Burgers without toothpicks

I'm usually not quite into what Singaporeans refer to broadly as "Western" food. On airplanes, I always choose the Oriental selection even if it's sucky fried noodles or tasteless fried rice. (Btw, Northwest Airlines, despite being one of the crappiest around, serves some really nice oily fried noodles).

But I actually have a secret fetish for American food, especially burgers and hot dogs. I think it has something to do with the Archie comics I read growing up. There was this character Jughead who was always eating burgers. He made them look damn yummy.

Still, I don't fancy those burgers served up at fast food joints. In-N-Out being an exception. But no one seems to have any plans to bring it to Singapore, or Asia for that matter, just yet. So I have had to settle for more upscale burger joints, where more effort is put in rather just slapping a patty between two buns. I am classy like that.

YF told me about Let's Burger at Sanlitun and swears by it. That means it is good shit. It was. First, the ambience is lovely, more cafe than diner. It looks quintessential European, quaint but not stuffy. A French contact who lives in Shenzhen visited me and I brought him here. He loved the place, saying that it could be in anywhere, London, Paris. Can't go wrong with a French appraisal right?


Yet the first thing that hits you after stepping into Let's Burger is the smell of grease - not exactly European but it is far more fragrant than the stale oil smell in American diners. The aroma of grilled beef patties wafting from the open kitchen, however, stays with you all the way home as it clings on to your clothes. But the laundry bill is worth it.


The burgers are succulent, soft and sinful. With more than a dozen to choose from, I had a tough time making up my mind as I stood by the counter (it's not fast food, but you still place your orders by the counter). The wait staff took pity on me and finally recommended the Australian Classic (98 yuan) - a hearty burger with double Ridgefield Farms Angus beef patties, topped with bacon and eggs. "It's very popular with the men," she said with a cheerful smile.

I went for the Paris Romantique (68 yuan) instead - single patty, beet and pickled relish. I am manly like that. The staff was probably trying to stifle a giggle, but it's ok, I am confident of my masculinity. And despite having a sissy name, Paris Romantique (below) packed a nice punch with the pickled relish. The buns were also done nicely, with a slight crisp top and big enough to hold the patty and all the gooey stuff in.


It's really important that a burger doesn't disintegrate. Some places do their big burgers tall, topping it with small buns. That makes it harder to keep the burger intact. Then they try to keep it together with a long toothpick. I hate that. Do you keep the toothpick and eat around it so as to keep the burger as a burger rather than a mess; or do you take away the toothpick and eat what was once a burger? I hate to have to make that decision. Let's Burger (10-5208-6036) makes it big, but wide, making sure that the burger stays firm and sturdy. Brilliant! The Hong Kong owners must have attended the hamburger college.

And did I mention the dipping sauces? Oh boy, there were 13 of them - from wasabi mayo to honey mustard to the usual chilli and ketchup - lined up in a row.


The best part is: You can take as much as you want, and they are free. Yes, it brought out the Singaporean in me. I wanted to sample all the sauces. But I didn't, lah. I just took the wasabi mayo...and you guessed it, the chilli sauce.