Hammee’s: Chow Down On Juicy And Succulent Burgers From This Hidden Gem Tucked Away In Commonwealth Crescent Food Market & Centre

Commonwealth Crescent Market & Food Centre is home to a whole host of delectable hawker stalls but on the second floor lies a hidden gem that garners a small crowd come lunch time. Run by a husband and wife team, Hammee’s sits nestled in a corner and peddles good ol’ fashioned burgers.

If you are familiar with Commonwealth Crescent Market & Food Centre, you would know that the hawker centre is somewhat of a silver zone. The fact that Hammee’s offers its distinctively American food is unconventional, to say the least.

However, after a short chat with Kelvin, one half of Hammee’s, he told me that he has managed to win some of the older folks over. Excited and rather famished, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on these babies.

I started with Hammee’s Classic Beef Cheeseburger (S$6). Before we get into it, I think we all need to take a second to admire this beautiful burger. I mean, have you seen a more perfect burger? It surely gives a certain ‘Golden Arches’ chain a run for their money.

We’ll begin with one of the most important components of any burger —  the bun. A pertinent and oftentimes overlooked portion of the burger. After all, the bun is there to soak up all those wonderful juices and serve as an effective vehicle for all that lies in between. You have to admit dry buns are slightly sacrilegious.

Rest assured, Hammee’s bun was toasted to perfection, golden-brown and fluffy complete with charred edges. Those toasty rounds sandwiched a juicy beef patty, caramelised onions and a square of American cheese.

The beef patty had a good fat-to-meat ratio, seasoned well and flavourful. The cheese melded with the tender patty, the onions added a little sweetness, making each bite downright satisfying. What can I say, this was a pretty solid burger.

Next, we tried Hammee’s Premium Beef Cheeseburger (S$8), which as the name suggests, is your classic beef burger with a delicious glow-up. Not to mention, this burger looks like it jumped straight from the Krusty Krab right on to our table.

Just as a note, all the burgers come with a side of fries. As a quintessential part of any burger meal, Hammee’s were nothing to shout about.

Unlike the Classic Cheeseburger, the Premium Cheeseburger comes with lettuce and tomato. Moreover, this beef patty was bigger and made with short rib, which meant a higher fat-to-meat ratio. I think all foodies can attest that fat is where the flavour is. So not only would the patty be juicier but it will also be a downright flavour bomb.

It gets better, for S$2 you can add extra pieces of smoked bacon to get the most out of your burger.

This Krabby Patty impostor was everything it promised it would be. Given the slightly bigger patty and higher fat content, the burger had a great mouthfeel. Additionally, the lettuce and tomato helped to cut the buttery bun and rich beef patty.

This was definitely a heartier burger than the Classic Cheeseburger. Each chomp was gratifying and reminded me just how good a burger can be.

An alternative to Hammee’s Cheeseburger would be their Fried Chicken Burger (S$5.50). Here, you get a crispy, succulent fried chicken thigh, topped with coleslaw and spicy sauce before being sandwiched in between pillowy buns.

While this might look like the simpler burger to prepare, Kelvin tells me that a lot of work goes into this Fried Chicken Burger.

Kelvin first brines the chicken thighs, which not only adds flavour but plumps them up making them even juicier. They are then marinated and dredged in flour and fried at twice at two different temperatures.

For the first fry, the oil is at a lower temperature to cook the chicken through. While the second fry is at a much higher temperature to really get the Maillard reaction going. What you end up with is a beautiful, crunchy chicken thigh.

All that effort certainly paid off, as the chicken thigh was crispy to a fault. The coleslaw was sharp and bright, which provided good contrast to the fried chicken patty.

My only gripe was that Hammee’s was perhaps a little light-handed with their spicy sauce; I would have liked just a dollop more. Other than that, this was a pretty stellar Fried Chicken Burger.

With the myriad of burger joints that constantly bombard us, sometimes, it’s hard to create a burger that would stand out. Kelvin tells me that when it comes to burgers, the idea is not to overthink it.

Which is exactly what Hammee’s burgers embody — no frills, fresh ingredients and a whole lotta heart. I dare say, these burgers would make your time down to Commonwealth well worth it. 

Expected damage: S$5.50 – S$10 per pax