Was in the mood for a burger, and I chose the chicken option ($13) since Fat Chook is known for chicken! Proved to be a good choice yum - the chicken patty was so tender and succulent and not at all fatty! The slather of avocado wasn’t very distinct, but I enjoyed the sriracha mayo. My favourite part of it was the tomato salsa - both roasted and fresh tomato slices hidden within, which lent a bit of sweetness and acidity 👍🏼🌟
Interestingly, The Assembly Ground serves a version with portobello ($22+)! It was coated in a light batter and drizzled with truffle mayo - the mushroom retained its flavour well, but the batter was rather oily and thus overwhelming. Liked the beef patty, which was juicy and well seasoned. And unfortunately, the brioche bun was soggy.
Made our way down to a quiet part of Tanjong Pagar for dinner with a chope voucher! All their burgers come with a sesame bun, the usual greens and oat battered chicken. We tried the Ayam Legend (salted egg sauce, $14++) and Ayam Hot (curry sauce, $14++). The sauces tasted surprisingly like the real thing! Would be perfect if they were a little more spicy. The chicken patty got a little overwhelming due to the deep fried batter, but the parts with tender meat were good.
The hangover burger ($22) fared much better! A single wagyu patty was accompanied by a crispy hash brown drizzled with maple syrup, a fried egg, sautéed mushrooms and the usual cheese, lettuce and tomato. The beef patty was similarly below expectations, but the variety of flavours and textures more than made up for it. Interestingly, there was a dash of hot sauce in the burger!
Populus has two lunch sets to choose from! This is the fried chicken burger ($22+), which came with chunky paprika fries. The brioche buns were dense but crispy and nicely buttered. Lightly battered, the chicken patty was surprisingly tender and juicy! The red cabbage and carrot slaw gave some acidity to cut through the otherwise heavy meal. The set meal is particularly worthwhile as you get your choice of coffee (+$1 for ice, some exclusions)! Wish they had more options available, but a good meal and rare indulgence nonetheless :-)