There seems to be a recent wave of international F&B establishments that are opening their doors in Singapore of the late â one of the places that have opened to much of such hype would be the new Honbo that is located at CHIJMES. Taking over the former premises or the now-defunct outlet of Tonkatsu by Ma Maison, Honbo is an establishment that hails from Hong Kong â the brand does operate at various locations within Hong Kong, though they do have an outlet that situated in Macau as well. For its outlet in Singapore, the stall is decked in a manner that is pretty reminiscent of a American diner â the entire shop is decked in a colourful mix of blue, orange and white shades with furniture and fittings of a wooden accent; one can also find a functional jukebox that is placed right at the end of the establishment itself. Those familiar with Cantonese would probably already know what Honbo is all about given its namesake; Honbo translates to ćąĺ Ą from Cantonese to Chinese â it essentially means âburgerâ when translated to English. Burgers are pretty much the central focus of the menu at Honbo; the menu is being segmented into sections dedicated to Honbo (essentially their signature line-up of burgers featuring the âcrispy beefâ patty), Hamburger (the line-up of burgers featuring thick beef patties), Others (i.e. the Impossible Burger and Teriyaki Chicken Burger), and a Daily Special Seafood Burger. For those looking for something to share around the table, there are items such as Tater Tots and Cheese Fries and Buffalo Wings that are listed on the Snacks & Sides section of the menu; those looking for beverages can opt for soft drinks, lemonades and draft beers / bottled craft beers listed in the Drinks section of the menu.
It is needless to say that a trip to Honbo would not be complete if one does not order a burger from the Honbo line-up. The Honbo line-up comprises of the Honbo, Honbo 1.5, Honbo 2.0, and the Honbo BB â the smallest burger of the lot would be the Honbo BB; each Honbo variant sees an increase in the number of crispy beef patties and portion of cheese that comes along with it. For the Honbo that we had went for, the burger comes with 2x crispy beef patties, cheese, pickles, onions and house sauce â all sandwiched between burger buns. One thing known about the crispy beef patties that is a distinctive feature of the Honbo line-up of burgers at Honbo is how they are essentially smashed beef patties â this process is the one that gives the burger patties itâs distinct crisp texture especially around the edges after being on the grill. Taking a bite into the Honbo, we thought that the entire composition of the burger was well-designed even though the burger did sounded rather simple on paper â the burger buns were soft and fluffy though provided a substantial bite on its own, but it was the entire proportion of the Honbo that took things even further. For one, one could definitely feel all the elements included in the burger in a single mouthful; the crispy beef patty was also juicy, and delivered on the texture that it had promised â we also felt that it was sufficiently savoury without being particularly gamey. The inclusion of a second patty also meant that there was a substantial bite that came with the burger as well; gave the burger a good meatiness. Whilst the cheese provided for a savoury note that binds all of the elements together, the burger sauce helped to bring everything together with its creaminess; not too heavy in its flavours, though certainly enhanced the flavours of the burger nonetheless. The addition of pickles and onions added a crunch with a slight tang and zing to help cut through the meatiness and the carbs â complimented the burger just about right without having been too heavy in its flavours.
Considering the many overseas establishments that serves up burgers as its primary offering which had expanded their operations into Singapore, we werenât having too high of an expectation when we gave Honbo a visit. That being said, we did leave Honbo being really satisfied with the various burgers that we had tried. Apart from the Honbo, we had also given the Double Cheeseburger a try; the Double Cheeseburger is described on the menu to come with elements such as 2x Thick Beef, 2x Cheese, Pickles, Onion, Lettuce and House Sauce. Considering the fact that the burger came with thick beef patties instead of the crispy beef patties that accompany the Honbo line-up of burgers, the Double Cheeseburger comes with an even more juicier burger patty than that of the Honbo; this would work better for those who prefer a burger with more juices and a substantial bite. Meanwhile, the Mikeâs Lemonade was a lemonade-based drink that we found to be really easy to drink despite its sour-ish nature â the inclusion of elements such as cucumber and mint did help to provide a really refreshing note that made it really different from other lemonades we had tried. With prices of the Honbo line-up of burgers being priced from $15 for the Honbo BB all the way to $28 for the Honbo 2.0, Honbo isnât quite the most affordable burger joint to hit â that being said, the quality of their burgers to speak for themselves and we felt that the burgers that we have had did correspond with the price point of which they are asking for. Do note that there are mentions of slow service of food that is often mentioned by those whom had visited Honbo during peak meal times â there was also a long queue that formed outside of the restaurant by folks who are wanting to give Honbo a try way before they had opened for the day; things that those whom want to drop by Honbo might wish to note. Otherwise, Honbo is a spot that we would revisit to give the spot their items a go another time!
