Entree Kibbles: Burger Labo - Easily the Best Beef Burger in Singapore @ Gillman Barracks [Singapore]

A lot more people would remember Dempsey Barracks (now known as Dempsey Hill) better than Gillman Barracks; for me, I totally forgot its existence even though I patronized Handle Bar at its premises a couple of times when I first got my driving license!

My recent visit brought back nice memories when I was in my mid-20s although there wasn't much time to check out the barracks. It would be a quick lunch and time was precious.

Lunch venue: Burger Labo. With great reviews on its burger, including being declared the winner among 12 burger joints in blind taste test organized by The Straits Times, I was so excited to check it out.

What surprised us was the size of the "restaurant"; calling it a block was an exaggeration! My friend told us she checked out the location the weekend before and the length was only about a bus-long!

She wasn't that far from the truth; there was a small alfresco area that's about the same area as indoor dining. We made a reservation a few weeks ago but maybe because it was a hot weekday afternoon, Burger Labo was only about half filled.

A big bar counter took up about half of the indoor dining space, with the kitchen right behind. I would have loved to get an alcoholic drink but it wouldn't be right for a weekday afternoon.

Loving it when eateries serve us complimentary water! And I am happier when they automatically place one large jar on our table for us to fill up ourselves; makes it a lot faster for me to moisturize my parched throat.

Description of the burgers on A-boards; frankly, the burgers (only four types; basic, pure Japanese wagyu, blue cod filet and chicken) were expensive but if they were indeed the best; I don't think I would have much to complain about.

Presentation can definitely be improved; why do I get the feeling that I just paid S$25 for a takeaway burger! Nevertheless, I thought there was a decent serving of either truffle fries or golden sweet potato fries with sea salt, that came with our burgers.

Golden Sweet Potato Fries with Sea Salt - compared to French fries, I would very much prefer sweet potato fries. The version here at Burger Labo was satisfying as they were thicker without losing the exterior crispness; it helped as well that the taste was legit nice, with an addictive, caramelized sweetness.

Truffle Fries - unlike about 10 years ago, it's now common to find this side dish. Many were good with individual preferences coming into play. Some prefer more cheese, some like more truffle oil; for me, I like them shoestring, and I prefer a chilli sauce dip! These were above average!

Basic Burger - time to unravel my burger. I went for a single 150-gram, patty, which cost S$25 and if you are a meat person, there's an option for a double patty at S$32.

Again, it's a visual disappointment! The texture description on the menu was much better. "Blend of 100% grass fed Aberdeen Angus & Kuroge Washu from Toriyama Umami Wagyu A4 patty, grilled a la plancha. Topped with red onions pickled in IPA, American cheese, wagyu fats and house-made shio kombu mayonnaise-based sauce. Sandwiched in a toasted bun baked specially for us by Bakery Brera".

Whatever the description and plating; an eventual chomp on the burger would be the final determinant for this review. One bite and I was sold. It was impeccable; an all rounded smokiness from the grilled beef patty that was so juicy and flavorful, assisted by the soft bun with the delicious pickled red onions, homemade mayonnaise and wagyu fats giving the final touch to this perfect beef burger!

Put it this way; if you manage to secure the recipe for this burger, you would likely become the darling whenever you bring the burgers for gatherings / parties! p.s. it was said that the butter played a darn important role.

Fried Brussel Sprouts - I couldn't forget the crispy brussels from Yardbird Southern Table and Bar and ordered this for sharing! As a friend couldn't eat chilli, we opted to have the fermented chilli dressing on a separate saucer.

While not as unforgettable as the crispy brussels from Yardbird, the nicely grilled sprouts were crunchy and honestly quite bland if you don't dip them with the sauce and this cheese-like thingy that tasted like wasabi.

Homemade Naked Chendol - of course a dessert would be required to complete the meal! I was wondering why this is called naked chendol; a clarification with the staff revealed that it was just a name to reflect its affiliation with Naked Finn, which is under the same boss.

Essentially, this was a few scoops of coconut ice cream drenched with gula melaka that was rich yet not as sweet, with a light saltiness. The chendol, those green things, was hard and lacked the alkaline taste (that I personally like) despite its interesting color.