Wildfire Chicken & Burgers: Wildly Mouth-watering Burgers & Fried Chicken at NAFA

Wildfire Chicken & Burgers—if you find this name somewhat familiar, yes, it is indeed the critically acclaimed burger joint that took a hiatus when it closed its door last year at Global Kitchens at Science Park Drive. 

Now back after a change in management, the new Wildfire Chicken & Burgers is once again serving up their award-winning stacks and signature fried chicken out of their new premises located in Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA). 

Helmed by an all-star kitchen team including the head chef from the very first Wildfire Burger at Evans Road, the newly revamped eatery sees the return of crowd-favourites such as the Classic 001 Cheeseburger and the Truffle Mushroom Burger. 

This time around, the menu, however, has been streamlined to enable the team to focus on the quality of every single burger they put out. The burgers too, are slightly downsized (thus its cheaper price) to cater to diners working from home, making it more convenient to hold onto and savour the burger—just with one hand.

Decked in grey and white, the inside of the restaurant was spacious considering the area allocated for ordering over the counter. Lit with warm lights overshadowing the concrete flooring and white-washed brick walls, the eatery exuded a comfortable and fuss-free vibe perfectly suited for its on-campus location. 

Now, let’s cut the introduction and move on to the food, shall we?

If you are a burger purist—one who enjoys your stack without the frills—the Classic 001 Cheeseburger (S$9) is definitely a must-try. The fluffy brioche buns sandwich a Black Angus beef patty charred to perfection over a Binchotan charcoal-fired INKA grill accentuating its smokiness to complement the juicy and slightly seasoned beef patty. 

Accented only with cheese, onion and chipotle mayonnaise, the Classic 001 Cheeseburger brought out the clean yet intense beefy flavour of the Black Angus beef leaving me craving for more. Somehow, the single patty felt a little naked, an inch too thin to fully enjoy the bursting flavours of the beef. If only we had ordered the double patty (+S$3), it would have been so much more satisfying.

Who says eggs and bacon are breakfast food that should be savoured only at the start of your day? Featuring a slab of creamy folded egg and melted American cheese topped with a mountain of crispy bacon, The Eggstarter (S$9) from Wildfire Chicken & Burgers is a breakfast burger that can be eaten any time of the day.

With the velvety egg mixture oozing down my fingers and bacon dropping off the sides, it did get a little messy when I was devouring my burger. But I guess that’s the point of heading to a burger joint, isn’t it?

Taking a spot on Wildfire Chicken & Burgers’s menu for the first time is their newly-introduced Shabu Burger (S$13)—my favourite of all three. Sandwiched in between the burger buns were a heap of Black Angus karubi (boneless short rib), bunashimeji mushroom, and Spanish onions cooked in sweet yakiniku sauce. 

The thinly sliced karubi was not only bold in flavours, but also very consistent in texture. The beef was neither too fat nor veiny, making it very easy to bite through. Thus, you definitely don’t have to worry about pulling the whole chunk of meat off the burger in one bite.

Have you experienced going to a restaurant, ordering the dark horse on the menu, only to realise that it is one of the best dishes you had in your life? That was exactly how I felt when I bit into Wildfire Chicken & Burgers’s Signature Fried Chicken (S$4 for one piece, S$11 for three pieces, S$35 for 10 pieces). Boy, was it heavenly!

Because the chicken was ‘double dredged, double-fried and slow-brined’, it was enveloped in a beautifully thickened skin that was crispy to a fault. Every bite had such a satisfying crunch that will put most mukbang ASMR (amplified eating sounds) to shame. 

Beyond the skin was the chicken meat that was impeccably tender and equally as flavourful. The white meat had a unique honey-like sweetness all thanks to the ‘secret sauce’, resulting in a piece of fried chicken so good that I will not hesitate to order again. 

We all know how much Singaporeans love a good slice of burnt cheesecake. And if your goal is to try all the Basque cheesecakes in our island, then you cannot miss the Burnt Cheesecake (S$6) from Wildfire Chicken & Burgers. 

This Burnt Cheesecake might look rich and over-whelming from its appearance but trust me,  it will have you finishing the entire slice even before you know it. Slightly runnier in the centre, the cake was overall light and fluffy with a tinge of saltiness which complements the robust flavours of the cream cheese. 

Considering this was my first dine-in after the ‘Circuit Breaker’ period, I am thankful for the experience I had. Despite these difficult times, the staffs remained cheerful and bubbly, which made my day even better on top of the wonderful meal. 

With that being said, let’s not take this for granted and continue to keep ourselves in check. We might be able to dine out right now, but we will never know when these little pleasures will be taken away from us. 

Expected Damage: S$9 – S$20 per pax