Battered Fish Gourmet Burger Probably need to give credit to @rainraineeataway on this one — hidden deep within the Bedok Reservoir neighbourhood in the coffeeshop at Blk 631 Bedok Reservoir Road, Fin-ery Kitchen is a new addition to the coffeeshop that had only opened their doors in late October 2022. Being a western stall situated within the coffeeshop, the stall does have some eye-catching elements — think a shopfront that features a neon-lit signage and wooden planks stating just some of the dishes that they have to offer within weaves of ropes to give it a unique aesthetic; perhaps indication that this just isn’t any other western stall in a coffeeshop located in the heartlands. Featuring a menu that is pretty much Muslim-friendly considering how there is no pork, no lard and no alcohol used in the cooking here, the menu is split into sections dedicated to Starter, Paella Rice, Fried Mains, Gourmet Burgers, Grilled Mains and Sides. Just like most of the western stalls around these days, Fin-ery Kitchen allows patrons to opt for two sides of their choice with the fried mains and grilled mains; patrons would however be only able to pick one side if they were to order the Gourmet Burgers. Interestingly, the prices are really affordable here; the gourmet burgers start from $5, and the most expensive individually-portioned item would be at $16 — this being the Grilled Ribeye Steak.
Whilst we have already learnt that they do serve up an individually-portioned Seafood Paella Rice at $10 — speak about a western stall located in the neighbourhood that serves Paella even; let alone the low price point, we found it pretty criminal how they serve up a Battered Fish Gourmet Burger at $5 with a side of the patron’s choice. That does seem to make it priced lower than an ala-carte order of a particular fish burger featuring a fish fillet patty from a certain fast food restaurant chain that is commonly found everywhere on the island. Here, we have paired our Battered Fish Gourmet Burger with the Frites. Described in the menu as “Seabass Fillet served with Romaine Lettuce, Tomato, Onion & Tartare”, we were actually pretty surprised at the portion size of the Battered Fish Gourmet Burger — coming in what seems to be a hotdog bun that is sliced into half, we were really more taken aback about the seabass fillet here. Rather than being a square fillet, the seabass fillet comes in an entire slab — pretty much the same way that one would expect to get when they order Fish & Chips. At $5, this was really a steal; never mind about how to bread does seem to be toasted just a little and did feel a little dry at times — smearing that tartare sauce on the side helps to make all the elements get together whilst giving everything a creamier texture. The whole point about this was how well-executed the fried fish was — the batter was sufficiently thick and crisp without being too floury or crunchy; all that encasing the flaky and reasonably moist seabass fillet within inside. The slice of tomato helps to add a refreshing tang and a juicy bite, while the onion provided a zing that cuts through all that fried stuff to reset the tastebuds. The fries were actually pretty decent; not overly salted, the only qualm was that they seemed to be prepared in batches so they were a little less than the piping hot temperature that we were kinda expecting. But hey, this is already quite a big feat for something that costs $5 — we are already having second thoughts of having that fast food restaurant fish fillet burger again now that we had this.
Must say that Bedok Reservoir residents are pretty much a lucky bunch to have Fin-ery Kitchen in their neighbourhood; western stalls located within coffeeshops are not that difficult to look for, but one that serves up artisanal western fare at such crazy low prices — that does not seem to come by often these days. With prices that can match up against that of fast food establishments, yet providing patrons with so much more, one can only feel the passion on serving up the very best to their patrons at an affordable price point (and perhaps wonder about their profit margins here at Fin-ery Kitchen). The folks behind the counter do look like pretty earnest people — working hard at the scenes to sell as much as they can whilst putting in their best in every dish that comes out of the kitchen and onto the tables of diners. Offering patrons with a little more than what a usual western stall in a coffeeshop would typically do, this is probably what gives Fin-ery Kitchen a character unique to themselves despite the vast number of western stalls around the island. With food of decent quality and at such value, Fin-ery Kitchen does seem like a spot worthy to make that special trip down to; at least we did leave the coffeeshop impressed and enthusiastic knowing somewhere we could head to for a fish burger that serves an actual slab of fish at a price lower than that of a fish burger from a fast food establishment!
