[ANYMAP] The 10 Best Burgers in Singapore

I've been writing about burgers. Plenty of times. Desolate looking burgers, dry burgers, larger than life burgers, black burgers, gourmet burgers. We love them all, the way a mother loves all her children; but as a middle child would tell you, we detests it when mum pretends to love all of us equally. In fact, we all know that it should come to this. Finally, a definitive list or ranking of my burger obsessions - napkins required.

1) THE GENERAL @ Carvers & Co (43 East Coast Road, 428764)

Credits: Jonathan Wong

Yes, you can come to Carvers and Co for their delicious rotating roast meats on the carvers plate, but the real McCoy is the hefty mess of The General ($25). Even writing about this is so hard, my natural instinct to want to keep it under wraps leading to some form of word constipation. But since I'm sworn to only let truth escape my lips, let me expound myths by beginning this way.. this, my friends, is the very representation of the word 'epic'.

Super secret patty, bacon weave overhead, dijonnaise, homemade ketchup, aged cheddar, caramelised onions, all that between classic artisanal buns studded with sesame seeds. Everything about this burger vouches for the tenacity of the team behind it, the details in the fabric spanning from the hardy bacon weave (an arrangement so pivotal to the wholesome consumption of the burger), to the ratio of fat and meat in the patties that render a juicy mess on the wooden boards (word of advice you might want to position your fries to catch the drippings). it is all.. too perfect.

2) SMOKIN' B-Boy @ Potato Head Folk (36 Keong Saik Rd, 089143)

You'll know why you're paying $28 for a burger as soon as you bite into the namesake version at Potato Head Folk. The Smokin' B-Boy ($28) delivers such sweet nothings to your lips with its salacious mix of beef patty, double smoked cheese, dingley dell beer and treacle cured bacon, smoky mayo and crisp onions that makes it one of the greatest burgers you'll ever taste. The cumulating smack down of flavors is slightly perverse, one that would make you purse your lips and throw your head back in silent reverence of the package in your hands.

3) 3 Little Pigs @  &made (31 Ocean Way, Quayside Isle, #01-03, 098375)

Credits: Daniel Food Diary

Bacon, pork fillet and chorizo patty -  by God, &Made makes one hell of a burger. The 3 Little Pigs ($24) has a brawny, rustic quality to it. Shitake mushrooms, Japanese cabbage and Shibazuke pickles adding fuel to the discussion. The buns alone are worth an exposition on its own; crisp yet soft and tender on the insides with a subtle hint of butter. I suspect Brioche being employed. The generous coating of yuzu-koshu (paste made from chili peppers, yuzu peel and salt), and mayonnaise on both sides of the bun were phenomenal, the patty on the other hand is uncannily moist and ultra tender, everything tasting like it was whipped up solely for your enjoyment.

4) Tin Hill Darling Downs BMS* 4+ Wagyu Brisket Burger 

@ Tin Hill Social (100 Turf Club Road, 287992)

You cannot eat the Wagyu Brisket Burger ($28.50)  at Tin Hill Social without a fork and a knife. It's impossible. While some joints attempt to compromise quality with a larger stance on quantity;  Here at Tin Hill Social, the kitchen manages expertly to encompass both. Be wary as the towering stack of ingredients attempts to lock jaws with its teethering heights, a fine dash of colors running through its vertical display. Just imagine this, 200g of Hay and Hickory Smoked brisket, cabbage slaw and confit garlic squished between classic sesame seed bun - this is a party in your mouth and even great when broken down into individual components. The beef brisket taking the wheel with its smoke ring intact, each bite perforated with smoke permeated fats. Mysterious and extremely dirty, the Wagyu Brisket Burger is like a siren in the mist, beckoning us back to within its chic yet reserved premises time and time again.

5) Chimichurri Burger v2.0 @ Bochinche (22 Martin Road, 239058)

Credits: Jasper

Do not, I want you, leave the establishment without getting your hands on the Chimichurri Burger v2.0 ($28). While the burgers are uproariously good, but so its the atmosphere at this fun food joint. Service is smiley and amicable, with waiters shaking Bloody Marys table side if requested to; and cheeky envious stares from the staff transpires.

Definitely one of the heavyweights in the local burger scene, a quick look at the flippin' burger and there's no denying that this is one for the book. Provolone cheese, crispy fried bacon, tomatoes, beef patty and capped with the most yellow fried hen's egg you'll ever see, the Chimichurro Burger pulls out all the stops. My only gripe would be the soggy bottom bun which failed to hold up against the assault of juices from the caramelized onions.

6) The Original db Burger @ db Bistro

(2 Bayfront Avenue, The Shoppes at Marina Bay, 018972)

Credits: Fabian Poon

Some people revere it, some people loathe its weighty price tag and dismiss it to be an 'atas' burger commanded by a French chef (oh the horror), but even the naysayers cannot deny that Daniel Boulud's signature db Burger ($42) should and must be in the top 10 list. There's a super moist and devilishly tall patty (fashioned from 7 different cuts of meat, encasing short ribs braised in red wine and a mighty slab of heart stoppingly good Foie Gras stuffed in there), chicory salad, tomato compote and Dijon mustard to complete the equation. Classic American? No. Divine? Absolutely.

7) Suprette Burger @ Suprette (Kam Leng Hotel Lobby, 383 Jalan Besar, 209001)

Photo Credits: Cindy Low

The end of your burger drought will come in the form of a Suprette Burger ($20 , +$3 for extra bacon), this isn't just another pretty looking burger stack to look at. Here at Suprette, the kitchen doesn't stinge, loading the wax-paper lined platter with an initially intimidating mountain of fries that would unknowingly disappear in no matter of time; fries flow freely, but seconds are optional and highly dangerous. The cook on the beef patty is spot on, a slight pink in the middle teasing the diner with its moist innards. Gruyere Cheese forms a nappage over the patty, lending that edge of complex savoury notes to its construction.

8) Umami Burger @ Montana Brew Bar (1 Selegie Rd, 188306)

Credits: Rachel Loke

Handmade patties, sweet potato buns, miso shitake mushrooms and cheese - this is not your standard fast food burger, The Umami Burger ($14) is a dressed up version of the classic comfort food, and it lives up to its name of administering a flavor explosion on the palate. Sweet potato buns possessing just the right amount of heft containing the assault of beef, grease, miso shitake mushrooms and cheese. One can't help but laud the clever insertion of bonito flakes into the mix, ramping up the 'umami' experience by several notches. Definitely a juicy, messy monster worth losing your dignified image to. Get jiggy with it,

9) Short Rib Burger @ Little Island Brewing Co. (Blk 6 Changi Village, #01-01/02, 509907)

Nestled far east of civilisation on our local shores, lies one of Singapore's few local breweries. Do not stop short of the beer taps (which so happen to be fabulous by the way, hop on over to the list at Anymap to read up on the best places to get craft beer in Singapore) and make sure to get dibs on the unsuspectingly mind blowing nosh paved by Chef John Edwards and his trusty open grill and smoker out back. Flamboyant short rib composed patties, crisp bacon strips and piquant melted cheese between spongy buns. The appearance of that hefty glistening puck like patty oozing juices involuntarily as soon as you gingerly tilt it off the plate, virtually swallowing up all other grouses.

10) The Black Swan Burger @ Black Swan (19 Cecil St, 049704)

Just scraping its way into the list, The Black Swan Burger ($26) is one burger you'll be left day-dreaming about, long after snuffing down its obscene edges. The buns, the weakest link in its constitution - were flavorful albeit for a lack of elasticity which would have better helped to lighten the beefy architecture. Melted mature cheddar over juicy beef chuck patty, butterhead lettuce, red onion rings and a perfectly runny sunny side up egg provides a triumphant mix with every mouthful. Streaky bacon on the side were a rather odd addition, but great for purists who are admittedly obsessed about retaining its crisp disposition all throughout the juicy affair.

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