The Handburger – Chomp-worthy Burgers & Drool-worthy Shakes

If you think that burgers are junk food, think again.

At gourmet burger joint The Handburger, the burgers are made of all-natural ingredients. Run by the same people behind the soup chain, The Soup Spoon, The Handburger has two outlets in Singapore, including its newly renovated flagship restaurant at Raffles City Shopping Centre, and a second outlet at 313@Somerset.

The catchy name arose from the fact that all the ingredients are handmade, be it the burger buns, the assorted fillings, fries or sauces. The management also claims that no MSG or preservatives are used in the food.

Overhead lighting structures, white-washed timber furniture and darkened mirrors spruce up the interiors at both restaurants. The long tables make for a communal dining atmosphere, so don’t be surprised if you wind up sharing the same table with strangers during the busy chow hours.

Starters

Pumpkin and crab bisque
S$5.50++
Rating:

Simple but sublime is the phrase that best describes the pumpkin and crab bisque, made more interesting with a hint of curry. The consistency is just right, the flavour sufficient to prep your taste buds for more food to come.

Calamari rings
S$7.80++
Rating:

When dining at a western restaurant, a side dish that I frequently order is the fried calamari rings. The one thing that usually kills this dish is the tough and chewy calamari, but thankfully these rings are just tender enough. Nothing groundbreaking like the ethereal, what I dub the “rings of gold” at Tony Roma’s, but clearly better than others.

Waffle vegetable crisps
S$4.80++
Rating:

Sounding totally tempting on paper are the waffle vegetable crisps, made from potato, sweet potato and taro. They turn out okay, although the crisps are cut too thickly to be fully enjoyable.

These handmade dips are lovely. The dark sauce is a hybrid of barbecue and tomato. Interesting stuff.

Burgers

This Christmas, four of the artisan burgers from the regular menu are available in healthy mini portions as well.

The Handburger Original, chicken caesar, battered dory and pulled pork are sold in the Sliders Party Pack, made up of 9 mini burgers. You can mix and match the flavours; plus, the mini sizes ensure you don’t have to overextend those jaw muscles.

The popular Handburger Original contains a fresh and juicy rib-eye patty wrapped in a caramelised onion bun along with the obligatory lettuce and tomato. This is my favourite amongst the four, and would have been rated all 5 drumsticks if the buns were better toasted.

For those with a penchant for the pleasures of the sea, the battered dory is a good option, with the fish coated by a batter that is light and not the least bit greasy. Don’t forget to lay on the spicy tartar sauce.

Desserts

Warm chocolate pot
S$5.50++

I must say that I am somewhat disappointed by the warm chocolate pot that appears to be masquerading as the chocolate lava cake. First, the good. Its presentation in the tall dessert glass rimmed with sugar crystals is pretty classy. The caramelised banana slices and the mint leaf add a nice dash of colours.

Now for the bad news. The dessert has been made to resemble the lava cake in every way. Except that it’s not. It is served warm with soft-serve vanilla ice cream on the side, but is dry throughout and sorely missing that molten chocolate centre. On hindsight, its low price point is a good indicator that this is no lava cake, but my love for the dessert must have blindsided that fact and I imagine many chocolate fondant lovers may share the same sentiments.

Beverages

As for the beverages, you have got to try the milkshakes. They cost less than the five-dollar shake that John Travolta drinks in Pulp Fiction, but I’m sure these taste as good, if not better.

Nutella and Naked Chocolate shakes
S$4.50++ and S$3.90++
Rating:

The Nutella and Naked Chocolate shakes are just the thing for the insatiable chocoholic. (Wow, I didn’t realise “chocoholic” is a word! The spell-checker did not place the annoying red zigzag line underneath.) These are extremely thick, creamy and, yes, totally sinful. But how can anyone say no to such rich and good chocolaty goodness?

Lychee mint crush
S$5.5++
Rating:

A perfect palate cleanser is the lychee mint crush, which is quite possibly one of the top 5 most refreshing beverages around. This comes with actual chunks of lychee and specks of peppermint.

There is little doubt that The Handburger can become a big player in the gourmet burger niche. With the tasty all-natural burgers sold at moderate prices, accompanied by a cast of palatable side dishes, this bistro is definitely worth your patronage if you are a burger fan.

What would your perfect burger be made of? Describe it in the comments!

Raffles City outlet

313@Somerset outlet