Tom This is the start of a series of food reviews for you foodies who want to visit Singapore!
The highlight of this category of “Singapore Foods” is the local delights that you can find in Singapore. However, as Singapore is a melting pot for ALL cuisines, we will start with a Western food review. And what better food to start off than the burger? In this case, Handburger!
Introduction
There are currently 2 Handburger joints in Singapore. They can be found at Raffles City (Alight at City Hall MRT Station) and 313@Somerset (Alight at Somerset MRT). The one Kate and I visited was the 313@Somerset joint.
The philosophy of the Handburger is really to make foods fresh with the hand (hence the name) and to provide quality, artisan burgers that are reasonably priced.
Interior Decoration (3/5)
The Interior of Handburger
The interior decoration of the Handburger is simple and casual. It really appeals to the young and the young at heart. The tables are joined (2 seaters with 4,6 seaters) much like in the canteen just that the table and stools are wooden.
The Counter – Entrance to Kitchen of Handburger and Cashier
The mirrored walls at the rear of the restaurant gives an illusion of a larger space than it really is and the cupboards have interesting shapes carved unto them which doubles as the handles. The counter is also lined with cans labelled “Handburger”…really wonder whats inside….
Food (4/5)
Ah…now to the most important part of this whole post…THE FOOD! Kate and I were in the restaurant at about 5pm and it was the snacks time when sliders (small / bite sized burgers) were available (available daily from 3 to 6:30pm). This was what we ordered
1. Sliders (1 for $3.3 or 4 for $12.8)
All 4 sliders
– The Handburger Original Slider
Ingredients of this slider include prime beef, sweet onion jam, cheddar cheese, BBQ sauce and lettuce/tomato.
Verdict: The medium well beef was tender and flavourful with a little bit of fat to taste. Combined with the BBQ sauce and juicy tomato/lettuce, it leaves behind an unforgettable after taste.
Pulled Pork and Original Sliders
– Pulled Pork Slider
Ingredients include the pulled pork , slaw, tomato/lettuce.
Verdict: Not the best pulled pork burger we have tasted. Of the 4 sliders, this should be ranked the last. The pulled porked was not tender and the BBQ sauce was a little too salty and sour. Overall it was ok, but not something worth remembering.
– Battered Dory Slider
Ingredients include battered pacific dory fish, tartare sauce, lettuce/tomato.
Verdict: The batter was crispy, correct thickness (not too thick) and wasnt too salty (unlike some other batter). On the inside, the fish was fresh and tender. Combined with the tartare sauce, it was oh so good…
Battered Dory and Chicken Caesar Sliders
– Chicken Caesar Slider
Ingredients include baked chicken thigh, caesar dressing, bacon, fresh mozzarella, sauteed basil pesto mushroom, tomato/lettuce.
Verdict: This is the best of the lot. The chicken thigh was well marinated with herbs and spices (you can see it and taste it). It was tender and excreted the juices combined with the herbs and spices. Together with the mushroom (mushroom and chicken cant go wrong), the texture was different with every bite. Yum.
2. The Works ($17.8)
The Works
Ingredients include 150g of 100% prime NZ beef, onion ring, crispy bacon, mushroom, sunny side up egg, sweet onion jam, cheddar cheese, lettuce/ tomato.
Verdict: The best burger we’ve had in ages! The bigger version of the slider didnt disappoint. The beef was succulent and juicy (juices came out as we cut the beef). The combination of tastes of the onion ring, bacon, egg, beef, mushroom, bun and lettuce/tomato in one bite makes you want to come back for more. The flavours just compliment each other as you chew in your mouth over and over again. SLurp!
3. Peanut Butter with Banana Milkshake ($4.5)
Peanut Butter with Banana Milkshake
Verdict: Another winner here. The milkshake was THICK and we mean THICK! There was probably no milk added here, just thick vanilla ice cream with peanut butter and banana. Just by drinking it alone, you can feel very full. Image how we felt as we left the restaurant after all that burger and this!
The taste was awesome and you’ll enjoy it one sip at a time.
4. The Dessert Burger ($6.9)
The Dessert Burger
Ingredients include 70% dark chocolate patty, apple cream cheese, butter icing, strawberries and donut bun.
Verdict: The ingredients were placed together to form the shape of a burger! It was a wonderful tiny creation and we really didnt know how to attack it. I would say it was a nice finish to a wonderful experience at The Handburger.
Price (3/5)
For the Works, we would say the price was fairly reasonable. However, we think the sliders were a little overpriced. Perhaps it was gourmet but the portion was really small. If I open my mouth wide enough, it should be able to fit right in.
The desserts on the other hand were very reasonable. The effort and innovation placed into the creation of the dessert burger cannot be mistaken. The rich and flavourful milkshake makes this one a must-try.
Service (5/5)
The service was EXCELLENT! It could be partly because we were one of the 5 customers during the off-peak hour of 5pm. Our water was constantly topped up. The waiter stood by us as we slowly went through each and every page of the menu. He even gave us recommendations and told us which was popular among the customers when we ordered the desserts. He was also polite even while we changed our orders.
The cashier was polite and allowed us time to go through our bill. She even explained the membership and its perks to us without us prompting. With every $5 nett spent, 50 points will be accrued. 100 points equates to $1 rebate on your next purchase. That translates loosely to a 10% discount. Whats more, you get double the points on your birthday month, that’s 20% off! Cool!
Overall (15/20)
Overall, the experience was a good one. The service and food standards made all the difference at this restaurant. Definitely recommended for gathering with friends, chillax over a milkshake or just burger binge!
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