Ham Bao Bao: Hawker Stall At Beauty World Centre Sells Gourmet Hamburgers At Just $5 Each
Located at the fourth floor of an old school hawker at Beauty World Centre, Ham Bao Bao serves hand crafted burgers at affordable prices. Helmed by a young couple in their 20s, the stall has a modernised edge which sets them apart from the older stalls in the food centre.
Although their menu is only limited to 5 burger choices, their gourmet offerings are of a certain calibre as they command snaking long queues as soon as the stall opens during lunch time. Expect to find homely touches to the burgers, which are passionately made from the buns to the condiments, right down to the patty.
Served on takeaway paper packaging and metal trays, all their burgers including The Classic Beef ($5), has a toothpick in the middle to prevent the burger from falling apart when bitten into. You can even use the paper to avoid getting your hands dirty. For a regular beef burger, this was simple yet delicious.
We ordered a side of Fairy Fries ($1) to go with it. Unlike most fast food joints that utilise frozen fries, they hand cut their fries into what resembles ultra thin potato wedge slices. With its crispy exterior and just the right amount of salt sprinkled over it, this was pretty damn addictive as an add-on. I’d say it’s worth paying an extra dollar for.
The beef patty was notably crisp on the outside and had a nice seasoning with hints of herbs embedded within. This comes with the usual suspects of cheese, pickles, lettuce and their very own homemade tomato sauce.
If you are unsure about the more unconventional options on the menu, this simple burger should suffice.
The Spice Pulled Pork ($5) was definitely my favourite. Not only did the pulled pork shoulder have a hint of spice but it was also grilled to a crisp tenderness, which went really well with the cheese. The only thing I didn’t particularly enjoy was the coleslaw dressing that kind of overwhelmed the pork.
Another thing to note about their buns is that they are all toasted on a pan, resulting in a crisp interior, while retaining a soft texture on top.
I was excited at the prospect of trying their Crispy Pork Belly ($5) as I’ve never had that burger combination before. And well, it definitely lived up to its name, with its skin being crispy giving a loud crunch upon each bite.
The thick slabs of pork belly are drenched in Hoisin sauce and English mustard before being topped off with fresh Japanese cucumber slices. While I liked that they were generous with their pork, I found the taste of the mustard to be too strong. Perhaps, they could have toned it down a bit.
Other than that, the pork was perfectly tender and the burger came together very nicely with the crunchy cucumbers.
As the only fish burger on the menu, That Dory Fish ($5) is sure to satisfy those who prefer having a fillet and might even surprise those who don’t usually opt for it. Marinated with a homemade tartar sauce, the slab of broiled dory fish is infused with grilled pepper and has a nice charred taste to it.
It may not make for a wholesome burger on its own but with the added zucchini, red peppers and cheese toppings, there was good mix of different textures that gave it a flavourful bite overall.
The Ayam Buah Keluak ($5) burger may not look like much, but it is definitely something you don’t see every day. Essentially, a minced chicken patty marinated with rempah and a buah keluak sauce, it was an unusual twist on the hugely popular Peranakan dish.
Although I wasn’t a huge fan of this personally, I can see why its unique taste would appeal to some people. The darkly delicious patty was undeniably juicy when paired with the Nyonya-styled chap chye vegetables.
The flavour of the buah keluak was well-balanced and went well with the braised cabbage and bits of black fungus. In fact, it was just right and did not mask the flavour of the chicken at all.
To ensure the highest quality possible, all their patties and sauces are said to be handmade. The fact that they put in a lot of hard work into making their burgers is evident when you taste the burger firsthand.
For those with a big appetite, I would recommend that you order more than one burger as the portion size might not fill you up. As a big eater myself, I was thoroughly satisfied after sampling every available option on the menu.
So if you don’t mind the hawker heat and the ridiculously long queues, make a trip down to Ham Bao Bao for their reasonably priced gourmet burgers. Their burgers are most definitely a better alternative to those from the usual fast food chains. Less manufactured and 100% real.
Expected damage: $5 per pax
Address: Ham Bao Bao, #04-49 Beauty World Centre, 144 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 588177 | Opening Hours: Wednesday – Sunday (12pm – 5.30pm), Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays | Tel: 94751457/96675254 | Facebook
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