Today, let’s check out Hammies Burgers at Commonwealth Crescent hawker center. It is a quite the gem of an affordable tiny burger place serving pretty hearty burgers. The largely unheard of family-run burger joint located in a rustic old-style HDB food center. I was recommended to this burger place by a friend who knows about my quest for great burgers in Singapore. Hammies is touted to offer burgers at a quality and price point even beating Shake Shack and Wolf Burgers. Let’s see what they have on offer.

Hammies had been operating for 2 years at the Commonwealth Crescent food center. It is the only outlet in Singapore and sits in the second floor of the NEA managed food center which has a wet market on the first floor. Also, the neighbourhood is lined with several old-school shops built in the 70-80s era, some even has their old metal sliding shutters intact. It tads reminds you of Chef western at the nearby Tanglin Halt with similarly great Western food.

A tale of 3 selections

Moreover, Hammie’s menu selections are simple. There are three selections of burgers available, namely beef, chicken and fish. The staff is cheerful and helpful, a young lady takes out order and jots it down on a lined exercise book, and shouting some instructions into the kitchen area. After chatting with an auntie helping out at the store, that where I learnt that Hammies is a family business, with her son doing the cooking, and her daughter handling orders.

Staple Cheeseburgers

Furthermore, their beef burgers are sandwiched between two toasted buns. Patties are packed with melted cheese and starts at $7 for a single patty and $9.50 for a double beef patties. Furthermore, their beef burger is their staple and your typical run of the mill cheeseburger. It is topped with caramelized onions, cheddar, pickled jalapenos and their homemade burger sauce.

Moreover, there is an option to upgrade your regular fries to tatter tots (hash browns) for a dollar extra.  If you are hungry, the double patty is a no-brainer as the single is pretty tiny in my opinion.

Also, their chicken burgers ($6) is their most affordable of the lot. They are essentially are of the southern style type, with a crispy fried core sandwiched between homemade coleslaw and their trademark sauce between their tiny toasted buns.

Is that fish and chips?

Moreover, their fish burgers are an odd but rather delightful bunch. However, though I found the fillet tad oily on the outside, the interior is nice and juicy. Also, priced at $7.50, the fish variant is their most pricey starting price of the 3 burgers offered. But you do get what you pay for.

The fish burger is essentially a giant fish fillet packed between buns and sweet Tartar sauce. Hammie’s fish burgers tad reminds me tad of the offerings in fish and chips, especially with their Alaskan Pollock patty paired with their standard chips which are sticking out of the burger buns.

Great price for the offerings

The thing which strikes me is that their burgers are incredibly affordable. Their cheese burger starts at $6 served with a side of fries but without a drink. Notably, there are 2 fruit juice stores and 1 traditional drink store here in the hawker center, and most are closed in the afternoon.

Be prepared for a long wait

Moreover, at its core, Hammies a lunch place. They are open from 11am to 5pm daily, and closed the entire day 2 days per week on Mondays and Tuesdays. Of course, it is advisable to avoids the peak lunch periods from 12 to 1.30pm. I was told that patrons usually start queuing from 10am onwards.

One gripe which often frustrates patrons is how slow the store churns out burgers. Each burger is made to order and casually prepared with the burger chef taking their time. Additionally, the lack of physical queues in front of the store is not indicative of the underlying wait times.

Their burgers are good, but not a over 2 hour-kind of waiting time good.

Let down by long wait times

A 1-2 hour wait is not uncommon. This is even when dining after lunch peak hours from 2pm onwards. I experienced a wait of 2 hours despite not even a visible queue in front of the store. Moreover, even on quiet days with a lack of queues, the burger joint is still packing at least a 40mins wait time at 3pm.

Moreover, coming from 3pm also risks the store selling out towards the end of the day, much to disappointment to many. Still a 2 hour wait time is unheard of in hawker centers. Notably the store also does call-in and food deliveries, so it pays to reserve a burger before dining.

Hence, dining at Hammies is not recommended if you do not have the luxury of time and a short lunch break. Their burgers are good, but not a 2 hour-kind of waiting time good. However, you could book you burgers early right at opening from 11am. The burgers are no-where close to burger production efficiency we seen in fast-food outlets. I would say, there is still much room for improvement in terms of kitchen process optimisation. Which would otherwise give Hammie’s my recommendation for top marks.

All in all, I would recommend you to simply shortlist Hammie’s Burgers. It does not get a good recommendation let down by extremely long waiting times with room for improvement. Otherwise, their offerings of good quality burgers at a great price might not be enough to make up for it.

Verdict:

Must Go! | Actually pretty Good | Worth Trying | Shortlist Optionally | Should Avoid
Hammies Burgers Locality Map
Unit #02-93
31 Commonwealth Crescent, #02-93 Market and Food Centre,
Singapore 149644
Open: 11am- 5pm
Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

Broadway burgers is an American diner, which prepares made-to-order authentic Burgers, dogs and shakes situated in the heart of Central Singapore at The Capitol. Broadway American Diner sits just beside city hall and its MRT station. Let’s see what’s on offer in the snazzy and chill establishment.

The restaurant has a chill interior. It is decked out like an American diner, but not as sazzy like the Peppermill one we visited previously in Vegas. It is complete with retro-style plush red booth seating across two floors via an overhead loft, and with an open bar area with the view of the entire kitchen in-tow.

Service is prompt and friendly. Also, your food comes out pretty quickly after ordering, and you can see the kitchen staff working on your meals just behind the counter in the open concept kitchen.

What’s on the menu?

Moreover, Broadway offers a selection of 6 different burgers, with half of them comprising of beef burgers. They are brought to you by their resident Chef Edmond Tan. I would recommend their Black Angus Beef & Egg Burger ($16).

Also, I found the Angus beef patty it comes with really juicy and sandwiched with melted cheddar cheese and a wholesome egg wrap. Your beef burger is topped with mayonnaise, chilli and black Pepper Mushroom Sauce for additional taste.

Authentic American burgers

Additionally, their burgers has a flame-grilled smokey taste typical of American burgers. The patties are juicy and well-marinated too. There is a tinge of freshness in the beef patties. Also, in typical American-fashion, they are best eaten with hand and can be a rather messy affair being loaded with sauces.

Furthermore, Broadway American Diner burgers are also well-priced. You have an option to upsize your standard cheeseburger to a double Black Angus cheese burger ($22). Also, at $6 more it comes topped too with American Cheese, Red Onions, Cucumber Pickles and seasoned with Thousand Island Dressing.

Their burgers has a flame-grilled smokey taste typical of American burgers. The patties are juicy and well-marinated too. There is a tinge of freshness in the beef patties.

Additionally, next best to the Angus burger be their BBQ Beef Burger ($16). It packs quite a fair bit under the hood loaded with Fried Onion Rings and Smoky Bacon topped on a Beef Patty laced with melted cheddar cheese, apple butter and flavoured with barbecue sauce. Also, I found their menu offerings good value despite being centrally located in town. Broadway price point is in stark contrast to the other more expensive restaurants here in the Capitol plaza.

Non-beef burgers and Hotdog

Moreover, for non-beef options, right up are chicken and vegetable selections. This includes the Buttermilk Chicken & Cheese ($16). It is a potpourri of Fried Chicken, topped with American Cheese, Cabbage Slaw, dressed with Honey Mustard Dressing.

Moreover, bacon lovers should enjoy the Pork Jowl Burger $16. It comprises of grilled Pulled Pork, and similarly topped with Coleslaw, Green Apples, Arugula, Dijon Mustard, Smokey Spicy Ketchup. Wrapping up the burger selections is the Garden Burger $16 Vegetable Patty, Grilled Portobello Mushroom, Smashed Avocado, Pico De Gallo, Pesto, Crème Fraiche

Chicken

Pork burger

Selections

Moreover, all of Broadway burgers are served in a home-baked sesame wheat bun. They claim to use only organic flour and natural ingredients. Also, these fluffy and crisp buns are freshly made by their bakery team daily.

Interestingly prior to their Christmas menu, Broadway was running a meter-long hotdog special. For where $30 grants you a meter-long American staple matched with an equally long bun and topped with chili and ground beef.

And try their hotdogs

Also on the menu are well-priced hotdogs, though they get my secondary recommendations. Broadway hotdogs sets you back from $8 a pop and comes with a variety of toppings. For instance, their Frankfurter Roll ($8) is a pork sausage dog. It comes with Sauerkraut, Mustard, Fried Capers, Gruyere Cheese, Russian Dressing, sandwiched between a lightly toasted Hot Dog Bun.

Moreover, the second dog on the menu is their Chilli Beef Hot Dog ($10). I found their Beef Sausage a nice touch, it has a Smoked taste and topped Chilli Con Carne, Pico De Gallo and Mozzarella Cheese. Similarly, your Hot Dog Bun is served with fries sides. You can option to upgrade them to curly fires and in-addition their buffalo wings ($12). They are great for sharing.

Try their signature milkshakes

An American diner won’t be complete without a home selection of Milkshakes. Moreover, Broadway milkshakes are just right- well-decorated but not over-lavishly like the ones we seen at Blacktap burgers at Marina Bay Sands. Also, their shakes notably not as sinfully thick to consumer like the crazy ones at Heart attack grill. Also, the shakes are more conservatively priced too at $14 a pop and available in the regular staple flavors of chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, oero and even local flavors of milo or chendol to your liking. However, I would recommend sticking to neapolitan flavors.

Chocolate milkshake

Milkshake deco

Interior booths

All in all, Broadway gets a recommendation for their authentic American burgers with a good price, prompt friendly service and American diner ambience (complete with classic booth seats) to boot too, despite situated in an expensive neighbourhood. This coupled with a value offering in a rather accessible part of town does makes Broadway American Diner one of the few hidden gems here in City hall.

Verdict:

Must Go! | Actually pretty Good | Worth Trying | Shortlist Optionally | Should Avoid
Broadway American Diner Locality Map
Capitol Singapore
13 Stamford Rd,
#01-84B Arcade @ The Capitol Kempinski,
Singapore 178905
Daily Opening Hours: 11:30am–9pm

Social outcast is a Muslim owned burger western joint serving quality and affordable wood fire smoke and charcoal grilled food at Sipang Bedok area. Let’s do a casual dine-in today to check out their offerings.

Moreover, the halal burger joint is now tucked on the 2^nd floor of the Bedok market at Sipang Bedok. It is a popular late night supper place. Also Social outcast occupies two hawker store units. One comprising of an ordering counter and the order, where the kitchen is located. Dining ambience is generally chill.

Got bones?

Welcome!

The funky hawker center

Seating spread between a mix of 8-10 rectangular and round tables seating about 4-5 each.  Notably this entire corner here in the hawker center is dedicated to the establishment.

They used to operate out of Tampines

A walk down memory lane Social outcast started out as a coffee shop western food burger place. Ever since they had moved to a more buzzing location here in Bedok. I was greeted by an enthusiastic lady who introduced me to the various menu items, who I vaguely remember also chancing upon the last time I visited Social Outcast first outlet at their Tampines loop branch.

Burger selections

At its heart, Social outcast is a burger place. They offer a selection of six burgers priced from the $12 to $21 range. Recommendations include their signature Outcast possible meats ($21). Your burger comes served with a charcoal-grilled beef patty topped with wood fire smoked lamb chunks packed between toasted brioche buns. I got to try their double patty version. The patties are fresh and packed compact with lots of flavour, though I found the green picked chimichurri garnish tad an oddity.

My next recommendation be their Royal Mushroom beef ($15) and is the 2^nd of the three burgers offered. It essentially a mushroom beef burger topped with onions and smoked mushrooms glazed with melted blue cheese. The beef has the same wooden unique grilled taste which is paired well with the mushrooms, albeit its smaller serving which may not be too filling for larger eaters.

Non-beef options

Moreover, their Smoked chicken and egg burger ($12) and Smoked salmon scrambled egg with sesame mayo ($15) are one of their more affordable options and a more conservative and familiar option. Your shredded chicken is woodfire smoked and topped with an egg, pickled onion, and loaded with sesame mayo.

Furthermore, I found their Smokey Salmon burger bearing a resemblance to muffin breakfast buns, complete with Scrambled eggs, and sesame mayo packed between the same brioche buns.

Muffins anyone?

Wood stove

Curly fries are great

Also, all your burgers are served with curly fires, tad abit of a throwback to A&W classic offerings. This beats the potato chips they served back in Tampines. However, I found their brioche burger buns tad on the crumby side. They do not hold up their integrity very well in-hand.

Sides and made to order steaks

However, I found their burger offerings tad on the more premium end of the spectrum and their prices have tad increased a fair bit, since they operated out of their old coffee shop spot in Tampines.

Additionally, besides burgers notable things to try here be their spicy chicken wings. These devil smoked drumlets starts at $6 for a tray of 6, not a bad offering. Also, Social outcast also offers special made to order beef steaks.

Also, they are cooked to your done-ness and great for sharing. Do note that you need to indicate your steak order one day in advance by calling them to place an order for a platter.

In addition, Social outcast has increased their prices and expanded their menu range to position themselves with a more upmarket menu offering at a higher entry price point. Presumably to captialise on the market segment dominated in the light of burger incumbents like Fat boys burgers, and Wolf Burgers for instance. Their sub $15 burgers with fries still offers great value which positions the eatery as a strong competitor in the gourmet burger market. However, I would avoid anything priced above $20, as their premium offerings still needs some work.

All in all, Social outcast at Bedok Marketplace Shopping Complex still holds their position as a burger joint with a reasonable price value offering in the already crowded gourmet burger market. With a decent selection of burgers and side selections with a neat ambience to boot.

Verdict:

Must Go! | Actually pretty Good | Worth Trying | Shortlist Optionally | Should Avoid

Social Outcast Bedok Locality Map

The Bedok Marketplace
348 Bedok Rd, #02-21/32,
Singapore 469560
Open daily from 5- 11pm and from 11am on weekends
Closed on Mondays.

Simple Burgers is a relatively new player in the gourmet burger scene serving affordable made-to-order burgers. They have branches in Serangoon MyVillage mall as well as Suntec city. Notably they are operated by the iSteaks western chain group. Hence, it is not uncommon to find an iSteaks beside a simple burgers outlet.

Moreover, thier menu selections are simple. I would call it largely sitting in a market segment between premium and vanilla burger options. You have a choice of three beef (cheese) burger options, and a myriad of regular staples at $7 a burger such as pork, chicken and fish burger patty options.

Moo, oink, cluck

Here, premium choices include Double bacon and cheese $18, as well as their Natural Beef Snr burger ($13). Their basic natural beef burger, which is like a premium cheeseburger in a sense, sets you back $9, just for the burger itself.

Furthermore, I particularly like Simple burgers market segmentation of their menu. A basic set meal from the $7 burger range with fries sets you back minimally $11 tops without any additional condiment or drinks top upgrades from the basic. Hence, this puts simple burgers in the affordable price point to that of other burger joints, such as Ordinary burgers, Fat burgers and Wolf burgers.

Having said that, their premium selections costs upwards of $20 a meal, putting the price point in the likes of Fat boys or Hans im gluck at Vivocity, especially if you pair your meal with a fries or a milkshake upgrade add-on. Interestingly, on the other end of the spectrum, their vegetarian burgers are strangely the cheapest at $5 a pop.

Additionally, your meal as a set at $1.50 extra comes with a fries and a standard lemon drink. You have the option to upgrade to a milkshake for a payable extra ($4.50 tops). Their milkshakes are not too bad, but not as thick as I expected them to be. Also, they are served in rather small cups of one size.

Also simple in taste

Moreover, their burgers simply put are tad bland. I found they are more sandwich masquerading or assembled as a burger. It is more “sub” as in subway sandwiches with the ability to pick and choose your vegetables. Or course, if you could going for all of them, including olives is tad a no-brainer. Also, you get melted cheese fused into your beef patties. The rest of it depends on how you had configured your burger when ordering.

Burgers ought to be better if they come with more sauce. Their burger are quite tasteless, lest when loaded with vegetable toppings and served with additional sachets of chili sauce for your fries, or for your burgers if you so wish. Moreover, with all the toppings, your burgers do exhibit quite tad of a subway sandwich syndrome. It is loaded and overflowing with generous servings of vegetables.

Quick burgers

Additionally, your burgers are made to order and comes out pretty quickly. 4 burgers in my visit took about 15 minutes to be served with our drinks coming out first.

Additionally, a thing worth mentioning is that during the Covid-19 circuit breaker period, you order your meal via a QR code unique to your table. Here, you can check out on the spot using various payment means, like Visa Paywave.

However, I found their burgers are tad dry, and has a very light dressing of sauce. Notably, the only sauces available are regular ketchup or chili sauce which is meant to go with your fries sides. Speaking of sides, I would recommend you to stick to their regular or curly fries, which is more hearty than the rosti.

Furthermore, you can top up your burger to go with a drink and a side of fries for $4 addition. This can save you about a dollar tops to purchasing them separately. Also, their milkshakes are not bad though the portions are tad small, but at $3.50 to $4.50 a cup, I am not complaining.

All in all, I would recommend Simple Burgers if you wish to have a quick simple no-frills burger with rather fast service. Their burger prices are not as affordable as I thought it to be. For the small burger sizes, I was expecting it to be cheaper. Still Simple Burgers is a rather good addition in the rather already crowded Singapore gourmet burger segment.

Verdict:

Must Go! | Actually pretty Good | Worth Trying | Shortlist Optionally | Should Avoid

Simple Burgers Locality Map

myVillage shopping center
1 Maju Ave, #B1-21/22 MyVillage,
Singapore 556679
Daily Opening Hours: 10am–10pm

Jurassic world cafe is a themed novelty café restaurant establishment located at Orchard Ion Sky. Yes, that Ion which sits on top of Orchard MRT station. Also, the café operates for a limited time period for 2 months from 6 November this year to 3rd January next year. Lets see what [Jurassic World Cafe at Ion Sky has to offer.

Additionally, the establishment is a tucked on the upper 55th floor. You access the ion sky area via an express elevator from the mall’s level 4 concierge service counter. Notably, there was an art exhibition at the mall entrance, which you can browse on your way in.

Ion Sky Entrance

Themed elevator interior ride up

Entry walkway

Moreover, given the current COVID-19 restrictions, entry to the restaurant is limited on a booking-basis, where you can reserve your slot in 30 minute blocks from the restaurants’ opening hours from 11am to 10pm daily. Also, with the December school holidays in full force, expect the restaurant to be jammed-packed with family and kids.

Ion Sky Great views

At the top, you circle around a carpeted walkway which encircles the restaurant, with full panoramic city views of the southern and western sides of Singapore. Ion sky is pretty much towers over all the buildings along Orchard road, with Tang Marriott hotel itself looking minute from above.

Also, it is quite a sight to behold in itself. You can even see the blue sea towards Keppel/Sentosa and make out a visible hilly Malaysian ridgeline beyond the horizon towards Bukit Batok.

Orchard Road

Towards the east CBD

View south

Furthermore, the theming of the Jurassic world restaurant is at best mediocre. The rather small, but otherwise well-spaced restaurant is lined with large leafy ferns mimicking Jurassic-era foliage, with one or two dinosaur statues like a Velociraptor by the entrance.

Also, the wall feature LED screens which only displays static images of Scenic dinosaur views like viewing them from an enclosure. It’s quite a bummer. The concept tad reminds me of the temporary fad-driven Japanese anime themed cafes you can find in Tokyo Akihabara we explored earlier this year.

Surprisingly quality main courses

Moreover, Jurassic world menu at its core is a Singaporean Fusion one. The establishment menu options are simple with a mix of local and western flairs. You place your order and pay right at the restaurants entrance before being seated.

Restaurant general seating

We have curries

T-rex Chicken

I would recommend their Jurassic World Burger ($28). It is one of their best offerings- a beef cheeseburger sandwiched between charcoal buns. Also, the patties are juicy though the burger itself tad dry and better with more sauce. Your burger comes with potato wedges as sides.

Furthermore, I found other dishes like the Nasi Lemak and Volcano curry rice ($23) tad bit too bland for the offerings. Though. The curry is a mildly spicy and great if you demand a more Asian flair and want something more unique than plain Nasi-lemak ($20).

Moreover, there are also Battered Fish & Chips ($24), which you can order out of the menu and is available on their online menus. Additionally, going with the Christmas theme during my visit, is a choice dish of Christmas meat platter comprising of roast pork ribs, and chicken. Also, kids Menu items includes (Mac & Cheese) $18, and potato sides such as Curly Fries $14 and fried Tater Tots (hashbrowns) going for $14 a pot.

Desserts and drinks- not as dinotastic

I would recommend their interesting themed desserts, such as their Lava flow cake ($16). It is essentially a lava cake. It is a nice touch which goes well with the Dino theme. Also, the Lava flow cake as a good sweet dessert to top up your meal.

Moreover, like a lava cake you can see the bright salted egg yolk “Lava flow” from within. Also, the Fossil Excavation Cake ($16) is what I like to call and “activity meal” which turns the phrase “don’t play with your food” over it head. Also, it beckons you to dust out the frosting of your dessert cake like Archaeological diggers.

Stay away from the drinks

Also available to go with your main courses are a selection of novelty drinks and desserts. But I find it hard pressed to recommend them considering they do cost ridiculously expensive. $9 for a cup of Milo or $8 for a Mosasaurus (regular) soda anyone?

Hence, if there is one thing I would not recommend here are the drinks. I found the drinks more to be a novelty item which serves more to amuse kids. Also, your drink is coloured, plain themed with small cardboard dinosaur cut-outs, but does not come with any smoking volcano contraptions- something you did expect for a drink costing as much as a lunch main.

Additionally, more affordable options includes hot drinks, such as Latte, Cappuccino and Mocha at a more Starbuck-priced range of $6-6.50 per pop. Iced Latte sets you back $7. Totalling up, a meal for about 2-3 persons without drinks could set you back just over the sub-$100 range.

Moreover, the restaurant has a small Toy section at it’s entrance. It comprises of a mix of Hasbro official merchandise as well as a curated selection of Lego sets themed from the last movie. Also, the establishment touts to offer a limited section of special toys, such as Mattel’s Snap Squad and Jurassic World-themed dinosaur Lego sets.

Toy sector

Lego raptor

Dining mats

All in all, dining at Jurassic world is a mixed experience. If you are a Jurassic World fan and want a place to amuse the kids, I would strongly recommend a visit.

The dishes and theming is at best what you can find for Jurassic world offerings you can get in Singapore for now. Though you might be disappointed to find anything too out of the ordinary here. Their food quality is good, but offered at a premium too. For the rest of us, I would recommend to shortlist the Jurassic World Cafe.

Verdict:

Must Go! | Actually pretty Good | Worth Trying | Shortlist Optionally | Should Avoid
Jurassic World Cafe Ion Sky Locality Map
ION Sky
2 Orchard Turn, Level 55,
Singapore 238801
Daily Opening Hours: 11am–10pm