OOTB, Dhoby Ghaut: Messy burgers stuffed to the brim with fried chicken thighs, black Angus beef and melted cheese

I’m an absolute sucker for burgers. Whenever a new burger joint opens, you can bet that I’ll be there. However, one place that has slipped under my radar would be OOTB (Out Of The Bun). After seeing it appear time after time again on my social media feed, I simply could not resist heading down to give it a shot myself.

OOTB is located in the fairly new, youth-centered mall GR.iD. Sitting on the former site of popular ‘90s haunt PoMo, the newly rebranded mall is located near Dhoby Ghaut MRT.

It is impossible to miss the vibrant exterior of the mall, as its unique Tetris-inspired architecture sets it apart from other malls. At night, it will be completely illuminated by LED lights, giving off strong nightlife vibes.

Besides its vibrant appearance, GR.iD is also home to many popular F&B outlets. This includes Smile Dessert, Chops! Grill & Sides and Shinso Ramen.

Back to what I was here for: OOTB’s burgers.

It was fairly easy for me to locate the eatery, with its futuristic design catching my eye. Decorated with neon lights and barrel-looking stools, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I could place my bags in the “barrels”.

OOTB has five burgers on offer, with the main ones being Classic Cheese (S$12.90), Pulled Chick (S$11.90) and THIC Chick (S$10.90). If you are a vegetarian, you can opt for their IM Possible and Tindle Chick (both priced at S$16.90). 

For every set, you have a choice of a side and a drink. Their sides include your classic French Fries and Coleslaw. Besides that, you can also choose from Crisscut Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, and Cajun Fries. Additionally, you can pay an extra S$1.20 for a container of truffle sauce. Besides sides, OOTB also offers Churros (S$4.90), which comes with chocolate dipping sauce. 

What I tried  

Just a word of caution before we dive into the burgers – things are going to get very messy here. As the name suggests, expect plenty of ingredients to fall out of your bun while consuming it. But fret not, there is a handy sink at the back of the store for you to wash your hands. 

When it comes to meat, chicken would be my top pick. Hence, I had to go for the THIC Chick (S$10.90 for a la carte, S$13.90 for a meal) first.

The burger centres around a massive piece of brined, battered and fried chicken thigh, along with sweet tangy slaw and in-house dill pickles.

First off, I was fascinated by the sheer size of the chicken thigh. It was incredibly massive that a large part of it protruded out of the burger. 

It was a real challenge to consume the massive chicken thigh along with the buns, but it was a good problem. Besides, I really appreciated how the batter was not too thick and there was a good balance between the batter and the meat. Not only that, I loved how juicy it was, which pushed me to gobble down the burger. 

As a person who loves intricate details, I was intrigued by how the burger buns bore the name of the brand. Aside from that, the slaw mix added a refreshing touch and good texture to the burger. Not forgetting the pickles, as their crunchy zing really helped to balance out the entire burger.

Moving on to their Pulled Chick (S$11.90 for a la carte, S$14.90 for a meal), which I had high hopes for. On first impression, it looked like a messy masterpiece to me. It consisted of silky smooth slow-cooked chicken, fresh lettuce, slaw and OOTB’s secret sauce.

Funnily enough, I enjoyed the messy process of watching the ingredients spill out as I bit into the burger.

However, my partner and I agreed that the burger tasted quite average. Although the portions were very generous, we felt that the massive lump of pulled chicken was way too overwhelming, especially coupled with the slaw and secret sauce.

With all due respect to the juicy chicken, I felt like this burger could have been much lighter on the palette. As compared to the other two burgers, I can safely say that I’m more of a fan of solid patties. 

Lastly, we have their Classic Cheese (S$12.90 for a la carte, S$15.90 for a meal), which was my favourite burger.

Despite its simplicity, all the various elements gelled well together. This consisted of black Angus beef, cheddar cheese, caramelised onions, and greens, together with their secret sauce.

The beef patty possessed a really good fat-to-meat ratio which is something I value highly in burgers. Besides that, the patty was also tantalisingly juicy and packed immense flavour. Also, the greens (lettuce, tomatoes and pickles) played an important role when it came to supporting the burger.

Besides the burgers, I really enjoyed the French Fries.

Fresh out of the fryer, the fries tasted incredibly hot and crispy. I felt like the truffle and sriracha mayo, which came together with the fries, did very well when it came to elevating the fries.

Also, their Churros (S$4.90) were nice to munch on. The deep-fried pastry was coated with sugar and added a very satisfying crunch. Importantly, the churros were not too doughy. Crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside – what more could you ask for? 

Final thoughts 

If you are looking for an alternative to your mainstream burger joints, this would be a good option. OOTB does not include any GST or service charge, making their burgers fairly affordable.

For me, although their Pulled Chick did not quite live up to the lofty standards set by the other two burgers, I still thought that it was a pretty hearty meal. If you are heading down, do get ready for a messy yet fulfilling experience! 

Expected damage: S$11 – S$20 per pax

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