Bloody Beautiful Burgers

@wildfireburgers.sg has been around for quite a while, and their burgers have consistently been in the elite tier of the burger rankings. I can’t even remember the last time I had Wildfire, and after devouring their Triple Bacon Cheeseburger ($24++ for double patties, making this a Triple Double) I’m wondering why I’ve been robbing myself of the pleasure. ⠀
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Wildfire gets its name from the flames that leap out of the Binchotan charcoal fired INKA grill, and if you peer into the kitchen you’ll get to see a fire show every few minutes or so. The intense heat sears the patty in a jiffy, locking all the meaty moisture of the beef within the patties, while still putting a charming char on the patties. Speaking of the patties, these thick, juicy beef patties are crafted out of fine Aussie grain fed Angus ground beef topped with cheddar cheese. That combo delivers a brilliant balance of fat that brings flavour and beef that delivers satisfying meatiness blanketed by creamy, delicious, salty melted cheese.⠀
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Perfect patties aside, the triple in the Triple Bacon Burger comes from the trifecta of crispy bacon bits, baconnaise (bacon mayonnaise) and bacon jam. The crispy bacon bits did well, but could’ve fared way better if they came as strips instead to maximise the crunch. The bacon jam & baconnaise, on the other hand, were absolutely awesome. The smokiness & savouriness of the bacon infused every morsel of burger with its porky smokiness, and every meaty mouthful was marvellous.⠀
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The brioche burger buns were flawless, being delightfully doughy yet airy and bouncy. However, since they had been toasted with butter on, this Triple Double of mine got too cloying too quickly. Perhaps Wildfire should look into providing a fresh contrast to all the meaty madness in the burger by way of a few crisp leaves of lettuce, or maybe even a few pickles. Still, this Triple Double Bacon Cheeseburger is putting up GOAT tier performances that earn it a spot in the hall of fame.

It ain’t an all American diner without burgers, and @charliesgrill.com.sg has some dummy thicc ones. They keep it real simple & all American with their Classic Beef Burger ($13.90++), this here Beef Bacon Cheeseburger ($14.90++) and the Double Cheese Beef Burger ($14.90++). Even though the bacon used is beef bacon due to Charlie’s being a halal certified restaurant, I am a sucker for bacon.⠀
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Charlie’s burgers are a rarity, as they are grilled to a medium with some pink in the center as opposed to the more common medium well doneness. As you might expect, these fabulously fat burgers are juicy and they are simply, albeit superbly, seasoned. That savouriness is enhanced by the slices of cheddar cheese, which inject an additional layer of rich, cheesy and salty deliciousness. The cheddar should have been melted of maximal effect, but the deliciousness of the beef patty does distract from that defect.⠀
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The beef bacon was a bit tough like beef jerky, but that’s to be expected due to beef being naturally leaner than pork. However, the intense smokiness & saltiness it brought to the burger was well appreciated. It might seem like a lot of meatiness, but all that salty beefiness is countered by the fresh tomatoes & crunchy lettuce, which does prevent our tastebuds from getting bored of all that meatiness. The buns were fluffy and toasted nicely, and they held up resolutely against the juiciness of the beef seeping into the buns.⠀
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At just fifteen bucks for a behemoth burger like this, Charlie’s is dishing out unparalleled value along with their terrifically tasty burgers. Thanks for the invite, @charliesgrill.com.sg & @eatwithkeat!

If you ask me, the essence of Mod-Sin cuisine seems to be taking Singaporean classics and elevating them by either refining the recipe or increasing the quality of ingredients used. In the case of @thekongsee.sg Black Angus Ramly Burger ($26++), both are applicable. It’s only available at lunch for now, but I do wish it would be up on the dinner menu too. After all, a good, greasy Ramly burger is what you need to pad your stomach on a good night with lots of booze.⠀
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Like I mentioned before, The Kongsee’s Chef Partner @willcookwilleat has upgraded the standard pasar malam (night market) Ramly by swapping out just about everything for vastly improved versions. First and most importantly, the usual tiny frozen mystery meat patty is subbed off for a dummy thicc Black Angus beef patty. The standard, slightly stale mass produced burger bun is ditched in favour of supremely soft brioche buns that also add a little sweetness to the maelstrom of flavours. The deliriously juicy & meaty Black Angus patty is superbly salted, and it’s the main source of savouriness in this behemoth burger. ⠀
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It’s gently wrapped in an omelette envelope that’s absolutely smothered by chili mayonnaise made in house, and some black pepper sauce. The only minor gripe I had with this otherwise brilliant Black Angus Ramly burger was that it could’ve done with more black pepper sauce for a more concentrated peppery kick, but everything else was excellent otherwise. In short, Chef Willin took every principle that makes a tasty burger and applied it to a Ramly burger, and this pricey but ponderous & phenomenal burger is damn near perfect.⠀
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Thanks for hosting us, @thekongsee.sg & @kevin._.ngan, and thank you @wobblethebui for letting me tag along!

@bleujoochiat Fish Burger ($18.80 nett) has received critical acclaim, as well as my curiosity. Ladies & gentlemen, I’m pleased to announce that all the pictures on social media have done it justice. It is indeed a behemoth burger, with two THICC and beautifully battered red grouper fillets bound to two halves of a pillowy brioche burger bun by way of melted American cheese & tartar sauce.⠀
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While there was no denying that the burger is already remarkable, the Fish Burger was somewhat lacking and incomplete. It felt like the R&D guys got super excited while creating the burger, hurriedly cobbling together all the present elements before abruptly losing interest and abandoning the project altogether. The brioche bun was wonderfully buttered, but when combined with the oil from the fried fish, it does get cloying quite quickly. ⠀
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The burger was begging for a sharp, refreshing element like pickled onions, or even a coleslaw that’s been enhanced by citrus fruits like lemon or even oranges. Heck, even a couple of leaves of grilled lettuce would’ve helped to control the grease levels here. The tartar sauce is fine, but completely pedestrian, and it would’ve benefited greatly from having more dill and perhaps more chopped pickles being added into the mix.⠀
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I did enjoy Bleu’s flavourful Fish Burger for a bit, but at just under nineteen bucks for a takeaway fish burger without fries, I do expect more complexity and excellence from the burger. Perfection is so close for Bleu’s Fish Burger, yet so far…

If beef isn’t your thing, the grilled chicken burger is quite tempting too. A colossal chicken thigh fillet is grilled to perfection and sandwiched between two beautifully browned brioche buns that have been slathered in mayonnaise. The grilled chicken is subtly spiced and sufficiently seasoned, and this is an unbelievably healthy chicken burger. Sure, it could be improved by either spicing the chicken up, or by applying a unique mayonnaise such as a sriracha or possibly even a curry mayo, but the burger is quite delicious as it currently is.⠀
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I’m not gonna lie folks, Yummo Chow’s mains are pretty expensive, so you gotta break out the #burpplebeyond to break even. Still, I’d definitely recommend giving Yummo Chow a fair shake if you’re in the vicinity. Thank you for the hospitality, @yummochowsg & @burpple!

While @yummochowsg Double Beef Burger (usual price $38++) is quite expensive compared to its contemporaries, both beef patties are quite gargantuan in scale. By my reckoning, these patties put most burgers, and even some steaks, to shame with its size.⠀
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The massive beef patty is tightly packed together, so it gives the same resistance one would expect from a steak. However, it is ground beef that’s tightly packed into a patty, so it breaks apart without much fuss. The patty is seasoned well, with sufficient salinity to it, but I did wish that Yummo Chow would’ve put more barbecue sauce on the burger for a little extra flavour flair. The raw onions were a good foil to the behemoth beef patty, as they wiped my palate clean with their sharp acidity. The melted cheese was the binder to unite everything together, and to moderate the acidity of the onions.⠀
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I’m not gonna lie folks, Yummo Chow’s mains are pretty expensive, so you gotta break out the #burpplebeyond to break even. Still, I’d definitely recommend giving Yummo Chow a fair shake if you’re in the vicinity. Thank you for the hospitality, @yummochowsg & @burpple!

To the surprise of absolutely nobody, @garanggrillexpress Truffle Mushroom Champ Smoked Burger ($20 + GST) was the champion of the night. The same stellar smoked beef patty was present on this burger, but the pickles & onions had been substituted for sautéed mushrooms, truffle paste & some barbecue sauce.⠀
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This time, the absolutely stacked beef patty was done medium well, providing a heftier chew that activated the caveman carnivore neurons in the brain. The moreish mushrooms were superbly seasoned and sautéed, and the truffle mushroom paste on the burger was astoundingly aromatic. Unfortunately, it seems that the truffle mushroom paste on the burger was spread quite unevenly, as my dining companions found the truffle aroma to be lacking while I found it incredibly intense.⠀
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Still, at just slightly over twenty bucks, this scintillating shroom burger is an absolute belter of a burger. Come to think of it, this Truffle Mushroom Champ outperforms its most of its competitors on the market by a huge margin. Once again, thank you for the invite, @thatfoodadv & @garanggrillexpress!⠀

@newubinseafood newest venture, @garanggrillexpress, sees a departure from New Ubin’s signature Mod-Singapore cuisine to burgers and grilled meats. So far, from what I’ve sampled, the grilled meats such as the steak & lamb leave much to be desired, but the burgers are downright delectable.⠀
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If you’re looking for something a little extra, the Guacamole & Lime Smoked Burger ($17.50+GST) won’t do you wrong. It contains all the elements of the smoked burger, but with guac & a dash of lime added in. The guac is creamy & quite spicy, which does go well with the smoked beef patty, but the lime does obfuscate the meatiness of the burger. Also, I wish there was more of that surprisingly spicy & enjoyable guacamole on the burger. I could appreciate this Guac & Lime Smoked Burger for what it was, but burger purists might wanna skip this one.⠀
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Thanks for the invite, @thatfoodadv & @garanggrillexpress!

@newubinseafood newest venture, @garanggrillexpress, sees a departure from New Ubin’s signature Mod-Singapore cuisine to burgers and grilled meats. So far, from what I’ve sampled, the grilled meats such as the steak & lamb leave much to be desired, but the burgers are downright delectable.⠀
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Even their basic Smoked Cheeseburger ($14 before additional GST) is rather remarkable. Garang Grill’s burgers reject the modern trend of the thin smashburger in favour of having an colossal chonker of a patty that’s done to your liking. And I was enthralled by the perfect medium rare on the patty, which gave it an incredible tenderness. It’s salted well, but the extra smokiness layered on the patty gave this burger extra depth of flavour. Slap on some American cheese for creaminess & extra saltiness, extra sour pickles for a little zing, and pile that all onto a soft square breadroll, and you have a tasty burger.⠀
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Thanks for the invite, @thatfoodadv & @garanggrillexpress!

I have no clue as to how I missed @shakeshacksg Black Truffle Burger last year, but I sure wasn’t gonna miss it this year. I was prepared for truffle, and I made it double for $17.50. A standard Shackburger has its components of lettuce, tomato and proprietary Shacksauce substituted off for black truffle mayonnaise, crispy shallots & arugula.⠀
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Is it just me, or have Shake Shack’s traditionally thin smashed beef patties gotten tastefully thicker since my last visit? Each patty in my double burger was phat, and my burger was stacked. Thickness aside, the beef lived up to the standards expected of the Shack. A gorgeously caramelised crust overlaid with melted Swiss cheese forms the exterior of the patties, while the innards were delectably juicy despite being grilled to well done.⠀
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There were many complaints about the dire lack of black truffle mayo last year, but I’m pleased to announce that the mayo is more than sufficient this year. The mayonnaise is utterly imbued with the flavour & scent of black truffles, and it blesses the breathtaking burger with its earthy, heady aroma. The crispy deep fried shallots were a great addition for the crunch, but their greasiness was the straw that broke the camel’s back, making the burger too rich to handle.⠀
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Or it would’ve been without the inspired inclusion of arugula into the mix. The natural bitterness & pepperiness of the arugula sweeps all that creamy, fatty richness from the beef, cheese, greasy buttered bun, fried shallots & truffle off your tastebuds and readies them for round two.⠀
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Yes, The Shack’s Black Truffle Burger is indulgence redefined and will give nutritionists an aneurysm, but it’s Christmas, and it’s Wideboi Winter. Go treat yourself to this brilliant black truffle burger multiple times before it vanishes at the stroke of midnight on 31 December.

As unbelievable as it sounds, I have never sampled @commonmancoffee food for myself. Yes, it’s an iconic Singaporean café, and I have never dined at one. Until recently, that is, and it wasn’t even for brunch.⠀
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Instead, I opted to have their Smash Burger ($28++) for lunch. Contrary to the name, the single patty was actually respectably thick as opposed to the traditionally thin patty of a smash burger. The patty was well done, and boasted a gorgeously charred crust all around, while still maintaining juiciness within. The ground beef had been mixed in with bone marrow, which explains how moisture had been retained inside the burger despite the doneness. The pure fat of the bone marrow deepens the beefiness and enhances the juiciness of the already superbly seasoned beef patty. ⠀
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Together in concert with the melted cheddar cheese, the beef & cheese make for one hell of a tasty burger. The sweet onion jam injects a caramel note of sweetness into the fiesta of rich, meaty, salty flavours for a little extra complexity. The beetroot barbecue sauce that had been spread on the toasted buttered brioche buns was exciting, with an earthy zest that could only come from beetroot mixed in with the molasses flavours of barbecue sauce. Unfortunately, there was a dire lack of the beetroot barbecue sauce, and I only got to taste fleeting flashes of it in the smash burger.⠀
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The herbed fries on the side were just as outstanding as the burger, and even threatened to steal the show on occasions. Each fry was like eating a tube of supremely savoury mashed potatoes that had been coated in a thin, crisp batter and deep fried. The herbs & heat of paprika simply added to the absurdly addictive allure of the french fries, and the spuds were gone in short order.⠀
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Sure, thirty bucks for a burger is excessive, but Common Man’s Smash Burger is an all star guaranteed to smash mouths.

@alteregosg Mega Burger ($34++) comes with a mega price tag, but the burger has the size to match the asking price. Just look at the size of the thing! Two mammoth beef patties are topped with cheese, bacon and lettuce before getting. sandwiched between two dense brioche buns.⠀
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I love burgers, and this big boi burger had me satisfied. The beef was adequately seasoned considering just how gigantic the patties were, and the patties retained their moisture well despite being grilled to medium well. The cheese was beautifully melted and added a rich creaminess that bound the salty bacon & beef together to the soft, dense brioche buns.⠀
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While this was a tasty burger, I do think it has a little room for improvement. The beef patties could be seared on a much higher heat, as there wasn’t much browning on the beef. Additionally, the buns weren’t toasted quite enough. Still, Alter Ego’s Mega Burger is guaranteed to provide mega burger bliss.⠀
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Thanks for hosting us, @alteregosg & @burpple!