American Eats 🍔🌭🍕🍟🥓

Rainy mornings like this call for a laidback brunch...embrace your inner sloth and nibble on these light bites: ✨deviled eggs topped w/ smoked trout roe; classic, uncomplicated flavors that come with a touch of nostalgia. 💲$14

Every hangout at MBS with me inevitably involves a meal at The Bird, a quaint eatery I naturally gravitate to, as if drawn by some primal instinct to the rustic southern charm it exudes. For once, we decided to try something other than fried chicken and simply had to get their ✨Lobster Mac & cheese! And yes, it IS as good as it sounds!! For the price point, it’s only a given that each dish comes with a whole lobster. Ours was HUGE; judging from the plump, succulent flesh which almost seemed to burst out of its shell, this lil’ fella must’ve lived a pampered and luxurious lifestyle in its tank🙂 Be prepared for an epic cheese pull hidden beneath the crustacean beast - their American-sized macaroni is suspended in an ooey-gooey matrix of 5 cheese mornay, essentially a creamy binder tying the dish together with the interplay of its varying cheesy layers. Admittedly, this Mac is significantly pricier than the other offerings on the menu, but it’s definitely worth a try!

NOOOOO wildfire burgers have removed the shabu shabu Burger from their menu😭 So I had to make do with these more mundane offerings. Judging from the colour, the beef patty from the signature burger was of medium-well doneness yet taste-wise was pretty dry and tough throughout, masked only by the moist cramaelized onions and cheese. On the bright side, we did like their sweet potato fries! Came in really long strips, with fluffy sweet potato mash encased in a crisp outer shell. Worth the add-on!

The heyday of instant Mac & cheese has come and gone - no longer do we have to begrudgingly settle for mushy elbow pasta drenched in plasticky cheese. @thefrenchgarconsg has made piping hot and indulgently rich mac & cheese accessible to the young folk, especially those of Singapore and Ngee Ann poly! Just pick your carb, sauce base, toppings, watch them mix it all up in their frying pan, and you’re good to go. Their take-away boxes even come complete with a handle! 😂

We especially liked how the cheese base paid homage to its predecessor with its strong nacho cheese flavor - a nostalgic taste that is oh-so comforting!! Add some crunch to your lil’ treasure box with the umami spam bits, and finish garnishing it with their special seasoning (comprising cajun, curry powder, and top secret ingredients)!!! It’s a pity we didn’t get to try their Doritos and salted egg mac & cheese😭 But as an unashamed junk food lover, I’ll definitely be back to satisfy my curiosity!!

🌟HOSTED TASTING

Yes, I was one of the sad deprived few who’d never devoured (or - to be frank - even heard of) the legendary “McGriddles” prior to all this hype, so when I finally peeled open the wrapper and took a huge bite, I was MINDBLOWN!!!!! Who knew sweet and savoury could mix so well, and in the form of fast food no less?!? Essentially a sausage egg McMuffin but with the muffins replaced with a hotcake-based bun that is significantly fluffier than their traditional hotcakes and infused with glistening swirls of maple syrup. It’s available all-day and not just for breakfast (since it puts the entire breakfast menu to shame maybe) so rejoice! Now we can all get ourselves a McGriddle for breakfast, lunch and dinner!! Protip: Visit an outlet that is swarming with people on a mission to get their McGriddles fix, you’re guaranteed to be served a piping hot one, freshly made! .

You can’t go wrong with their truffle beef burger (I mean, it takes special skill to ruin anything truffle right??) - between the toasty buns lies a hearty 200g beef patty, slick with juices and oils! Having its taste elevated by the sharpness of 2 thick slices of smoked cheddar cheese, the patty is further topped with caramelized onions and sautéed mushrooms that come loaded with truffle aioli and its characteristic aroma!! Balance it out with the mesclun salad on the side...... and a truckload of parmesan fries 😂 I’m serious tho, I liked how the fries were more dry and Parmesan-ey than oily! ‘‘Twas truly a good choice for Sunday brunch! .

Hailing all the way from America, The Bird is the brainchild of John Kunkel, owner of multiple award winning restaurants. Don’t be deterred by the fact that it’s his first foray into the Asian food scene, this is undoubtedly Southern fine dining at its best! Blaring cowboy oldies fill the background and an all-wood interior recreates a saloon from the Wild West - all complete with a certain classy charm! Whether it’s the immaculately dressed waiters bursting with Southern hospitality, the clean cut open-concept kitchen or even the presentation of the food...I can’t quite put my finger to it.

But onto the grub! Their signature chicken is absolutely divine. John Kunkel explains it with a top secret family recipe that involves 27 hours of brining before the chicken is coated in seasoned flour and then pressure fried to perfection! Past the crisp and umami batter, I found the flesh infused with juices and flavor right down to the bone! It didn’t even need the honey hot sauce - which was tangy and sourish, a little like tobasco. The fluffy cheddar waffles had a light cheesey taste which went well with the sweet bourbon maple. But the highlight for me was the spiced watermelon; essentially watermelon cubes soaked in yuzu juice, each bite balanced out the inherent heaviness of the fried chicken with a refreshing citrusy tingle! My tastebuds are spoilt now, I can’t possibly be satisfied with fast food chicken any more 😭😭😭

I’d say this burger is a fancier, mexicanised take on McDonald’s Mc Chicken! Not too sure how one is supposed to eat this sans deconstruction - with the top bun set aside, tortilla chips are stacked precariously upon the roundish patty and topped with guacamole, salsa and sour cream. Pretty firm and springy patty, almost like biting into a fish cake...or a really thick grilled nugget 😅 The sweet potato mentaiko fries (+$2) were more of a hit though! Each strand was crisp, hiding fluffy, subtly sweet insides. Mentaiko sauce came loaded with beads of fish roe; providing multiple savoury bursts amidst the creamy goodness!

Massive throwback to my childhood...nothing beats the nostalgic taste of a handcrafted burger from a family diner like Chili’s! The Southern Smokehouse burger is precariously stacked like a half-completed game of jenga; strips of smoked bacon, crisp spiced panko onion rings, pickles and veggies are balanced atop an ovoid beef patty that is almost completely encapsulated in a molten sheet of strong-tasting cheddar! The patty (and what really defines a burger imho) is simply bursting with a mixture of oils and natural juices, and taking a satisfying chomp will reveal a tender and moist pinkish core! With such a savoury burger, the bland fries and seasoned zucchini were relegated to the background. Not that it matters cuz we’re here for the burger anyway!!

I can’t count the number of times I’ve walked past this place, all the while admiring the whole American diner aesthetic(especially the tropical LA-style wallpaper and hot pink neon lights touting offerings of burgers, shakes, dessert, etc.), and promising myself that I’d pop by one day. With news of its closing on 1st May, I simply HAD to sample their craft burgers and conveniently fulfil my American cuisine cravings!!

Looking at the picture again, I can’t believe how I managed to fit that beast into my mouth!! 😂 The different complementary layers arrived toasty hot - the main patty (made in-house) had its smoky meaty taste elevated by melted cheesy goodness both on top and below it! I’d say just the patty is enough to satisfy, yet the fried portobello mushrooms really made all the difference. Filled with umami juices that oozed out from between cracks of the crisp battered skin with the slightest applied pressure, one can only imagine the dribbling mess which accompanied each gigantic chomp!! And when eaten as a whole, I’d say the tastegasm made the entire messy affair totally worth it!!! We also enjoyed the coleslaw which really was more like a Japanese style salad with the roasted sesame dressing; crunchy, refreshing and still savoury, it managed to bring another dimension of “umami” to the entire meal! Truffle fries were a nice surprise too - instead of the usual fries drizzled in truffle oil, each basket came loaded with truffle aioli that was fragrant with the mouthwatering aroma of truffle mushrooms!

My verdict? I’d honestly say B Burger serves one of the best and most affordable gourmet burgers in town. Seriously, where else can you get piping hot, totally umami burgers bursting with flavor for $10 in orchard?!? This classy little joint will always hold a special place in my heart. And I’m definitely looking out for the opening of their next outlet!

We waited half an hour under the sweltering 33 degrees heat for them to churn out this batch of patat frites! Each cone was served piping hot and doused generously in thick sauces of all kinds. But the real question is...was it worth it?

With 10 different flavors available, we had a hard time picking, but eventually went with the signature frites & kerrie w/ onions sauce at the promoter’s recommendation. I have to say, their fries definitely are a cut above the rest with their crisp edges and fluffy insides that aren’t completely saturated with oil! But the sauces - which they’re supposedly lauded for - were surprisingly unimpressive. Barely discernible from ordinary mayo and bbq sauce, the only distinction was a more defined sweetness that overwhelmed after a while. Though zesty, the onion bits did little to lessen the “jialak” feeling at the halfway mark. It’s not a bad basket of fries per se, but at the end of the day, I don’t think it’s something I would splurge on again.

I’ve never understood the snaking long queues found at every outlet (that persist from morning till night and seemingly never shortens)...until today. Simply put, the chicken here is LIFE-CHANGING. You can never ever touch a filthy KFC drumlet ever again once you’ve laid hands on this divine blessing. The chicken here is served piping hot, coated in a crunchy outer layer that is the epitome of savoury. Every bite provides that satisfying crunch in stark contrast to the inner chicken flesh...

Oh the tender flesh; dripping with natural juices and oil, it peels away from the bone with the softest touch, as if begging to be eaten. With my grubby paws, I stripped away all that was edible, leaving behind bones that were picked clean. The fries are also SPECTACULAR. So, so crisp and not soggy at all. It’s almost as if they were fried on the spot! Ok but I don’t get all the hype over the brown sauce though, it’s just very ordinary brown sauce found at any coffeeshop western stall. But barring that, this is hands down the most satisfying fast food meal I’ve ever had in Singapore, even my fast food connoisseur friend agrees. And with delivery now made available, I’ll know where to get me fried chickadee fix!