a Bacon and Cheese), but otherwise it is a great place for a casual executive lunch and a place to unwind in the evenings if you are into designer beers.

Relish
#02-01 Cluny Court (next to Serene Centre)
501 Bukit Timah Road
Tel: +65 6763 1547
Website

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Botak Jones: Unquarantinable Botak Fever

Actually Botak Jones started expanding just as I started this blog back in Aug 2006. But at that time I did not get around to blogging them. They would have made an interesting Ang Moh in the heartlands story. Now, just over a year and many other reviews later, Mr Jones has well and truly invaded the heartlands, taking major town centres one at a time. First it was Jurong, then Clementi, then Ang Moh Kio. Then they invaded Dempsey road and most recently they invaded the heartland of Bedok in the East. Seems like nothing is going to stop Botak fever!
So instead of being a discovery blog, now it seems that the blog is not complete without my review of the widely publicized triple burger ("Crazy or what!" Burger). Yes, it will not be complete without a picture of the ultimate male fantasy. (OK guys I know what you all are thinking but this is a G rated blog OK?)

There is really no reason for the existence of a triple patty burger except that it really does attract attention. Practically, there is no one in the world who would be able to actually eat the three patties and the bun all with one bite. (If there were, he would be in the annals of Ripley's Believe it or Not!)

So how is the Triple Burger? Well, those who love to eat lots of meat will not be disappointed. The patties were chunky, hand moulded and cooked medium. I had initially thought that the cheese was the common "Singles" type, but was pleasantly surprised that it was actually quite a nice and thick cheddar. Tastewise, it wasn't as beefy or as tasty as I would like, but at $14.50 (Plus $1 extra for each slice of cheese) I guess you can't be expecting them to use US Prime Chuck. Good texture, lots of meat but lacking the beefy ooomph! 3.75/5


Fish and Chips $6.50

Fish n Chips can be found in almost every coffeeshop and food centre nowadays and most can do a good job at deep frying. The only differentiating factor for most sub $10 fish n chips is whether they use the cheaper Cream Dory or the superior Pacific Dory. Both are catfish btw, but the Cream Dory is reared in ponds and tend to taste a little muddy. The other differentiating factor is whether they have a proper Tartare sauce and vinegar to go with the fish n chips. I am glad to report that Botak Jones uses Pacific Dory which is a good thing. But if you want to have a nice juicy fish, you will need to upgrade to the $10 portion as the $6.50 portion is a little on the thin side. They also serve it with a sort of Tartare sauce. I say "sort of" because the pickles were not really all that chunky, but it was still better than your standard mayonnaise. 4/5


Australian 200gm Ribeye Steak $14.50

I had a Botak Jones steak before last year and I felt at that time that it had too much herb seasoning on it. Good steak should not require anything more than salt and pepper. But then again, you don't expect a sub $20 steak to be prime quality do you? That aside, I must say that I was pleasantly surprised with the Australian Ribeye that day. Though the ribeye did fall apart, the doneness was just right and the flavour of the seasoning was not overpowering. So it was a juicy, enjoyable piece of meat that would please you if you are going for the sub $20 steak. 4/5

Conclusion

The Botak fever looks like it is going to spread to all parts of the island. The steak is reasonably priced but the fish n chips and some of the other items are not exactly that cheap. Foodwise, the flavors are distinctly un-Singaporean so you are not going to get Hainanese style western food. Botak Jones has already inspired other Ang Mohs to follow suit (Crazy Ang Moh) and I think we are going to see more Ang Mohs doing the same thing this coming year.

Botak Jones
325 Clementi Ave 5 #01-129
67741225
www.botakjones.com

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Vittles: Excellent Diner for the Whole Family!

Special Promo for ieatishootipost readers! Details at the end of the blog

Moo Moo II Burger $10.90 250gm beef pattie

This little diner up North is going to put a smile on many faces. It's the latest "Value for Money" diner which has recently opened in Sembawang barely 2 months ago and judging from the quality of the food and the prices, I can only say that it has all the qualities of another Astons in the making.

Just take a look at the Moo Moo II Burger. For $10.90, you get a big and juicy 250gm, hand chopped beef pattie, sauteed mushrooms and onions, crispy bacon, tomato and lettuce in a really nice oat meal crusted burger bun!

Truth be told, this is the ieat new improved version of the original Moo Moo Burger. I told Chef Julius that what I would really like to have is not just another burger but one that is going to get people talking. So he went to the kitchen with a few new ideas and whipped up the burger shown in the picture. He liked it so much that he told me that he will henceforth be serving the new improved version.



I really like beef patties where the meat is not so finely ground such that you can still bite into the meat fibres. The pattie was big and juicy and just needs a bit more tweaking to get the full beefy flavour out of it. I like the big soft bun which readily absorbed the juices of the meat pattie and the tangy BBQ sauce which gave it a nice balance. At $10.90, this is probably one of the best value burger in town! 4.25/5


Parmesan Coated Fish Fillet $7.90

The Parmesan Coated Fish Fillet came as a very pleasant surprise. The Parmesan cheese gave the Pacific Dory fillet a nice savoury flavour which is a very nice departure from the more familiar bread crumbs. The fish was cooked to perfection. Nice and juicy on the inside and crumbly on the outside. It went really well with the zesty homemade tomato salsa. 4.5/5


Emperor Oriental Chix Salad $6.90

If you enjoy Lo Hei (Raw Fish Salad) because of all the crunchy bits and salad rather then the raw fish itself, then you are going to like the Emperor Oriental Chix Salad where instead of raw fish, you have shredded chicken. I just love the crunchy crackers with the the tangy sweet salad dressing. 4.25/5

Vittles is an excellent place for family meals as they have stuff that the kids will love. Their Nachos are freshly fried and served with minced beef and cheese sauces. I usually prefer my nachos with melted cheese on top but my kids like it this way. 4/5


Pistachio Herb Crusted Lamb Rack $18.90

Chef Julius makes all the sauces and sides here himself and very few items actually come out of a packet. He makes the red wine sauce from scratch and even the mashed potatoes are made from real potatoes. You get a choose from 11 different home made side dishes. My personal favouriet was the creamy gratinated potatoes.

The Pistachio Herb Crust on the Lamb Rack is very addictive. I just couldn't stop nibbling on it with the red wine sauce. However, the lamb was frozen not chilled lamb, so it was not has juicy. But at $18.90, one can't really expect them to serve up chilled lamb rack. Still it was a delicious lamb rack that lamb lovers should try. 4.25/5

Conclusion

It was an invited review, so I was apprehensive at first. But it turned out to be a most wonderful lunch for the whole family. The kids loved the free popcorn that you can help yourself to as you are waiting for the food as well as the nachos and fries. The diner is run by 3 sisters and Chef Julius, so the service was very personal. Food is great value and on top of that, there is no GST or service charge. I think this place is poised to do very well.

Special for all our readers!

Print out this page and get 50% off your 2nd main course and a free Tropical Crush. This smoothie is is made of soursop and jackfruit and I found it really very unique and refreshing and I am sure you all will like it too. (50% off 2nd main meal is valid on Tues to Fri only. One weekends you still get the Tropical Crush) Offer valid till end Oct 2007.

Update 1 26 Sep 2007

There has been some confusion about the offer and I have just spoken with Denise. Now it is confirmed that the Tropical Crush is available both weekends and weekdays but the 50% off is only valid on weekdays. Denise has also said that the Moo Moo II will be available daily from next week onwards.

Vittles 369 Sembawang road
#01-05 Sembawang Cottage (Same bldg as Mac's)
67561138
www.vittles.com.sg
Sun to Thurs : 11:00 am to 10:00 pm Fri, Sat & Eve of Public Holidays : 11:00 am to 11:00 pm
Closed on Monday

Disclosure: This review was done at the invitation of Vittles

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Brown Sugar: Wagyu Burger with Foie Gras!

BrownSugar is in the midst of relocating to a new address. Stay tuned

With Big MOG, PowerMOG and introducing UK Chef MiniMOG

Wagyu Burger with Truffled Mushroom Sauce $28

The Big MOG has found himself a cosy little cafe bistro which serves really nice food and wanted to let you all know about it. This time round, he is joined by his wife and son who have just arrived from the UK. Incidentally, MiniMOG is a chef who had spent some time in Gordon Ramsey's kitchen as well as some of the poshest restaurants in the UK and it was a real eye opener to listen to him comment on the food.

The thing that captured my attention at first was the mention of a Wagyu Burger. Do you all remember the $101 Wagyu burger from Uberburger that made headlines not so long ago? Well, compared to that, this $28 Wagyu Burger sounded like a real bargain. Plus, you could even add Foie Gras onto your burger for an extra $7.

Brown Sugar's owner, fondly known as Sugar Daddy, tells us that the Wagyu Pattie is made from Wagyu Beef which is chopped by hand. The whole pattie is only lightly seasoned with chopped onions, salt and pepper so that you get the full flavour of the Wagyu. Instead of the usual burger bun, it is served with homemade Ciabatta and laced with a Truffle Mushroom sauce to add that extra kick. OK, so you've got "Wagyu", "Foie Gras" and "Truffle", three of the most enticing words in the culinary vocabulary all combined in one burger! Does it sound enticing or what?

I really liked the chunky, tender pieces of Wagyu which had excellent texture and nicely flavoured. Whilest US beef is characteristically more robust and beefy, the flavour of Wagyu is more delicate. If US beef is a Karate chop, Wagyu would be more like a firm massage. Chef MiniMog felt that the onions overpowered the flavour of the beef and would have preferred the beef without. I, on the other hand, quite enjoyed it.

However, the Ciabatta was a little dense for me and I would have preferred a softer bread. The truffle mushroom sauce, as you can expect, was quite shiok. I would have liked a little bit of relish to balance off the otherwise very savoury flavours of the burger. 4.25/5


Pan Fried Foie Gras, Caramelised Pineapples and Croutons $25

If you like Foie Gras, then you should make a beeline down to this Bistro because this is one of the most generous portions of Foie Gras I have come across for $25. There were altogether five chunks of delectable Duck Liver beautifully seared and dressed in veal jus with caramelised pineapple. The pineapple was a little too tart for me. A little more sweeter would have been good for me. MiniMog, on the other hand, felt that the tartness was alright. 4.25/5


Spaghetti with Organic Mushrooms in Cream Sauce with Sliced Parma Ham $18

Sugar Daddy aka Yuan, is yet another young entrepreneur who left a lucrative banking job in pursuit of a passion. The self taught chef started his career by being a "chef for hire", cooking for private functions before settling down run his own restaurant. That being the case, the menu is basically made up of all the stuff that he loves to eat. If you have been following the blog from the start, you would remember how I would add Sio Bak onto my Hokkien Mee to give it that extra oooomph! Well Yuan is of kindred spirits except maybe in a Ang Mo fashion. Just look at what he did to the basic Spaghetti Al Funghi (Mushroom Sauce). Oh yes, a generous handful of Shaved Parma Ham. A man after my own heart (and stomach) indeed! 4.25/5

The mushroom dishes here are all very very good. The mushrooms are sourced from Mycofarm which are grown right here in Singapore and they had that excellent earthy flavour. Even the super fastidious MiniMOG gave his stamp of approval. The mushroom soup is a must try. Made from button, oyster, abalone and shitake mushrooms and drizzled with Truffle oil, it is one of the best mushroom soups I have come across. 4.5/5


Sticky Date Pudding with Brown Sugar Butterscotch $10

Brown Sugar wouldn't live up to its name if it didn't serve up a few tantalizing desserts would it? And I am glad to report that they did not disappoint. The the Sticky Date pudding got the stamp of approval from both our Dessert Desperados viz Big MOG and iwatch_ueat. If you have a sweet tooth, this one is guaranteed to hit the spot! 4.5/5


Tarte Tatin of Pears with Honey and Fig Ice Cream $12

The other item that was really impressive was the Tarte Tatin of Pears. This is the personal favourite of Sugar Daddy who first ate it in the UK and felt that he just had to have it in the restaurant. The pastry is delightfully light and puffy and provided a good contrast to the beautifully caramelised pears and ice cream. 4.25/5

Conclusion

Delightful little cafe bistro to drop in for a casual bite. The food is prepared with passion and some of the items are really good value. Just make sure you leave some room for desserts!







Brown Sugar Cafe Bistro
277 River Valley Road
#01-04 Stardus Clubhouse
63336612
www.brownsugar.com.sg

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Carl's Jr Special ieatishootipost Promo: Get discount coupons when you mention this blog!

From Monday till Wednesday, you can get a "$2 off your combo meal" coupon at Carl's Jr at Suntec City. All you need to do is to go up to the counter staff and say:" I read ieat-ishoot-ipost: Never waste your calories on yucky food!" and get three $2 coupons which are valid till the end of the year.

May I encourage you to go down and get the coupons! A good response from you all would mean that we can continue to get more of such offers (or even better ones) in the future, so grab your friends and go get the coupons!



I still remember the first time I had a fast food burger. It was when Macdonald's made its first appearance in Singapore. Their first store was at Liat Towers. I remember Mom bringing us three boys to watch "Moonraker" at Lido and then we popped over to Liat Towers to have MacDonald's. I think a Big Mac at that time cost around $3 plus while a plate of Char Kway Teow cost $1. So going to Mac's was quite a treat in those days.

Nowadays MacDonald's is more of a staple then a treat. Most of the time we find ourselves in MacDonald's because that's where the kids keep pestering us to bring them. One would hardly go to Mac's for its burgers.

When Carl's Junior made its appearance more than a year ago, the fast food Burger was once again worth eating. For one, they were BIG and BIG is very enticing. My first Burger was the Portabello Mushroom Burger and I was very impressed after the first mouthful. Carl's Jr's Beef patties were really nice and beefy and the bun were oh so soft. Combined with the distinct taste of the Portabello mushrooms, it has been my favourite fast food Burger ever since. 4.25/5



I was invited by the one of the marketing people (who happens to be one of our readers) to do a review of their latest Burger Promo which is the Teriyaki burger. Their Teriyaki Burger has got a slice of pineapple and special Teriyaki sauce. It originated from Hawaii which explains the pineapple as I can't remember ever having Teriyaki beef with pineapple. Apparently it is currently creating waves in the US. Teriyaki beef is one of my favourite dishes so my expectations were very high for this burger. If you are a bit of a sweettooth you will enjoy this. If I were to design a Teriyaki Burger, I would fry the pattie in the Teriyaki Sauce and add some sauteed onions and Shitake Mushrooms! 3.75/5

Conclusion

The Portabello Mushroom Burger is still my favourite fast food burger. You will have to try the Teriyaki Burger for yourself and let us know what you think. Now, I heard that they might consider bringing in a extra thick Beef pattie from the US soon. That would be very exciting, don't you think? Let them know about it by writing in!

Promo only at
Carl's Jr, Suntec City

Disclosure: I was invited to review the new Teriyaki Burger so the meal was provided for free. No other fees are received from Carl's Jr for running the coupon promotion except that I got some a few coupons myself and I thought it would be good if you all could get some too.

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Tuckshop: Steak Sandwich that you can enjoy even with Dentures!

This stall is closed
With Damien and iwatch_ueat

Steak Sandwich $12.50

I have been searching for a good steak sandwich for ages and when Damien raved about this one at the newly opened Tuckshop, I thought I should check it out.

Now most of the time the problem with Steak Sandwiches is that you really need good teeth to eat it because most places use a cheap cut of beef which could pull out your dentures if you are not careful. (No I don't wear dentures.....yet)

Not here! I was amazed at how tender and delicious the generous cut of NZ tenderloin steak was. And it had a nice beefy flavour which was quite hard to get in tenderloin. Of course the beefiness still cannot beat a nicely char grilled USDA Prime Ribeye, but for $12.50, this is very pleasantly acceptable. The other really great thing is the whole Portabello mushroom and the caramelised sauteed onions that accompanies the steak. It just goes to show that sometimes you just need great ingredients rather than fancy recipes to make a great meal. 4.5/5


Halloumi Sandwich: $7.50

But the pleasant surprises don't stop there. Vegetarians will be glad to know that they have a very tasty Halloumi Sandwich which is made from a seared slice of Halloumi and topped with Hommus and lettuce. The combination worked wonders. The Halloumi is a cheese originating from Cyprus and is made from goat's milk. It does not melt when grilled and so it is an excellent substitute for a meat patty. I really won't mind going veg for a week if I had this for a substitute! 4.25/5


Fish and Chips $7.50

One more dish to recommend on this Pub Grub Roundub sic and that is the good old Fish and Chips! Actually Pub Grub is quite simple straightforward food since people usually go to a Pub for a drink and the food is just there in case you are hungry. But simple does not mean it is not satisfying and simple also does not mean that everyone gets it right. For Fish and Chips, there are really only three factors involved: Good Fish, Good Batter and a Good Cook. Get it all three right and you have a fantastically simple yet satisfying meal. Fortunately the Tuckshop gets it right on the three counts!

If you are starting to mumble about $7.50 being more expensive than the $4.50 fish and chips you get at the hawker centre, let me just say that you are paying for what you get. The most commonly used fish for fish and chips nowadays is the Cream Dory which is essentially the Catfish (pangasius hypopthalamus) farmed in Vietnam. The Cream Dory is farmed in ponds and grow very fast. Their cousin, the Pacific Dory (pangasius bocourti) has a cleaner taste and the flesh is more delicate but is more difficult to cultivate as they are farmed in cages along the Mekong River where there is a continual stream of fresh water. Cream Dory can sometimes taste a bit muddy depending on the farming conditions.

Needless to say, the Tuckshop uses Pacific Dory which justifies its higher price. The batter is light and crisp and thick cut fries are done very well. Well executed fish and chips! 4.25/5

Conclusion

Great place for some satisfying Pub Grub! For $12.50, this is the best Steak Sandwich I have come across in Singapore so far.

Tuckshop
21 Tanjong Pagar Road
#01-05
www.tuckshop.com.sg
Lunch till 2.30pm
Dinner last order 11pm

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Winegarage: This is NOT a Burger you can just fix up in your Garage!

"Garage" Burger with Homecured Kurobuta Bacon $25++

What kind of burger would you expect an obsessive American Chef to come up with? Well, here is one possibility: Start with a beef patty that is freshly ground using USDA Chuck, top it with aged Cheddar and home cured Kurobuta Bacon, garnish it with homemade Zucchini Relish and finely shredded Cos Lettuce, and sandwich it in between freshly Homemade Burger Buns.

Chef Travis is so confident about his "Garage" burger that he claims that "one can do little to improve on perfection"! This guy could well be as Hao Lian as a Teochew Ah Hia! (Exhibiting Teochew Pride) But as I always say, when your food is this good, you can be as Hao Lian as you like. This guy even goes to the extent of growing his own vegetables in a farm in Malaysia. No kidding. The only reason there are no tomatoes in his burger is because he can't find the ones he wants in the markets here. A lesser chef would have just made do with the best alternative. But it takes someone with passion to actually source out a farmer in Malaysia and convince him to grow the particular tomatoes he wants! The first crops are expected this month, so they will be making their appearance on the "Garage Burger" very soon.

Be still my tingling tastebuds. This is one of the best burgers I have had in Singapore. The burger patty has that wonderful beefy flavour and is oh so juicy. The wonderfully soft buttered and toasted homemade bun is great for absorbing all the juices and the Zucchini Relish and mustard gave it that wonderful zing to balance out the savoury flavours. I must say though, that I could not appreciate the taste of the Kurobuta Bacon which was lost in the harmony of flavours. That was a bit of a shame. Overall, a very satisfying burger and a real treat for any serious burger fan. 4.5/5

Conclusion

With such attention to detail, how can it not be good? The only problem is that "Good" is not cheap. At $25++ a burger, you could almost get a descent set dinner elsewhere. But as the Chinese saying goes "Yi Fen Chian, Yi Fen Huo" (You pay for what you get). So if you want a Burger made to exacting details, here is one to really consider.

Wine Garage
30 Merchant Road
#01-07 Riverside Point
Singapore 058282
Tel: (65) 6533 3188
www.winegarage.com.sg
Operating Hours Mon – Thurs: 4pm – 12mn Fri & Eve of PH: 4pm - 1am Sat: 11am – 1am Sun: 11am – 12mn

This burger was recommended by jm

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Cafe Oliv: Three Mini Burgers, All in a Row

Burger Trio: $14.90

Now this is what I call a balanced meal. You have your Beef, your Pork and your Fish all on the one plate.

Cafe Oliv's Burger Trio is best for people who:

1. Can't make up their minds what to eat
2. Want their Burgers in manageable portions
3. Love to buy a dish to share with their friends
4. Prefer to taste different things rather than stuffing a hungry stomach

Three Burgers means three reviews, so here we go:

Starting with the Beef. This is 2 slices of tenderloin beef, with bacon, cheese and lettuce in a tennis ball sized bun. Though I love beef, tenderloin is not my favourite cut as it lacks a beefy flavour. But, I know lots of ladies who love it because it is tender and has less fat. Personally, I would prefer a nice thick hamburger pattie instead. 3.75/5


Kong Bak Burger

Next up is the Kong Bak. I actually quite like this one. The Kong Bak was braised till it is tender, well caramelised with just a hint of the five spices. The Kong Bak is much better than many of the Kong Bak from franchised Kong Bak Pau outlets. Worth spending some calories on this one. 4.25/5


Black Cod with Shitake Mushrooms

I have left the best course for last. The Teriyaki Cod Fish with Shitake Mushrooms burger is worth the trip and I wouldn't mind having all three as Cod Fish burgers. They use Canadian Black Cod here so the flesh is oily and smooth and it was fried till there was a crust of caramel on the flesh. It was really juicy and the combination of the Shitake, Teriyaki sauce and salad really worked. Come to think of it, I wouldn't mind a full sized Cod Fish Burger! 4.5/5

Conclusion

The concept of the mini burger has been tried elsewhere but I think this is the first time that it has come in three different flavors. Personally it would have been perfect if they provided a juicy burger pattie instead of tenderloin, but I think the tenderloin would appeal to a lot of ladies out there.

Cafe Oliv
220 East Coast Road
63443114
11.30am to 12mn daily
Sunday: 8am to 12mn

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Special Ramly Burger Party Update

With carnineviand, Tag and iwatch_ueat

ieat Special Ramly: $3.50.

Tak Boleh Tahan, went down to Ole Bubble Cafe again yesterday to have my Ramly Burger fix! I did not taste the improved version with Worchestershire sauce the last time so I wanted to make sure that the taste was right. Anyway based on all the feedback so far, most people found the burger quite shiok.

Made some adjustments to the brand of the curry powder used and also got them to toast the bun over the hot plate to get that buttery caramelized taste of the bun.


New improved Single Ramly with Egg and Cheese $3

My makankakis all agreed that this is the shiokest $3.50 burger in Singapore at the moment.
So, for all those who did not make it yesterday.........too bad. 4.5/5

Link to Doubly Ramly in my Tumbly

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Ole Bubble Cafe: Doubly Ramly in my Tumbly

ieat Special Ramly: $3.50 Double pattie, double cheese, egg

Unless you have eaten a real Ramly Burger in Malaysia, you might not think much of it. But I remember my first Ramly enlightenment experience which occured 30 years ago in Pekan, a town just before Kuantan in the East Coast of Malaysia. Pekan's a little fishing village where my grandfather settled to open a grocery store when he came from Swatow carrying only a little bag of clothes. It was the sleepy little town where my father grew up. The old grocery store is still there in its original condition doing essentially what it has been doing for almost a century.

Anyway, I remember visiting my cousin in Pekan as a kid, and on one occasion he brought these "burgers" wrapped in pink tissue paper. Being the city boy, I thought little of a Kampung burger. We had afterall the latest advancement in Burger cuisine in Singapore, namely MacDonald's. So what do these Kampung folks know about Burgers?

I remember he bought like 6 burgers in a plastic bag for afternoon tea. I got hungry after a while so I decided to have a bite of this Kampung Burger. WOW! Damn Shiok Man! I finished like 3 burgers at one shot.


Ramly burgers are always split into two and seasonings are added

Fast forward 30 years.

As you know the standard of Ramly Burgers in Singapore is pretty dismal, which explains why guys like carnineviand did not get excited when I told him I found this cafe that sells Ramly Burgers. I don't blame him. After tasting Ramly Burgers in Singapore a few times, I gave up thinking that I would never find a good Ramly Burger here.

Then one day, I chanced upon a Ramly Burger stall in a Pasar Malam. It looked quite promising so I tried one. WOW! THIS is the Ramly I remember! Shiok shiok! I took some pics and posted them in the forum. (I had not started blogging then). I was pretty excited that I had found my "original" Ramly at last. Not only I say, but the Baker also concurred that this was one shiok Ramly. But there was only one problem. Being a Pasar Malam, you had to track them as they move around the island.



But as fate would have it, I met this Chinese lady recently who told me she ran a little cafe and that she makes a pretty mean Ramly Burger. She seemed quite confident of her burger, so I decided to pay her a visit. After all, a Chinese Lady (who happened to be an ex-secretary) making a Ramly Burger is like a Chinaman making prata. Must go investigate, no?

We tried the standard Ramly burger which I found was quite good. The pattie was actually juicier than the usual Ramly and having the eggs done over easy was better then the usual way of wrapping the pattie with the egg. The great thing about her bread is that she actually steams it so that it is really soft like a "fillet o fish" bun. But there was something still missing.

So I asked her to do a special one for me with 2 patties, 2 cheese and with the addition of curry powder when the patties were split. Ohhhhh, yes! Almost there. The only other missing ingredient was worchestershire sauce and I think we got the perfect Ramly. No, the perfect Doubly Ramly! 4.25/5 Should be a 4.5/5 with the additional tweaking!

Conclusion

Ramly burger moves upmarket! For $3.50, I got 2 patties, 2 slices of cheese, 1 egg, mayo, chilli and BBQ sauce in soft steamed buns. This is what I specially ordered, so if you want the same deal, just ask for the ieat Special Ramly. Tastiest $3.50 burger in town! POWER!

Price of Normal Ramly is $2.50. With egg and cheese is $3.

Ole Bubble Cafe
Blk 731 Yishun St 72
#01-27
10.30am to 7pm

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Epicurious: A Burger that's taller than wide!

With Big MOG, PowerMOG and iwatch_ueat

Basic Burger $14.95, Plus $4 for the works

When a man from the UK brings you to eat a Burger in Singapore, one has to wonder what the fuss is all about! This is the Big MOG's favourite burger and he proudly claims that he can't get a nicer burger than this in Britain. I find that hard to believe at first. But I guess the burger must be more an American thing than a British thing.

Anyway, I am happy to include this Burger into my list of Burgers because it gets the award for the thickest pattie I have ever come across. When you put the whole burger together, it actually lookes taller than it is wide! But small eaters need not be alarmed because this is a Burger for those who simply like Beef and not the Bread. The buns they use are really quite small, about the diameter of an apple. Actually, the 2oog pattie (they mince it themselves) is so thick that it can almost be described as an Xtra Huge Meatball.

The burger itself is quite juicy and tastes great with the bacon, onions and egg. The pattie itself could have been a little more beefy, but I guess being a homemade pattie, they have chosen to use less fat in the mince. That's good for those who are more health conscious. 4/5

Conclusion

Great burger for those who enjoy a big juicy beef pattie but don't want to get too full from eating the bread. The cafe is situated next to the river and it's quite rustic as the place is filled with antique wooden furniture. More expensive compared to the other burgers in my burger list but I guess you are paying extra for the ambiance.

Epicurious
#01-02 the quayside
60 robertson quay
67347720
www.epicurious.com.sg
Tuesday - Friday
11.30am - 2.30pm,
5.30pm - 9.30pm
Saturday & Sunday
9.00am - 9.30pm

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