BurgerLabo: Small burger joint nestled within Gillman Barracks

OUR VERDICT

OUR CONSIDERATIONS

Restaurant overview

BurgerLabo is a small eatery that only serves selected handmade burgers, ranging across various proteins such as beef and chicken. The restaurant was the winner of a blind taste test conducted by Straits Times in 2019, among 12 burgers no less! I have also seen raving reviews of BurgerLabo on various social media platforms, which was what prompted me to check it out.

For me, when people mention an eatery is small, I usually imagine there to be at least 10 or more tables, maybe accommodate 20 or so people at its maximum capacity. This was all the more a reason why I was shocked at the seating capacity.

Apart from the eight individual counter seats, the restaurant has a grand total of two tables indoors (Yes, you read it right), which is a 6-seater and a 4-seater. As for outdoors,there were a total of three 2-seater tables. Fortunately, the online reservation system is quite intuitive and fuss-free, and we were able to get last-minute bar counter seats on a Saturday lunch without any troubles. Although given the seating capacity, it is no wonder that the indoor seating for the restaurants is booked out days in advance.

Food overview

I was plenty satisfied with both of the drinks at BurgerLabo. The cocktail had a refreshing element from the fresh coconut cream. The milkshake was mixed with Apiary vanilla ice-cream and tasted light, which is a rarity because if you have tried milkshakes at places such as Five Guys or Shake Shack, it is overwhelmingly heavy. I did think the portion was slightly small for its price point, but aside from that, it is surely a good quality milkshake.

As I was craving for a good beef burger, I decided to try out both the basic burger and the pure Japanese wagyu burger. I must say that for both burgers, they were extremely juicy and were loaded with cheese and red pickled onions. I really appreciate the sweetness and tartness from the red pickled onions as it helped to balance the greasiness from the patties and potato buns.

The basic burger had a house-made sauce whereby the wagyu burger had a shio-kombu mayonnaise. I found both to be equally tasty in its own right. That being said, I do think the umami component from the kombu is lacking and the sauce in the wagyu burger is less apparent.

The main distinction between the two burgers, however, are in the patties. The wagyu burger had much more fat in its patty, resulting in an extremely chewy mouthfeel. Furthermore, some bites had a bit of a chew, since it was cooked to medium, which some may find unpleasant to eat. While it is more fragrant and juicier due to the difference in the quality of the patties, is it really worth a $13 increase? The answer is a firm no.

Both the sweet potato fries and truffle fries were freshly fried and crispy. That being said, I do think that the portion of fries provided with each burger is sufficient, and there is not much utility in ordering another portion of sweet potato fries for S$22. Diners could also opt to have the grated parmesan for the truffle fries to be served separately, which was what I did here.

Price overview

The total price per pax after GST came up to S$56, inclusive of the cocktail and milkshake. For a burger joint, I feel that this price is extremely high and is beyond my acceptable range for just a single burger with a drink. The reason is that while the burger is tasty, I have tried plenty of other burgers that are a fraction of the price and are equally delicious (say Five Guys, for instance). Furthermore, the pure Japanese wagyu burger is $13 pricier than the basic version, and I definitely do not think that the improvement in taste is proportional to the increase in price. If I were to choose a price for their burgers, I would say a range of S$20-S$25 would be my maximum.

Location overview

BurgerLabo is located within Gillman Barracks. For drivers, there are plenty of parking lots nearby the eatery as Gillman Barracks is a rather obscure place. For people taking public transport, the nearest MRT is Telok Blangah MRT, where you have to either walk for an unsheltered 18 minutes or take a bus for two stops and walk for 7 minutes. I feel that both options of public transport are not the greatest, and the location is just not very accessible to the public as a whole.

Summary

I have eaten at plenty of restaurants with limited seating capacities, which creates a unique and interactive dining experience. This was not the case here at BurgerLabo as the workers seemed restless and reluctant for conversations, and that was not the standard to be expected considering the price point they are charging. When I asked for cocktail recommendations, the waiter just suggested the coconut cocktail without any further elaboration on what’s inside or why he recommended it. Furthermore, we were seated at the bar seat, which is typically the seat for the staff to make conversations with the diners, so imagine my disappointment at the lack thereof.

BurgerLabo has had its fair share of raving reviews online, and as a burger lover, I would have wanted to check this place off my list. Perhaps I went in with too high of an expectation, but unfortunately it did not live up to the hype at all. While the quality of each burger was decent, the other intangible factors such as ambience and accessibility heavily dampened the experience. As harsh as it may sound, I will not be returning to this burger joint, as there are tons of other options out there that can provide a better experience (such as Potato Head).

What this means for you

You might like BurgerLabo if you:

• Enjoy trying handcrafted artisanal burgers

BurgerLabo serves a variety of good quality burgers, which caters to diners of different dietary restrictions

• Enjoy milkshakes that are light on the palate

BurgerLabo’s milkshakes are made with Apiary ice-cream, and is just the right amount of sweetness balanced with creaminess

You might not like BurgerLabo if you:

• Are on a budget

BurgerLabo’s pricing is way higher than the usual burger joints in Singapore, which some may not prefer

• Are taking public transport

The eatery is located within Gillman Barracks, which is a headache to get to if diners are going by public transport

Other Information

Opening Hours: Tue to Sat, 1200 – 1500, 1800 – 2230

Website: http://www.burgerlabo.com/

(Expected damage: $56++ per pax)

(Visited on 3^rd September 2022)