Brace yourself as the Singaporean burger craze is just getting bigger and bolder. Ready for The Humble Burger‘s exotic Chicken Rice Burger?
Its name “The Humble Burger”, is a misnomer as there is nothing humble about the burgers here. Quite aptly, they are housed in Paris Ris Central Hawker Centre, the infamous “hipster hawker centre of Pasir Ris”.
While the hawker burger stall isn’t big, the shop owners work quite efficiently to churn out burgers. Some of their more unique local-inspired burgers may take a little longer to prepare, so avoid the lunch and dinner hours if you want to try those.
At The Humble Burger, you should definitely try their Chicken Rice Burger ($5.50). In case you were wondering, the ‘buns’ are actually made from real chicken rice!
I can tell you that making these rice ‘buns’ is no easy feat. Infused with chicken stock, the rice ‘buns’ had the same fragrance as traditional chicken rice. These rice ‘buns’ are so flavourful you can even eat them on their own.
Sandwiched between the golden-brown fried rice ‘buns’ was a slice of soy sauce chicken that had been intermittently boiled to achieve the luxurious brown colour. Although a little on the tough side, the chicken was paired harmoniously with ginger and even a tangy chilli garlic sauce. Just like our favourite chicken rice!
While the flavours worked perfectly, my biggest gripe with the burger was the ratio of rice to chicken. The rice ‘buns’ were simply too thick, making it hard to taste the chicken amidst the rice. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it more if the ‘buns’ were thinner.
Another local spin to try is the intriguing Sio Bak Burger ($5.50). Yes, the crispy roast pork belly you get when you order shao rou fan! The burger is a bit of a mouthful with three thick slices of sio bak, but I’m not complaining.
Topped with a dollop of mustard to cut the richness of the sio bak, the burger managed not to be too jelak. Some of the pieces were a little tough but the fatty pork really managed to capture my cholesterol-clogged heart. A little more vegetables would have been nice for a cleaner and more refreshing touch to the dish.
The burger was a little clunky and the cook on the sio bak could have been more tender. But considering that The Humble Burger roasted the sio bak in-house, the effort is definitely commendable.
Going back to basics with the classic beef burger. The massive Stack Burger ($7) has a beef patty topped with a giant Portobello mushroom. Paired with glorious oozing cheese, this burger combination was truly irresistible.
The beef patty was evenly thick and consistently medium well throughout. Charred beautifully and bursting with juice, what more could I ask of a burger?
With some caramelised onions, the burger was well-balanced with a touch of sweetness.
My favourite part of the burger was the portobello mushroom. Grilled under a metal cloche, the portobello mushroom was soft while retaining a lot of moisture.
The Stack Burger may not have the same jaw-dropping effect as the previous two burgers, but this really is a textbook example of a great burger.
The Fish Burger ($4) was also another burger that managed to hit the spot. The soft buns perfectly contrasted the crisply fried dory, with a sweet mayo sauce to tie the burger together.
What really stole the show here was the golden fried dory. The batter was crisp and not at all doughy. Although the fried dory was a little small, the fish was deliciously moist and flaky.
If The Humble Burger wasn’t selling burgers, they could make a pretty mean fish and chips.
Pair your burger with some sides to complete the meal. Their Twister Fries ($1.50/$3) had great golden colour and were very appetising. Also, some House-made Slaw ($1.50) would be good to cleanse the palate after devouring an entire juicy Sio Bak Burger.
With most burgers priced around $5, The Humble Burger’s burgers are very affordable. While I definitely came to Pasir Ris for the unusual local-inspired Chicken Rice and Sio Bak burgers, my favourites were actually the classics. Especially the mouth-watering Stack Burger!
The menu at The Humble Burger emphasises both novelty and quality equally. If you are itching for something a little different, their local-inspired burgers are absolutely worth a try. Otherwise, just settle for the classics and you’ll still leave very satisfied.
Expected Damage: $4 – $9 per pax
