Three Buns Quayside @ The Quayside - Potato Head Family's First Stand-alone Restaurant For Their Award-Winning Burgers

Three Buns Quayside is Potato Head Family's first stand-alone location in Singapore for their award-winning burger and cocktail brand. This new home in Robertson Quay features a newly curated menu with a combination of exclusive items and popular signatures, alongside with weekend brunch menu and crafted tropical cocktails.

Aligned with Potato Head Family ethos of “Good Times, Do Good”, the 80-seat burger bar is fitted with upcycled interiors from bottom up. You will find yourself walking on eco-friendly cement, sitting and dining on sustainably made furniture handcrafted by Indonesian artisans.

All burgers here are made from scratch, and by that they mean 95% of the menu handmade including ketchup! That's possible because Executive Chef Adam has honed his craft at Lonsdale in London which is known for making burgers from scratch. Each patty is made from two prime cuts of grass-fed Australian meat, seasoned with kosher salt and that's it. What bind the buns and patties together are the homemade sauces such as the piquant Three Islands Mayo (mayo, ketchup, sriracha), premium cheeses from US, UK and Greece, and really interesting relish which you will find out as you make your way into the burgers.

Bun DMC 3.8/5

The new burgers are exclusive to this outlet, and there seems to be a head-to-head battle between Bun DMC ($16) and Da Cheese Master ($15). Bun DMC stood out with its refreshing home-made watermelon rind relish and bore an interesting identity with the layer of bawang goreng (fried shallots) sprinkled on top of the onion puree. The Three Islands Mayo (mayo, ketchup, sriracha) is creamy, sweet with a hint of spice, bringing all the ingredients together with the help of the sharp melted cheese.

Da Cheese Master 3.8/5

Da Cheese Master was fun and messier with gooey double cheddar and homemade ketchup. The double cheddar wasn't too strong, it only made this burger hearty and finger-linking good. The humble ketchup really brought the ingredients together. It was sweet and tangy, and worked well with the charred onions in supporting the black Angus beef patty.

Red Man 3.8/5

There is a reason why Red Man Burger (Beef Rendang) ($28) is priced much higher than the rest. Between the special coconut buns is a slab of beef cheek which has been sous vide for 24 hours in a sweet and spicy blend of over 10 spices and ingredients that has been stewed for 2 hours. My teeth sunk through the beef cheeks as I took a bite. The sauce was robust but not at all overpowering. I love the pickled cucumber and slaws at both side of the beef cheeks which brighten up the taste. However, at some point, I felt the meat had lost a little of its natural juice and flavour, perhaps as a result of sous vide. I couldn't really taste the coconut profile of the buns either, which is a pity. Overall, beef cheeks may still be best to stand as a dish in its own rather than in a burger.

Smokin-B-Boy 3.5/5

Smokin-B-Boy is Potato Head's signature burger with the classic combination of smokey bacon and beef patty. Again, the sauce in between heighten the profile of the meat. My vote still goes to either Bun DMC and Da Cheese Master, for that piquancy which is missing in this classic.

Truffello 3/5

Truffello ($15) is a meat-free burger with Portobello mushrooms replacing the beef patty. As much as I like the pickled onions and cold slaw in between, it hasn't changed my mind towards a meat-free burger. I still see it as a healthy, mushroom sandwich.

Truffle Hound 2.8/5

Seng Dog 2.8/5

A few new bites to go with your drinks. Truffle Hound ($15) and Seng Dog ($12). Once can choose between beef or chicken sausage. If you really want to try a hotdog, then the latter may be a better choice with its matcha bun.

Miso Dirty Fries 3/5

What's more exciting than those hotdogs are these Miso Dirty Fries ($9) and Naughty Fries. The fries are fried potato slices, first comes dressed in miso béarnaise, smoked chicken sausage, chicken floss, chives, scallions and pickle chilli, while the latter is topped with ayam chicken, marinated in a spicy and tangy Korean BBQ sauce. Albeit the overly seasoned potatoes, both are great change from the usual bites.

Crackalacka Corn 3/5

As for the Crackalacka Corn, you can throw that in if you want to boost your vegetables intake.

Somebody told me that burgers and milkshakes together is one of the best marriages ever, and Three Buns’ elevates that with two new boozy milkshakes – the bananas-based 3 Monkeys ($18) and chocolate-filled Aye Sailor ($18) made with house-made vanilla ice cream. 3 Monkeys is definitely sugar overloaded hence i would recommend Aye Sailor for its rich chocolaty taste enhanced by chocolate bitters. Non-alcoholic version is available as while, great for the kids for families coming for their weekend brunch.

Sticky Icky Wicky 3/5

A few desserts available to sweeten up your meals, though I feel I rather have my indulgent milkshake. Never mind the rest and go for the Sticky Icky Wicky, a sticky pudding that comes piping hot with a layer of caramelized gula melaka which cools and releases the sweetness in your mouth as the ice cream melts.

As mentioned, brunch is available as well, on every Saturday and Sunday from 11am-4pm. What caught my eyes was Beet It. The striking pink hues atop of the salmon toast is beets & horseradish, which is really rare to find in Singapore and it costs a premium to bring fresh horseradish in. Blueberry Basic ($15) is buttermilk pancakes with not your maple syrup but a special housemade sauce made with vanilla salt, vanilla pods, thyme and coffee ground. So, nothing here is that basic afterall.

Photos and words by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Three Buns Quayside
60 Robertson Quay
#01-01
Singapore 238252
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Nearest MRT: Chinatown (DT Line, NE Line), Fort Canning (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Fri: 5pm - 12midnight
Sat-Sun: 11am - 12midnight
(Closed on Mon)

Direction:
1) Alight at Chinatown MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to bus stop along Upper Cross Road, Opposite Subordinate Court (Stop ID 06171). Take bus number 51 or 186. Alight1 stops later. Cross the road. Cross the river and walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Fort Canning MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to junction of River Valley Road and Clemenceau Avenue. Cross the road. Turn left and walk to the river. At the river, turn right and walk down the river. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

The Butcher's Kitchen @ Suntec City Mall - More Than Meats The Senses

Taking over the space at Bottura at Suntec City Mall is The Butcher's Kitchen by the renowned butchery, The Butcher. With 14 years in the market, The Butcher works directly with award-winning accredited producers, visiting their farms and processing facilities to authenticate the farm to table dining experience. Customers can truly enjoy their meat with a peace of mind. The new outlet also offers an array of handmade burgers, pizzas, pastas, pies and a premium gelato parlour.

Gourmet Sausages 4.2/5

We started with some light bites with the gourmet sausages that are handmade in-house using Australian meat. Diners can choose 3 out of the 7 homemade sausages to make a combo platter. Available on the menu are Country Style Beef Sausage, Beef Chorizo, Honey, Mint & Rosemary Lamb, Traditional Pork, Chicken Sausage, Cumberland Pork and Apple Sage Rosemary Pork. The platter also comes with grilled garden vegetables. Among the trio I tired, I preferred the beef chorizo as the flavour is more robust.

Grilled Chicken 4/5

The Grilled Chicken ($16) comes with a choice of thigh or breast, served with grilled vegetables. For the sauce, diners have a choice of sriracha, teriyaki, tandoori or honey mustard sauce.

Lamb Rack 4.5/5

The lamb at The Butcher's Kitchen is sourced from Lake View. The Lamb Rack ($25) is perfectly grilled and served with grilled garden vegetables in balsamic dressing and premium homemade brown sauce.

Pork Ribeye 3.5/5

While the Pork Ribeye ($29) from the multi-award winning Bangalow, Australia is known for its quality and taste, it has a porky taste that I did not quite enjoy. However I have to say the piece of pork was well cooked, tender and juicy.

Beef Ribeye 4.5/5

For the beef, we had the highly sought after Australia shorthorn breed, from Thousand Guineas. The Thousand Guineas Grain fed Ribeye ($38) is well grilled, tender and juicy. It has a nice buttery flavour too.

New Zealand King Salmon 4.5/5

For those that has a preference for fish, one can opt for the New Zealand King Salmon ($29) which is wild caught from the cool, deep international waters. Cooked to a nice pink with crispy skin, this is probably one of my favourite dishes besides the meats.

Carbonara 3.5/5

Besides the grilled meats and seafood, The Butcher's Kitchen does offer Italian fares on the menu such as pasta and pizza. The Carbonara ($15) tossed in a creamy sauce with crispy bacon and egg yolk was flavourful and enjoyable. However I thought the pasta was soft and overcooked.

Burger Dog 4.5/5

A must try at The Butcher's Kitchen is the Burger Dog ($10) which comes with a choice of beef, pork or lamb sandwiched in freshly baked ciabatta bread. The burger dog started from the butchery at their river valley outlet. It becomes so popular that it brought it to table at Suntec City Mall. I tried both the pork and beef. While the pork was tender, I felt that the beef patty is more flavourful and the texture works better with the homemade bread.

You can finish your meal at The Butcher's Kitchen on a sweet note with hand-crafted gelato from third generation of artisan Italian gelato markers. Besides the classic flavours such as vanilla and tiramisu, there are unusual flavours such chendol, salted egg and chilli crab.

An open grocer retail restaurant concept located at Suntec City, The Butcher’s Kitchen believes in sharing and serving real food to customers. It is not just a regular butcher but an eco-conscious chef with close relations to farmers and suppliers to ensure sources are high quality, safe and reliable. Customers know where their food is from and what goes into their bodies. The Butcher’s Kitchen aims to educate the public on the importance of food sources and the impact of food choices on all our lives.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


The Butcher's Kitchen
Suntec City Mall
North Wing
3 Temasek Boulevard
#02-472/3/4
Singapore 038938
Tel: +65 62387527
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Nearest MRT: Promenade (CC Line), Esplanade (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 10am - 10pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Promenade MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight Esplanade MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Alter Ego @ Esplanade Mall - The Evil Twin Of A Poke Theory

Like the other naughty sister of A Poke Theory, Alter Ego at Esplanade Mall offers the opposite of healthy and clean eating. The menu at Alter Ego is ideal for your cheat day offering deep fried, butter, cheesy and greasy food items, that is best to wash down with a few bottles of craft beers.

Fried Chicken Skin 4.2/5

The Fried Chicken Skin ($8) is super addictive. I could not stop myself from going for more of the crispy chicken skin rubbed and fried with a southern spice mix. I really hope they will be sending this for takeaway.

Buffalo Wings 3.5/5

A delightful bar snack to go with a bottle of beers is the Buffalo Wings ($14). The wings are brined, twice-baked and then tossed in a spicy and tangy buffalo sauce, served with house-made ranch at the side.

Loaded Taters 4/5

I was puzzled with the name of the dish. Loaded Taters ($13), what exactly is it? The crispy tater tots turned out to be mini hash brown doused mercilessly in a spicy jalapeno cheese sauce, maple-glazed bacon and sour cream. If you are up for challenge, you can splash some hot sauce to give i a fiery kick.

Pizza Fries 3/5

The Pizza Fries ($14) is your ultimate sinful dish. There are layers of fries, smoky pepperoni, three cheese sauce with house-made bacon ketchup at the side. It is too much for me to handle.

Grilled Cheese with Braised Beef Short Rib 4.2/5

A highly recommended item on the menu will be the Grilled Cheese ($11) with Braised Beef Short Rib filling (addition of $3). Diners will have a choice of gruyere or taleggio cheese to go between the two slices of artisanal white loaves. Dunk the parcel of toasted sandwich into the homemade tomato dip for an elevated enjoyment with all the flavours coming together.

Chilli Cheese Dog 4.5/5

The Chlli Cheese Dog ($14) was rather a dark horse on the menu. The grilled cheddar sausages is topped with their flavourful sweet and spicy house-made beef mince which was mind blowing. The is finished with sour cream and melted cheddar cheese, stuffed in a buttery griddled bun.

Green Goddess (Vegan) 4.5/5

The evil twin does have its good side too as it does offer a eat clean menu with pre-set 5 poke bowls. We tried both the Green Goddess ($13) and Umami Omega ($16). The Green Goddess comes with avocado poke on nutty brown rice, served with fresh ingredients, premium of kimchi and Peruvian pomegranate topped with alfafa sprouts. This is a perfect for the vegan eater.

Umami Omega 4.5/5

For those that loves salmon and spicy, the Umami Omega is the perfect choice. It comes with spicy garlic sesame salmon on our signature sushi rice, served with fresh ingredients and premiums of lime avocado and kale chips, topped with ikura, alfafa sprouts.

Having eaten at both A Poke Theory and Alter Ego, I would prefer the evil twin for the larger menu, bold and rich flavours. Even the poke bowls are more premium and tasty.

Noted: This is an invited tasting.


Alter Ego
Esplanade Mall
8 Raffles Avenue
#01-13D
Singapore 039802
Tel: +65 63279345
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Nearest MRT: Esplanade

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thu: 11am - 1am
Fri: 11am - 2am
Sat: 10am - 2am
Sun: 10am - 1am

Direction:
1) Alight at Esplanade MRT station. Take Exit B or D. Walk to Raffles Avenue. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Buck Tile St. Cafe @ Faber Drive - A Humble Cafe In West Coast With Free Wifi

Buck Tile Street Cafe is hidden in the private estate of Faber Hills in West Coast area. The name of the cafe is an anagram derived from the word "bucket list". The humble cafe offers quite a range of items on the menu ranging from hot & cold beverages, waffles, cakes to brunch items.

Pokio Mid-Wings 4/5

Fried to a delectable crunchy and crispy exterior, the Pokio Mid-Wings ($9.90) is surprisingly quite yum. They are futhered dressed in a plum and zesty mango sauce for an elevated enjoyment.

Bacon and Ham Croissant 3.5/5

If its those day that you feel like having a sandwich, the cafe offers 3 different croissant on the. There are creamy egg mayo, bacon & ham and tuna. We decided to go for the Bacon & Ham Croissant ($11.90) for the best of both world. It even comes with either potato salad or fries on the side.

Long Jumbo Chicken Sausage & Bun 3.8/5

The Long Jumbo Chicken Sausage & Bun ($13.90) is pretty huge and filling. The chicken sausage is sandwiched in a toasted bun and garnished with ketchup, mustard & mayonnaise. It also comes with french fries and some cherry tomatoes.

The Marvolos Burger 3.5/5

If you feeling hungry, you may want to go for something more substantial in The Marvolos Burger ($14.90) with sweet potato truffle fries. It comes with a slab of cajun flavoured chicken and grilled pork bacon slices topped with sweet mango mayonnaise sauce.

Blue Velvet Waffle 2.8/5

One of their most instagram worthy photo is the Blue Velvet Waffle ($11.90). The buttery thick waffle comes with a scoop of ice cream of your choice. Drizzle the blue velvet white cocoa sauce onto the waffle for a great pouring shot. Unfortunately the great photo did not translate to taste. I would recommend the cafe tweaking their waffle recipe.

Although I have read negative reviews about the cakes and desserts from the cafe, the brunch items turned out quite decent and reasonable priced. The owner even welcome students to study at the cafe and even provide free wifi.

Noted: This is an invited tasting.


Buck Tile St. Cafe 
104 Faber Drive
Singapore 129412
Tel: +65 65667058
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Nearest MRT: Clement (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Tue, Thu: 12pm - 10pm
Fri-Sun: 12pm - 11pm
(Closed on Wed, Eve of PH and PH)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Clementi MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Clementi MRT station (Stop ID 17171). Take bus number 154 or 201. Alight 4 stops later. Cross the overhead bridge. Walk along Ayer Rajah Expressway towards Faber Drive. Turn left onto Faber Drive. Walk to destination. Journey time about 20 minutes. [Map]

Pyxiemoss @ North Canal Road - Inventive Small Plates In Adventurous Ways

Pyxiemoss is a new modern European cuisine restaurant spearheaded by Chef Tim Ross-Watson that has taken over the defunct D'Bell at North Canal Road. Pyxiemoss is derived from Pixie Moss, the only flowering moss over 12,000 species. It alludes the restaurant's aspiration to blossom and flourish in the competitive F&B industry. The cuisine here offers a flair of British with Asian influenced, using both traditional and modern cooking techniques to transform simple daily ingredients into novel dishes.

Pigaroon 3/5

The restaurant is kind enough to give a glimpse of the bar snacks offering which are only available after 10pm. We tried both the Pigaroon ($3) and Carrot Dog ($5/pc). The pigaroon is interestingly presented in a flower pot. What is on the plate is actually ethereal beetroot macaron swirl paired with pickledpig skin with cream cheese encased in pork belly and smoked bacon on a stick.

Carrot Dog 4/5

Carrot Dog sounds like a weird dish but the vegetarian interpretation of the hot dog actually works. The char grilled baby carrot is sandwiched between the soft and pillowy focaccia, and topped with achar and curry leaves. The whole combination of sweet and sour worked harmoniously for a delightful bite.

Seaviche 3.5/5

The Seaviche ($8) is an interesting twist substituting raw seafood with fresh sea coconut. Give the dish a good toss and have it together with the hickory-smoked corn chips. Even with the squeeze of the lime, I still find it lacked the punch that you get from the traditional ceviche, missing that strong tangy and spicy burst of flavours.

The Tribbiani 4.5/5

One of my favourite dish at the new Pyxiemoss is The Tribbiani ($15). The yellow dome shape thing on the plate is actually duck liver mousse. The silky and creamy duck liver mousse is paired with crunchy focaccia chips and pedro ximenez soaked medjool date jam. A luscious dish which is truly an indulgent.

Cofflee Lox 4.2/5

A light and refreshing dish on the menu is the Cofflee Lox ($18). The thinly sliced Norwegian salmon is cured using upcycled coffee grinds. This is perfectly matched with fresh chervil, cucumber, refreshing green apple sorbet and freeze dried grapefruit for acidity. A well thought and balanced dish.

Rad-ish 4/5

This may sounds simple but the Rad-ish ($8) is actually braised thrice before serving to the table. It is first braised in salt water, then miso water and lastly onion broth to expel its bitterness. A robust onion consomme is pour over the radish wheel at table which is topped with yuzu miso and pickled red radish. You can choose to have chopped wagyu beef for an additional $4.

Not Just The Tip 4.8/5

A dish that I never thought I would enjoy is Not Just The Tip ($14). A smart dish which makes use every part of the celery, not just the tip. A rift on the Waldorf salad, the dish uses the root, leaves, stem and the tip of the celery for different textural enjoyment of the whole celery. It is further paried with barley risotto, green apple, candied walnuts and stilton cheese to bring the dish together.

Mother's Lamb 4.2/5

The Mother's Lamb ($18) demonstrates Chef Tim's bold approach to food, upcycling usually-discarded parts of select produce. On the plate, is tandoor oven cooked lamb hearts and neck, with two sinful slabs of lamb bacon. The touch of having carbonated green and purple champagne grapes is very thoughtful, which helps to cut through the richness perfectly.

Pina Colada 4.2/5

Ending the meal on a sweet note, we have the Pina Colada ($10) and Snickerz ($10). The Pina Colada is a deconstructed rendition of the popular cocoktail's key ingredients. In the bowl, the components consider of fermented young coconut cake, coconut granola, salted coconut cream, compressed pineapples in extra virgin olive and a creamy caramelised pineapple ice cream. A light and refreshing dessert that suit my palate.

Snickerz 3/5

The other dessert, Snickerz ($10) is a rich and heavy glutinous rice brownie which comes with pavlova-like salted gula melaka cream . It is both chocolatey and chewy. I did not quite like the texture of the brownie. However the nuggets of caramelised peanuts rolled in homemade Snickers-inspired powder got my attention.

Overall, I have enjoyed my dining experience at Pyxiemoss. I find Chef Tim has brought something fresh to the table. You never know, the pixie moss may actually blossom and flourish into one of the best new restaurants this year.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Pyxiemoss 
43 North Canal Road
Singapore 059299
Tel: +65 65322171
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Nearest MRT: Clarke Quay (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 5pm - 12midnight
(Closed on Sun)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Clarke Quay MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk towards the traffic junction of North Bridge Road and North Canal Road. Cross the road and turn right onto North Canal Road. Walk along the shophouses to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]