De Burg

Blk 10 Ghim Moh Road,

#01-78, 

Stall #3 

It’s our second time at De Burg’s, not for a revisit, but for a second shot at (hopefully) tucking into its raved burgers. The first time we went, all its patties were sold out and they were preparing for dinner. Probably it was the ungodly 4pm we turned up at its doors, but we were too awed by glowing reviews in the media – blogs, social and print alike, to pass up on this place. Since we were in the west this time, we decided to stop by and taste burgers with that Midas touch to see what the fuss was all about.   

No ambience to speak of (it was a kopitiam anyway), no frills in ordering, but there was service present. You could feel the pride in the chefs as one of them stayed furrowed in his cooking, while the other assembled the burger, and smiled to us when he saw us standing at the counter.

There was something for everyone on the menu, from the beef eaters to the vegetarians, and even finger food for small-eaters or as fillers for growling tummies. A plus point for being located in a kopitiam, is the presence of a staple drinks stall which serves affordable alcohol, which makes for an ultimate beer-and-burger chow down experience.

Joy had the Asian chicken burger which was chicken patty with salted egg yolk, while Paul had its namesake, the De Burg burger, which was grilled AUS beef patty, with cheese, bacon and Portobello mushroom.

Our total bill worked out to about $29 (5% off for NTU students), which was expensive for two items considering kopitiam settings. But for the kind of service received, food served and ingredients used, it was considered reasonable. After all, it was by taste standards that De Burg managed to earn its accolade as one of the best burgers in Singapore.  

But we think, one of the best? Yes, maybe in the West. 

Joy says:

Being a non-beef eater, I had limited offerings to choose from, but they do have lamb burgers, which are also on par with their beef- in terms of limelight given.  Nevertheless, I settled for chicken burger, partly because I was curious about the salted egg yolk , and partly because I still believe no one does a Portobello better than my Handburger.

My burger came and the first thing I noticed was how “un-chicken” it looked. Having eaten chicken burgers at other food joints, I always had my chicken in its original, unadulterated state, save for the glossy sheens of sauce, or the occasional grill marks on it. But this one, just unfortunately reminded me of MacDonald’s chicken, but thicker, darker and more visually appealing.

Taste wise, the salted egg yolk sauce did not disappoint. It complemented the chicken so well. Being slightly peppery, it added that savoury kick to the chicken. Coupled with lettuce and bun, that lethal combination was tasty enough to make me finish up the entire burger in 10 minutes. The meat was slightly tough though, and I noticed how densely packed the patty was. Although not juicy enough, it was just plenty-of-chicken-goodness-stuffed-into-one, which left me feeling full and satisfied.

Honestly, I don’t know if I should go back. If I do, it would be for the blue crab burger, but if I don’t, it just means me putting the money into a more centralized establishment, which also serves up a storm with its burgers. 

Grade: B-

Paul says: 

It's amazing, really, to be able to find a place that offers gourmet burgers at your neighbourhood coffeeshop. It's rather steep price wise but you have to take into account the ingredients used after all. I believe that you pay for what you eat here. You get wild rocket and purple lettuce instead of your everday-market-lettuce both in your burger and as a salad side. Now that's quality. Fries have little strips of potato skin still stuck on them. Yum! I love those. Just like Carl's Jr's fries. In addition to those, you can have a free flow of sauces from the counter. You have three sauces to choose from- tomato, chilli and yellow mustard. Yes, you don't have to use those sauces sparingly. It's free flow. Just dip those fries in and into your mouth!

Now, the burger looked massive when I first got it. For a cool $17.85(w/o the civil servant/student 5% discount.), that's the least I should expect. The size of Joy's chicken burger paled miserably in comparison to mine. A case of David and Goliath perhaps? Now, give the burger its respect when it's due and CHOW DOWN! if possible. I did. This burger was very rich in flavourful, very tasty. But it's a longshot to call it the BEST burger in Singapore. In my honest opinion, I feel that Foo House produces the BEST burger. Yes, it's a monster of a burger in every way possible. I'm salivating just at the thought of it. Oooo. As compared to Foo House, my 200g beef patty was made by default. Well done. Pretty disappointed there as Foo House gave me the liberty to choose how I liked my beef done. I like my patties juicy and a little red in the inside. The patty from De Burg was a tad too dry from my liking. Well, its juciness level is on par with Carl's Jr. I'm not saying that the burger isn't good. I've just tasted better ones. How fortunate of me. The bacon was crispy yes. But it took a little too long in the deep fryer. I feel that the Portobello Mushroom saved the whole burger. Its juciness and natural flavour definitely aided matters and it was a godly combination. The flavours complemented each other really well. It's like eating a premium mushroom swiss double. The melted cheese was not as generous as that of Foo house and the sesame-seed buns were a bit too charred for my liking. 


I have to commend the service over here. The person serving me was attentive and warm, always serving me with a smile. A pleasant surprise, especially in a coffee shop.


With that said, De Burg certainly has its positives. It's rich in taste but it just falls short of being the BEST burger in Singapore. I will come back to this place to maybe request for my beef patty to be done medium? Maybe it will put more of a fight then. Just maybe...
Grade: B

Total bill was $29 (incl. GST, No Scv Charge)]

In conclusion,

Food: B

Service: B+

Ambience: A

Value-for-$: B 

Overall grade: B 

Apples given: