When it comes to Bar Bar, I’m no hater.

There are actually now two locations for Bar Bar. Previously located out off of Bukit Timah road in the west/central part of Singapore, the old Bar Bar catered to a mix of in-the-know expats and trendy locals. The service was spotty (where isn’t it in Singapore?), ambiance sparse, and the location was a bit hard to reach even if you knew where it was. But the quality of the food, cheap beers, and these burgers keep the place packed enough to where opening another branch down by the river seemed a good idea.

I kept meaning to make a trip down with my schoolmate Asher who lives nearby (one of the first voices of support for the burgers here), but laziness usually overrode my desire to bite into this much-loved local burger… that and not wanting to pay double the cab fare than for the burger itself. Thankfully the new location is within walking distance (well a nice 15-20 minute walk) from my Chinatown home.

The new one is setup pretty much the same as the original, though it looks a bit more modern and planned out. Most of the seating is outside near the river just off of Robertson Quay… a short walk from the Gallery Hotel going the opposite direction of Epicurious. You walk inside to see the three different small kitchens at work preparing their different meals. There’s a Thai restaurant called ESarn serving my personal favorite variety of Thai food (will go back and check this place out soon).

An Indian restaurant, Sher Indian Food, offering western favorites Briyani and Chicken Tikka

And finally the Platterz. I guess they serve other food ( ) but I was here for the burger.

Prices are about half of any Dempsey joint and the flavors about double… funny how that works in Singapore. I went with the loaded up mushroom mozzarella burger which only comes out to 15.90 and got a 10 dollar pint of beer… still 5 bucks under just a burger elsewhere! The burger is pretty damn good. Best in Singapore? Well I’m still researching that . There are some nice touches though – Napa cabbage instead of lettuce gives the burger a nice crunch, the bun is covered in sesame which gives a nice nutty roundness to the flavor, and best of all, the meat itself has plenty of seasoning and interest so it doesn’t need to be drowned in fancy sauces to make an interesting bite. It’s just good on it’s own as meat and even better in the middle of two slices of bread with some cheese.

The burger at the original location is a bit flatter, more mushed in appearance. Think a high quality fast-food style burger from the US. The prices are also a couple dollars less out there. Both burgers are equally good though… it’s just that new location’s burger appears more high end. Both are worthy of attention and for hearty recommendations… hell, the original joint has burgers cheaper than some you’ll find at Carl’s Junior or Wendy’s! Plus there’s the added bonus of the other restaurants. Friends don’t eat meat or somehow not always in the mood for a burger? One stop shop that can make everyone happy

Forget those overly fancy high-end, mushy Wagyu burgers and give these a try. Saving money in Singapore tastes pretty good!

The New One
88 Roberson Quay

The Original
879 Cherry Avenue

Normally I slowly go through the meal and build up to the main point. This time, in case you get bored reading through all the various dishes and miss the finale, I’m going to start with a conclusion. The Spruce brunch does and does not live up to expectations.

The food, service, and general concept are all there. All good. Some great even. The popularity and booking procedure though keeps it from being a perfect brunch place for us. You see because they’re so popular, (deservedly so) they’re super busy. Families, groups, etc all pack it in from first serving to final serving. So if you make an early booking…. you’re eating on a time-line. For me at a brunch that’s a big no-no. Brunch is about unwinding with friends, relaxing and enjoying a lazy Sunday meal. No deadlines, no pressures. Catch up on the week, make some jokes, tell some stories. Maybe we stay as long as it takes to eat or maybe we order extra coffees and chat for hours… never know. I like having that option, not knowing that in 1 1/2 hours I’ll be needing to get up for the next group.

So that’s the only issue I have here. The food is excellent, and if you take a later booking I’m guessing this wouldn’t even be an issue… well apart from the general noise from so many happy diners, but that can’t really be avoided. In a sad twist of fate, the success that any restaurant needs to succeed is actually the thing that keeps us from enjoying this more. Others probably don’t share our leisurely Sunday plan and I would encourage those to enjoy Spruce, it deserves the attention more than some other “brunch hot spots”. Book in advance though, this brunch doesn’t seem to be losing momentum and seats are hard to get.

Back to the food. Everyone was satisfied. Pick your favorite, though it’ll be hard as you hungrily stare at the menu, and enjoy as there’s not a dud in the group.

Famous Spruce Burger for Breakfast

Spruce Breakfast Sandwich with roast potatoes

The Steak and Eggs Benny on Toasted Ciabatta with Black Pepper Hollandaise

Soft Scrambled Eggs with Basil Cured Salmon and Avruga Caviar

The Spruce Garden Brekkie

And you’ve got to try some of the breakfast pastries and cakes. The sea salt chocolate cake was incredibly rich, but incredibly tasty. Mmmmm….

Spruce
320 Tanglin Road
Singapore
247980
Telephone: +65 6836 5528

Cedele
I’ll start with the most surprising to me. Cedele. Sure it’s a city-wide chain and the focus is on healthy food, but they have a surprisingly good burger. In fact it’s easily in my top-5 for Singapore. It’s not your regular Singa burger… and maybe that’s why I like it so much. No fancy wagyu, no crazy toppings… heck they don’t even use a real burger bun! It’s a real, handmade patty that crumbles as you bite into it. The meat is succulent and juicy. They coat whatever daily, freshly made bread you choose to encase the patty in with a bit of tomato relish that jazzes up the burger just enough.

Cedele Burger on regular daily bread

I had my first Cedele burger when I was apartment hunting in Singapore. It was a long day spent checking out all the foreigner favorite housing complexes, all of which I hated. The only thing that still stands out to me about this day is that burger. I’ve come back time and time again and brought friends to see if it was a fluke, but it never is. The burger is always juicy and great. As a bonus it doesn’t come with fries, but with a side of lettuce…. so maybe not the most filling burger in town, but one that doesn’t leave me feeling as guilty Then again, since I’m not also indulging in a plate of fries, I let myself be talked into their equally awesome Sea Salt Cheesecake!

Cedele burger in a pumpkin bread bun!

Epicurious
I’ve loved their breakfast for a long time. Epicurious has become one of my go-to spots for a lazy weekend morning. Sadly it wasn’t until they hosted our first wine event that I began to think about it for post-breakfast eating as well. I saw they listed a burger and in the name of due-dilligence decided to give it a try

It’s good. It’s simple, unpretentious and damn tasty. It is what it is… there’s no options or crazy inventions. I think, not quite sure here, it’s cheaper as a lunch burger and up over 20+ for a dinner burger. To me it’s a perfect lunch burger and a great value for lunch…. in fact I wish it was offered for brunch as well (hint hint Helen if you read this). Like the Cedele burger, it’s not served with fries, but with chips… a bit of a shame because I love their roast potatoes during breakfast, so I know they could make some nice fries.

Brewerkz
Ok, this one might seem out of place on this list. Most people know Brewerkz and their burgers, and this list is supposed to be about some of my surprise burgers. To be perfectly frank, since it’s such a big place with a prominent Quay-side location…. I really didn’t have high hopes they’d deliver. In general I find that restaurants with “location” or other draws besides just the meal tend to lack a bit in the food department. The burgers here did surprise me though. Sure they aren’t going to win any awards as a blow-your-mind burger, but this place doesn’t need that kind of burger. The have two sizes, smaller for when you’re wanting light and large for a fuller meal. There’s a few different options… one with a pineapple (one of my favorite burger toppings), a blue cheese, sauteed mushroom, and onion burger, and many others. And the wagyu burger here is actually pretty nice. When I have friends come to town or am just looking for a spot to have some beers with friends and grab a quick bite, a burger and beer here fits the bill perfectly.

So there you have it. A few burgers that surprised me. A few that I regularly go back to because

they’re convenient for me (shouldn’t a burger be a convenient item) location wise

they’re great value for their price,

and they deliver in taste

Where are you favorite burgers Singapore? Weigh in now before the full write up hits so your favorites are represented

Paul

American Comfort Food in the Historic Xintiandi District

It’s been a while since I have seen the words “bar and grill” attached to a restaurant name. It took me a while to realize why it sounded both so odd and yet so familiar. And then I remembered…”bar and grill” are typical American-style restaurants. The kind you never see in Asia.  Japanese have their izakayas, Singaporeans have their food courts, the French have their bistros… and Americans? Well, we have “bar and grills.” You almost don’t have to look at a menu at a bar and grill of you are an American, you know what it means – it means a full bar menu plus steaks, burgers, probably a grilled fish or two, a hearty soup, some entrée style salads (for some reason always including a Caesar salad), a grilled chicken dish, etc, etc… And this is why Kabb in Shanghai felt so familiar, a true bar and grill in the American sense.

Paul ordered his usual, a burger. In this case, it was a Kabb Classic Beef Burger (85 RMB / $12.50 USD / S$17). When I asked Paul what he thought, he commented that it was a good solid burger, an “I-am-in-China-but-I-am-homesick-kinda-burger.” He was also impressed by the hearty beefsteak tomato slice on his burger as well – you just don’t ever see those in Asia.

I chose the Texas Chili Con Carne (75 RMB / $11 USD / S$15) and a Sam Adams beer. While I am not in the habit of pointing out the beer and wine we usually drink at meals, I must tell my beer loving friends with a penchant for Sam Adams Boston Lager, you can get it at Kabb in Shanghai! In 3 years in Asia I have yet to see this beer anywhere, except Kabb. The chili itself was exactly what I wanted to warm me up on a cold day – hearty, meaty, a little spicy and very satisfying. The only way I knew I was in China was because the chili came with rice instead of the American standard accompaniment for chili, good ole Saltine crackers.

So it’s not fancy, or particularly sophisticated, but “bar and grills” aren’t really mean to be. They are usually just casual places where people have some hearty fare and a beer or two. So for American comfort food in Shanghai, Kabb is your best bet.

Kabb Bar & Grill
Xintiandi
North block, House 5
181 Taicang Road
Shanghai, China
Telephone: +86 21 3307 0798

It’s safe to say I’m not the biggest fan of Dempsey Hill. On my better meals at the former army barracks location I’ve simply been underwhelmed… on others I’ve felt outright ripped off. What was once an unique escape in Singapore has become a “destination”… meaning the now crazy high rent prices result in overpriced meals compounded with an expensive cab ride. This has taken away any potential value for most locations for me. So I set off for a Saturday night meet-up with some friends at Contemporary Melting Pot and Bar (CMPB here on out) with some reluctance. Thankfully I was pleasantly surprised.

Upon arrival we knew that we had at least selected the trendy place for the evening. While many of the neighboring bars and restaurants sat empty, the outdoor dining areas at CMPB were almost completely full. The servers were quick to respond to our changes in seating as we had added a few extra to our group…. that might sound simple but I’ve seen discussion on adding another table to the party take as long as 10-15 minutes in some locations in Singapore

We sat down and purused the drink menu. Unsurprisingly, since it’s billed also as a bar, there was an extensive drink and wine menu. There were decent affordable wines by the bottle and big surprise for Dempsey… bottles of beers on special for LESS than 10 SGD!

The menu is simple and focused with a nice balance between hearty main courses and lighter options for those coming more for the bar. The rest of our group had yet to arrive so we ordered up a set of the calamari rings. The batter was lighter than expected allowing the calamari flavor to come through.

I’m still on my burger hunt so had to sample the burgers. There were only two listed but it was a hard choice for me this night as there were two great sounding options. CMPB features a Wagyu burger and a Foie Gras Burger! Both sounded excellent and again I was surprised to see lower than average prices on menu items. Normally a Wagyu burger (why must they all serve Wagyu burgers on Dempsey… can no one come up with anything unique?) on Dempsey lists out at 30 SGD at least. This one was only 26…. not a great deal different in price, but certainly better than others in the area. Two of us had the burger that night. The burger was in fact good… but lacking in consistency in preparation. Part of the selling point to me were the caramelized onions. I hate, loathe, despise raw onions on burgers. Judge for yourself if my onions were “caramelized”. I thought maybe the pressures were just too much since they were recently open and it was middle of rush on a Saturday night, but my late ordering friend received his burger with one side half caramelized and the other side raw. So a bit of sloppiness in the kitchen ruined what could have been a truly memorable burger night for me… oh well.

Joanna went with the Tackle of the Day (25 SGD)…. which we were assured was truly a fresh fish for the day and not just trying to dump old fish stock (have to be careful with fish specials). To her great delight it was grilled Salmon with summer veggies and potato croquette. The fish was well cooked and all the extras on the plate were executed nicely.

Another at the table ordered the Spaghetti Aglio Olio (a steal at 12 dollars) and was very happy with their choice.

Also enjoyable was the Truffle Wild Mushroom Fettucini. The truffle in the name is a bit of a misdirection as it’s just truffle oil (not going to get real truffles in a pasta on Dempsey for 16 SGD) but the wild mushrooms and pasta were decent enough on their own.

Of note for the CMPB to me were the salads. Both people who ordered salads were happy with their choices as the salads were fresh and plentiful… a surprise for a bar menu. The Proscuito & Tomato Salad (14 SGD) was a bit predictable… but still nice and well executed.

The Jumbo Lump Crab Salad with Tropical Fruits (16 SGD) was a bit more adventurous both in ingredients and presentation. On a side note, that martini glass is HUGE (though without something to provide perspective it seems like a regular martini glass). I would love to be have a mixed drink served up to me in that someday!

All in all we had a pleasant evening. I was a bit disappointed in the quality control of the kitchen personally, but to be fair I am attending dinners with a more critical eye than most…but I would consider raw onions a big let down and signs of inexperience at the pass. Having said that, everyone else enjoyed themselves, the vibe, and the cheaper than average (for Dempsey) drinks and food. For those that have been to Spruce I would say it’s a similar concept though not as refined as Spruce. Of all the places I’ve been to on Dempsey, though, I can actually see myself returning here in the future.

Contemporary Melting Pot & Bar
Block 7 Dempsey Hill
Singapore

A chill seaside locale for brunch in Singapore

It was a typical Singapore afternoon….hot, sunny and humid. What better to do than chill by the water over a leisurely brunch with friends? So off we set to Keppel Bay Marina to meet a group of friends at Prive Bakery & Café.  Iced cappuccinos, sunshine, muffins, friendly conversation, mimosas and chill atmosphere await…

Prive Bakery & Care serves all day breakfast, burgers, sandwiches, pastas, bakery items and desserts. Its really a rather long menu with a great many options – nothing fancy, just breakfast and lunch staples and basics.

In his effort to sample every burger in Singapore, Paul ordered the LA Burger A 200g wagyu beef burger with Monterrey Jack cheese, avocado, a fried egg, tomato, lettuce and dressed with aioli (S$26 / $18.75USD). Paul really enjoyed the burger and felt like it was a solid execution. Often time wagyu burgers are a bit messy…all that fat that creates the flavor prevents the meat from binding, and thus wagyu burgers tend to crumble unless they are blended with another type of beef.  But the LA Burger was well crafted and sturdy. With that said, it still didn’t beat Paul’s benchmark – the PS café wagyu burger that lives large in his memory.

I ordered a BLT. Prive’s rendition was a hearty version with grilled whole wheat break, smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, cheddar, a fried egg and aioli (S$13.50 / $9.75USD). Again, another solid execution….while it didn’t set my taste buds on fire, it was simple and satisfying.

Our dining companions had various pastas, omelets, sandwiches and such, and without boring you of the detail of the other 15 diners we were with…the comments were essentially the same. No one was unhappy, but at the same time, there were no oohs and aahs of spasmodic delight either.

At the end of the day, the main reason to come to Prive Bakery & Café is the view. Let me elaborate…in our opinion, Prive’s food is average….not bad….don’t misunderstand. But this is not destination dining. You’ll get a competent execution of culinary basics. Come here for the view and chill vibe…meet friends, have a drink a sandwich and relax on the marina edge.

Prive
2 Keppel Bay Vista
Keppel Bay Marina

I’ve eaten a lot of burgers in my short time in Singapore. I’ve eaten 100% wagyu burgers (not worth it) in trendy Dempsey Hill restaurants, gourmet cheese topped burgers in fancy 5-star hotels, sliders at wine events, and just about everything in between. Now I can add monstrously large, giant mushroom topped burger from a poolside canteen to that list

I was researching best burgers in Singapore online one Friday. I started seeing a lot of articles about a place called Sunshine Cafe. I found the phone number and called for a reservation… for some reason I was thinking it was some new Dempsey Hill hipster place. It’s not.

Finding the restaurant was a bit of an odyssey. Our “comfort cab” driver explored various parts of Singapore on our dime while trying to locate the restaurant. Eventually we were able to figure out that it wasn’t a separate restaurant near the apartment complex, it was actually a part of the complex. We hopped out of the cab and followed the sounds of kids splashing about to locate the pool.

Sunshine Cafe is… well let’s just say people don’t drive here for the ambiance. It’s tucked back in the apartment compound right next to the pool. They’ve more or less re-purposed what might have at some time been a snack stand or small convenience store. It looks like a canteen at summer camp.

Yup, this is Sunshine Cafe!

And here's the outdoor seating.

Thankfully the food is anything but canteen quality. They don’t offer a lot, but what they do offer is executed well. The signature Sunshine Burger is a massive 200 gram hunk of proper burger meat. If all that meat isn’t enough it’s also topped with bacon and a massive portobello mushroom.It’s a good burger. Better than most in town. I won’t crown it best in Singapore, but I think it’s up there among the top.

I’d say everyone should visit at least once. Go in a group and enjoy the 7 dollar beers and the massive burgers. Call ahead as space is limited and burger cook times can get a bit long (worth the wait).

Sunshine Cafe
83 Farrer Drive, Sommerville Park, Clubhouse.
Tuesdays – Saturdays
1200H – 2200H (Last order for food @ 2045H)
Sundays & Public Holidays
1200 – 1900H (Last order for food @ 1745H)

Our ongoing quest to find the perfect brunch/breakfast/weekend treat location continues this week with House… or is it Barracks. I’m so confused…

Located with all the other “i wanna be hip and cool like in other metropolitan cities” restaurants and “boutiques” (Dempsey Hill)… well I don’t even know what to write here. The building is House but I think the brunch is called Barracks despite not being in Barracks… whatever it is go to block 8D and look for a large amount of signs for a nightclub (not the restaurant oddly enough) and head down some stairs. Or if you’ve had the misfortune of wasting wads of cash (only to leave hungry) at Tippling Club – it’s next door to that place

I’m going to call it House from here on out even though I think that’s the name of the center, but it’s shorter to type and it’s the name on the building

House is a modern, loft-style restaurant on the Hill. The menus are printed on fake newspapers, well designed event posters line the wall (really good posters I must say), there’s mismatched tables and chairs… basically hip restaurant 101. Don’t let my cynical nature throw you off…it’s good and works really well here, but it’s the same as any other 30 dollar for a wagyu burger place in Singapore.

Service was a bit iffy at first (we came right when it opened) but then pretty decent throughout the meal, much better than PS Cafe. We had a group of 6 so covered a lot of the menu.

I’m a burger junky. I think burgers can be a great judge for just how full of it a chef is. Yes there are ways to dress up a burger…then there’s also ridiculousness on an amplified scale. Sorry, they don’t serve burgers here… only “sliders” (two tiny burgers). I asked the server for the best or most ordered and she recommended I get the Cheddar Cheese and Bacon Sliders. Also I’d heard so much about the fries here I went ahead and up-sized (don’t they give you plenty normally). Burger Slider was OK… no where near the flavor and finesse of PS Cafe. Nothing special at all. The fries were fair enough in small portions but the truffle sauce on the shoe strings gets old and we need a different dipping sauce for the sweet potato fries (almond butter as served in my favorite Santa Fe restaurant Cowgirl Cafe would be a good start )

The table decided to split a couple “Skinny Pizzas” for everyone to enjoy. We went with the Chorizo Almond (really enjoyed the almonds and chorizo working together) and another one that wasn’t very memorable as looking at the menu I can’t recall what it was…OK, I was reminded it was the Salami and Pesto. Even though one didn’t stay in my memory, they were good as appetizers.

Our friend Monica ordered the Bay Prawn Capellini. It’s the restaurant’s “House Proud Dish” (no pun intended there I hope). She said it was good, but was so full from her coffees and pizza that she didn’t eat much of it. Which provided us a good insight to the running of the restaurant floor – a floor manager came over to make sure everything was OK with the dish since it looked untouched… a very refreshing touch of service.

Joanna and our friend Joe went a bit more traditional than the rest of us and ordered actual breakfast foods. Joanna ordered the Barracks Freeform Eggs (fried – not perfect but better than Epicurious). Joe went with the Eggs Benedict (good but not great says Joe).

All in all it was a good meal. It wasn’t great, but I imagine I’ll return some time in the future… most likely when entertaining out of town guests. Service was on top of their game enough throughout the meal so we were really able to relax and enjoy conversation and hanging out. We ordered desserts and coffees and took the brunch on into early afternoon – something that never happens in a stuffy environment.

So yes the design, layout, and function of the place isn’t as imaginative as they’d like to think (or maybe they were the first in Singapore, what do I know?), the prices are a bit high for what’s being offered, and the naming is confusing (look up Barracks online and it tells you a different spot in Dempsey not associated with House – which it has listed as a spa??? ) but all of that aside you can have a nice brunch or breakfast here. I’d recommend it at least once and as a good alternative to the Moet brunches if your out of town guests are a bit more frugal.

House, Barracks and Camp
8D Dempsey Road
#01-01 to 06 Tanglin Village (Dempsey Road)