Chef-owner Malcolm Lee of One MCHELIN Starred Peranakan restaurant “Candlenut” is the guest chef for the month of July at PBD. And he has given us the fantastic opportunity to sink our teeth into his notoriously exclusive Buah Keluak Cheeseburger (only his team mates at Candlenut have had the privilege so far, is what I heard). $1 of the proceeds from each of the sold (price: $28) will go to Chef Malcolm’s chosen charity: Good News Community Services. Which is a win-win in my humble opinion because this fried egg-topped cheeseburger is a uniquely Singapore creation that is darn delicious!
You must like or at least appreciate buah keluak though because the black nut takes centrestage with its inky flesh mixed into the beef patty and rendered into a sauce to give the meat a lovely glaze on both sides. The addition of spicy sambal ikan bilis and a smear of chicken curry gravy to the ensemble makes the taste profile even more interesting and complex. What I thought was a particularly smart touch was Chef Malcolm’s inclusion of chopped up chicken cartilage in the patty. Its crunch totally broke up what could have easily become a snooze fest of mushiness.