Three Buns Quayside: Sous-Vide Rendang Burger + Mouth-Watering Hot Dogs At The Quayside

I for one love a good hunk o’ meat; be it as a steak, a burger or a roast. So, you can imagine how excited I was when I heard that the folks at Potato Head were opening a new, laid-back burger haunt at The Quayside, featuring their renowned Three Buns burgers (aptly and guilelessly named Three Buns Quayside).

When we came in on a weekday evening, the energy of the crowd — both staff and diners — was vivacious and rather infectious. We were seated by the bar, so we had a front-row view of the bartenders pouring and mixing, and were impatient to try the burgers and cocktails.

We dove right in with Straight Into Quayside (S$18), made with Milagro silver, Alipus mezcal, watermelon juice, and hibiscus syrup. We could imagine ourselves on the beach, toes in the sand, with salted wind-tossed hair whipping around our faces.

The sweetness of the watermelon juice stood out most prominently, but after several quick sips, I could feel the warmth of the alcohol intensifying at the back of my throat. Safe to say, this one works its way like a ninja; easy to drink yet potent in its boozy kick.

Feeling fancy? Then perhaps the Royal Gin & Juice (S$18) would suit your taste. It has Hendrick’s gin, pineapple juice and prosecco. It’s a punchy glass with strong fruity and acidic notes. Also, the effervescence of the prosecco made this tipple very enjoyable.

Perhaps you’d rather run with some rum? Rock With Me (S$18) is a fun mix made with Sailor Jerry spiced rum and a homemade “kriss kross krush” mix (which entails mixed berries, citrus syrup, apple juice and lime juice).

The rum was pleasantly spicy, and the mixed fruit concoction made the drink uniquely tangy, sour and sweet all at once. Should you need a little pick-me-up once the workday ends, this number will fit your needs.

This may just be another corn appetiser, but its savouriness and smoky flavours make this an unmissable starter. The Crackalacka Corn (S$8) is triple-cooked charred sweetcorn, drizzled with paprika mayonnaise, and dusted with oro del maso parmesan, toasted brioche crumbs, calamansi and chilli.

The sweetness and mild heat of chilli and paprika really made an impression on my taste buds on the first bite. What I absolutely loved was the char on the corn, so we had this amalgamation of sweet, tangy, spicy, and smoky all in one innocent-looking dish.

I’m a self-professed fan of loaded fries, so the Miso Dirty Fries (S$9) was a win in my books. Giving an Asian touch was the miso béarnaise sauce, smoked chicken sausage and floss, chives, scallions and pickled chilli.

The over-riding flavour profile came from the miso béarnaise, which made this fried carb side lean towards an umami profile. I wasn’t complaining, as I guiltlessly fed myself forkfuls of it.

To accompany your burgers here, I highly recommend the Naughty Fries Jnr. (S$9). Its addictiveness is all thanks to its spiced béarnaise sauce, hot beef chilli and a special touch of bawang goreng (fried shallots) and oro del maso parmesan.

Be sure to toss the entire bowl before digging your fork in because you’ll want to savour the spiciness and rich beefy flavours, as well as the crunchy bits of fried shallots. It’s a bowl of beef chilli cheese fries elevated to the next level of decadence. Trust me; you won’t want to share.

First main up was the Seng Dog (S$12), whose standout points were its wasabi mayonnaise and toasted matcha butter bun (and of course, more bawang goreng!).

Sadly though, I couldn’t taste much of the matcha butter bun as it proved too mild to stand up against the wasabi mayonnaise and the smoked chicken sausage (alternatively, you can also opt for a prime beef frankfurter to go with your dogs).

The Truffle Hound (S$15) looks as decadent as it tastes. For this dog, we chose the prime beef frankfurter and it was the absolute best choice. This delectable creation is made with roasted portobello mushrooms, garlic & miso butter, melted truffle cheese and truffle oil.

The flavours were immensely savoury, while the aroma was undeniably intoxicating. Lovers of all things truffle will fall instantly in lust. The chew on the prime beef frankfurter was a lot more gratifying than on the smoked chicken variety before this and just based on this hot dog alone, I would return in a heartbeat.

Don’t be afraid of this messy monster; it’s every bit delicious and worth getting your hands dirty for. The Red Man (S$28) is Three Buns’ spin on rendang. You may ask, ‘what do they know about making rendang?’ Turns out, they know their sh*t, pretty well.

The chunk of beef is sous vide for 24 hours and is served with coconut mayonnaise and coconut bun. I’ve had rendang from run-of-the-mill nasi padang stall and this rendang beat every single one of them.

The beef practically fell apart, it was absolutely moist and tender, and the flavours that it packed were incredibly authentic. The only gripe I had about it was wishing it were a little spicier.

Of course, we had to try the chicken variant of their burgers (I mean, we couldn’t be biased towards only the meat patties), so we had the Cheeky Chic (S$16). I do enjoy a wholesome burger with a tangy relish, and this one didn’t disappoint.

The slaw and cucumber & jalapeno pickle really complemented Big Poppa’s hot sauce. The chicken patty itself admittedly was slightly underwhelming, given most of the burger’s flavour came from its condiments and very little from the main protein. I guess it’s better to stick to the beef patties here.

Classic burger fans will also be very satisfied here with Da Cheese Master (S$15). Made simply with a black Angus patty, double ketchup, miso mustard, charred onions and double cheese (can I get an amen?).

I reckon it’ll serve you best after a night out on the town with countless drinks in your system. There’s not much to it really, other than being a down-to-earth, hearty and utterly satisfying cheeseburger.

Are their desserts just as impressive, though? The Sticky Icky Wicky (S$7) is! Many sticky date puddings I’ve tried have failed to impress me, but this one will make sure to remember to save room for dessert when you’re here.

The pudding imbibed the caramel and ice cream thoroughly and I could taste every element in every scoop. You won’t find a dry spot here (including my eyes that were already welling with tears of joy), so there’s no need to worry about having to settle for a crumbly pudding. If I had to describe this dessert in one word, it’d be luscious.

Those already familiar with the Three Buns available at Potato Head will want to continue showing their love and support to Three Bun Quayside as well. The burgers here are sloppy, unpretentious and just mouth-watering. Two of my favourite dishes had to be the Red Man and Truffle Hound, with little displeasure with anything else.

Best part is, Three Buns recently launched its Three Buns x Four Paws campaign where your dog gets to eat for free (a portion of 40 grams of unseasoned Angus beef) with every order of burger or hot dog. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to return!

Expected Damage: S$20 – S$28 per pax