Top left: ayam buah keluak burger @ $8
Top right: spicy pulled pork burger @ $7.50
Bottom: hand cut fries @ $2.50
The spicy pulled pork burger was not bad and the layers of taste from the top bun to the mayo sauce to the pulled pork and then to the cheese and the bottom bun was very distinct and really nice. But there's not much surprise there so it's quite average.
The ayam buah keluak burger has a bit more of an acquired taste and we are not sure if it's suitable as a burger dish. Probably try once for novelty and never again.
The handcut fries were really good though, the texture and taste were all quite good.
I have been wanting to visit Hambaobao for their interesting burgers! At the top of my wish list is the Ayam Buah Keluak Burger ($8) as I am a big fan of buah keluak in Peranakan cuisine. The burger comes with a minced chicken patty that is throughly infused with the nutty aroma of buah keluak. The juicy patty is topped with chap chye and sandwiched between two soft buns. I love the flavour profile and umami of this burger - fusion done right here!
It just took a moment for Hambaobao to disappear from the F&B scene in Singapore after they had moved out of their stall at Beauty World Centre — but the same folks are now back with the crowd favourites, now located within the Trio mixed-development along Sam Leong Road just a short walk away from Farrer Park MRT Station. Now operating as a standalone eatery, Hambaobao still offers the all-familiar The Classic Beef, What The Fish, Crispy Pork Belly, Spicy Pulled Pork and Ayam Buah Keluak burgers, but also do serve up bakes which they did not offer previously. Patrons can pick between various soft drinks, though the only house-made beverage available at the time of writing is only the Pot O’ 20 Yr Old Pu’Er.
Everyone has their favourite burger at Hambaobao and mine is the Crispy Pork Belly Burger — best to be ordered when they have just opened for the day, this was also the one burger that I insistently must order whenever I am here. I have also opted for the Hand-cut Fries; a simplified name for what they used to call the Fairy Fries previously, as a separate ala-carte order as there is no option of adding on fries here (the same was also true previously). The Crispy Pork Belly Burger is essentially what I had remembered it to be — consisting of English Mustard, Hoi Sin Sauce and Japanese Cucumbers alongside Crispy Pork Belly in-between the grilled burger buns, the buns carry a firm bite without being particularly dense, while the hoisin sauce provides much of the savoury note that gels up all the elements of the burger together; the pork belly provides a good crunch with the super crispy skin, yet gelatinous meat that is all tender and juicy without carrying porky stench, while the cucumber provides a refreshing crunch. The English Mustard here attempts to cut through the carbs and meatiness of the burger; provides an evident, wasabi-esque numbness to the tastebuds that makes the burger especially shiok to have. The hand-cut fries are somewhat improved over the “Fairy Fries” they used to carry in the past; it’s noticeably of a thicker cut, and would appeal to those who like soft, fluffier fries without all that salt going on.
While the Crispy Pork Belly Burger isn’t quite the easiest burger to handle without cutlery given how the pork belly slices tend to slide off and out of the burger buns, and the sauces are going to be a mess for the hands, there is always something so satisfying with having this one from them — brings me back to those days in school where I would decidedly go for one if there isn’t a queue or if I ain’t rushing for class. Glad to see them back in the F&B scene and back to the hot grill flipping burger buns and patties — challenging times for F&B these days but here’s wishing them all the best for what is to come!
A nice Modern twist but still retaining the Nyonya (Peranakan) roots
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Minced chicken patty marinated with rempah and a buah keluak sauce. The juicy chicken patty was then paired with Nyonya chap chye-vegetables like black fungus and braised cabbages
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*Note that the buah keluak taste can be quite strong to those who eat it for the first time or not so frequent eaters of buah keluak
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I’m used to eating buah keluak, so in my opinion the flavours worked and went well together
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#burpple #sgfood #sgburger #uniqueburger #moderntwist #ayambuahkeluak #buahkeluakburger #buahkeluak #Peranakan #Nyonya #Western #rempan #chicken #blackfungus #braised cabbages #Hambaobao
The Ayam Buah Keluak Burger ($5) was really satisfying with the heavy rich meat contrasted with the soft and tasty chap chye. Additionally, the fairy cut fires were really good. As each order is made to order, you may have to wait a while.
Ryan and Clare, the young couple behind this burger stall in Beauty World Food Centre, are motivated by their goal to serve unique and quality burgers at affordable prices. The fact that neither has had formal culinary training comes as a surprise, for the burgers here are creative and seriously yummy. Their speciality is without a doubt their localised burgers like Crispy Pork Belly Burger ($5.50) and Ayam Buah Keluak Burger ($5). According to Tastemaker Wei Zhi Chiang, the former sees thick chunks of crackling fatty pork belly and crunchy Japanese cucumbers sandwiched between well-toasted fluffy buns, and slicked with sweet and tangy hoisin sauce and English mustard. As for the Ayam Buah Keluak Burger, the patty is made with minced chicken and buah keluak, with a lovely bitterness buah keluak fans will love, while the topping of chap chye (Nonya braised vegetables) is extremely inspired! Top up $1.50 for their Fairy Fries, essentially well-seasoned, hand-cut potato fries. After all, like Tastemaker Wei Zhi so rightly says, what's a burger without fries? And at such affordable prices, you might be tempted to have a second burger. Pro tip: Weekend queues can get ridiculous; visit on a weekday of burger sans mobs.
Avg Price: $5 per person
Photo by Burpple Tastemaker Wei Zhi Chiang
Pork..pork.. PORK! 🐷😋
Waited for about 2 hrs to catch this latest craze: Pork Belly Burger from @hambaobao. 🤗 Tbh, They're slayin' roasted pork game -- slaying em good! Tasty-crispy fats with tender meat, dressed with english mustard, and cucumber slices. I'd still go for it even if it's served like normal roasted pork rice.
Wasn't as impressed with their Spicy Pulled Pork and Ayam Buah Keluwak -- i guess there's a reason ☝that up there is their best seller.
Ps. Come on weekdays, u might be able to enjoy it sans-Q
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🍔 Pork Belly Burger [w/🍟]
💰 S$6 [$5+$1]
🏠 @HamBaoBao
📍 Beauty Wolrd Centre [04-49]
🚅 Beauty World MRT
My hunt for food brought me to Beauty World Food Centre this time. I remember coming here all the time when I was younger. All the memories of attending my dreaded tuition classes there. Let me just take a deep sigh of relief that I no longer attend any tuition.
I pre researched on what to get at the food centre. With the intention of buying a variety of dishes to share with my boyfriend. And Hambaobao was at the top of my list, having never tried it before.
We actually brought dishes from 5 different stalls and the damage was $17.70. Stay tune for the reviews of the other stalls!
🍔 HAM BAO BAO 🍔
We arrived at hambaobao at 630pm on a gloomy Wednesday. There was a queue already formed with two people in front of me. My boyfriend wanted to order the classic beef but I convinced him to try the crispy pork belly first instead. As I handed the lady $5.00, in exchange she gave me a key with the number 13 and told me it would be a 20 minute wait.
Written on the chalkboard menu, their options available are:
•The Classic Beef
•Dat Dory Fish
•Crispy Pork Belly
•Spiced Pull Pork
•Ayam Buah Kelluak (I want this next!)
•Add ons: Fairy fries/Extra cheese or bacon
(Really wanted to try more but I wanted a variety of different foods that day. So I'll definitely be back hambaobao!)
Back at the table at 635pm and at 655pm, the lady hollered out my number.
Served on a metal tray and brown dabao paper, it's a really different vibe especially when the stall sits in an old school hawker centre.
I would say it's kind of hard to actually pick it up and chomp down on it like a regular burger. Instead, we deconstructed the burger and ate the elements separately. (Don't kill us)
The burger consists of the bun which they toast up on the pan, which explains the crispy insides and the soft top. 4 thick slabs of pork belly, topped off with hoi sin sauce, english mustard and 3 slices of Japanese cucumber.
They were so generous with the pork belly, that my boyfriend and I got two slabs ( I really mean slabs) of pork belly each. The pork was really nice and tender, a bit chewy at certain parts. The fat melts in your mouth and the thick crispy skin is so crunchy, you could hear the crunch a table away.
In my opinion, the Hoi Sin sauce compliments the pork belly really well. But I would leave out the overpowering English mustard. Alike wasabi, the mustard shoots up your nose leaving you with a scrunched up nose and closed eyes. Me and spicy things don't really mesh well together, so I ended up scrapping off the English mustard. My boyfriend on the other hand enjoyed the mustard and Hoi Sin combination, to each his own.
Overall, it is a really unique burger and quite worth the $5. I didn't manage to try the fairy fries as CARBS. But I will definitely be back to try their other burgers.
Would I order this again?
Yes! Without the English mustard though...
Location:
Beauty world Food Centre
Level 4
First of all I know it's not for everyone but I LOVE Ayam Buah Keluak!! The patty in this burger is made with minced chicken and buah keluak, and while I love the flavor and its bitterness, this was slightly too bitter for me. I loved the use of chap chye though!! 10/10 for creativity and innovation, I just think the overall flavor can be improved maybe by adding something to complement the bitterness.
Ayam Buah Keluak Burger 🍔 ($5.00 nett)
Complete with Rempah 🔥 & Chap Chye!
Obviously it is spicy, but not overwhelming (imho). Give this a shot if you want something different from the usual beef patty.... Which was my first choice, but they ran out (well I *did* go there at 7pm, & they close at 8pm!).
Ps: Their burgers are on the greasy side.... Be warned ⚠
