Pipa Duck Brioche Sliders The folks at Eat 3 Cuts 吃3样 have been pretty much off the radar for quite some time — the brand was one which had visited quite a number of years ago when they were still located at Burlington Square. They had at one point of time expanded their operations and scaled back as well, having been through several locations including one at Tai Seng, ARC380 and a hawker centre stall located within Old Airport Road Food Centre. Since the closure of their Old Airport Road Food Centre hawker centre stall, there wasn’t much news about the brand until a re-branding exercise through their social media accounts — they have since found their new identity as Pipa Duck Brioche Burgers as a revamped concept, and is now operating out of the Fellascube coffeeshop (run by the same folks behind Kopifellas / Noodlefellas) located within walking distance from Aljunied MRT Station at the cross junction between Lorong 24 Geylang and Geylang Road itself. Sporting a whole new look with a dark blue background for its signages and an orange logo comprising of a stylised silhouette of a duck and a burger, Pipa Duck Brioche Burgers now offers Eat 3 Cuts’ signature Pipa Duck and 8 Spice Chicken (essentially braised chicken) in the form of brioche burgers. The roast duck from Eat 3 Cuts’ does not seem to be offered at Pipa Duck Brioche Burgers, but there is a Signature Sauce Shredded Duck that is offered on the menu at Pipa Duck Brioche Burgers. For those whom are not inclined to having their burgers, they also do offer all three (3) kinds of meats to be served up with rice — these are priced more economically from $5 to $6.90. Patrons can get to also order ala-carte sides like Spam Fries, Fries and Salad, while they also do serve their Pipa Duck either in whole bird or half bird as well.
The word “Signature” in the Signature Sauce Shredded Duck Burger did catch our attention — it also seems to be the most popular item ordered by patrons from what we have noticed during our entire duration while dining within Fellascue; this is perhaps due to the fact that the Signature Sauce Shredded Duck Burger is a full-sized burger. Knowing the roots of Pipa Duck Brioche Burgers and its journey in the local F&B scene, we found that it would be best to give the Pipa Duck Brioche Sliders a go instead; after all, Eat 3 Cuts was an establishment that was well noted for their offering of Pipa Duck in an economical setting away from the more formal Chinese dining counterparts. The menu board is surprisingly descriptive for a coffeeshop-based establishment, but essentially the Pipa Duck Brioche Sliders comprises of their signature roasted Pipa Duck, mini brioche burger bun, lettuce, tomato, and their secret seafood sauce — the Pipa Duck Brioche Sliders comes in a set of three, and does come with fries and salad by defaults; patrons can opt for the upgrade to Spam Fries at a $1 top-up above its $15 price tag. All orders are prepared upon order, and a buzzer is presented to patrons which they will buzz upon the food being ready for collection.
Going with the sliders first straight with our bare hands, we were surprised how neat these were to be had without cutlery; no nasty smearing or sauces and all. The brioche buns are light and fluffy; pillowy soft and came with its own hint of light sweetness as well as a slight buttery note as well. As the teeth sinks further into the slider, one would hit the crisp skin of the Pipa Duck; that crackling crunch it gives being pretty much a highlight by itself — all that whilst the meat remains firm and easy to chew through without being too dry. The secret seafood sauce seems like some form of Hoisin sauce here — sweet with a slight tang that is rich with an underlying earthy note; adds a hint of umami while the lettuce and slice of tomato gives it a wholesome and refreshing touch from the carbs and meat. The accompanying fries were decent; adequately seasoned in salt and were crisp as well, though some might find that the portion of fries served mainly be as generous as what one expects things to be. The salad in the meanwhile comprises of lettuce leaves and cherry tomatoes drizzled in a Japanese Goma dressing; nothing much to shout about but comforting indeed. Overall Pipa Duck Brioche Burgers does seem to be a brand conceptualised by the folks of Eat 3 Cuts that seek to be more aligned to the taste and preferences of the younger demographic; that is especially when it seems that innovation and creativity is a lot that is needed in the crowded F&B scene these days. The burger offerings are priced from $7.90 to $15; the most affordable being the Signature Sauce Shredded Duck Burger and the priciest being the Pipa Duck Brioche Sliders — a little less economical than the rice options but still reasonable given how it isn’t the typical coffeeshop / hawker fare. An establishment which we think is worth making the trip for!