Hard Rock Café – Sentosa
Apart from being found in almost every city in the world with an impressive display of awesome, old school rock and movie paraphernalia as well as literally ‘global’ merchandising, Hard Rock Café has never really been the first “go-to” brand when it comes to a hearty meal. Under the impression that this place was more for novelty and fun rather than quality, tasty food, I now stand corrected.
Satay Burger (Singapore)
Just a couple of weeks ago, Hard Rock Café introduced an Asian perspective to their ‘World Burger Tour’ event, whetting our taste buds as huge burger fans. Launching its inaugural trip last year, The Hard Rock Café World Burger Tour features 15 different burgers picked from 150 hopeful entries. With burgers representing signature elements of their own countries, diners could pick up a Vietnamese Banh Mi Burger with pickled vegetables or even a Scottish Haggis Burger with actual haggis in the works. This year, the tour features even more mouth-watering offerings picked out from a whopping 160 entries along with our very own Satay Burger, which had the honour of making the list.
World Burger Truck | Image credit : Aiden Eng
Kicking off on 13 May, the Asian edition of the Tour began with the ‘World Burger Send Off’, breaking into a street party at their popular Cuscaden Road restaurant which just recently began working on renovations. With rock music of the 80s blaring, the event welcomed a good 50 odd people to a teaser session of what to expect from the Tour. Despite the heat of the night, people mingled with burger-in-hand at a party befitting the Hard Rock name; a casual affair of chatting with friends, big burgers and a cold mug of cola all mixed in with that undeniable vibe of American rock.
Harley Davidson Entourage | Image credit : Aiden Eng
Oh, and check out the fleet of 20 Harley Davidsons which were hired to escort the giant World Burger Truck on their first leg of their tour! Driven by members of 3 different biker gangs from around the island, the entourage toured a total of six cities in nine days. The truck rocked its way to Hard Rock outlets in Malacca, Kuala Lumpur, and Penang in Malaysia, and hit the roads of Bangkok and Pattaya in Thailand before returning to Singapore on 22 May. Instead of an all-Harley escort, the truck was ushered back in style by a convoy of Ferraris instead. No big deal, right?
(Clockwise from top) Big Little Italy Burger (New York), Satay Burger (Singapore), Giardiniera Deli Burger (Chicago), Golden Gate Burger (San Francisco) | Image credit : Aiden Eng
Beginning the next phase of this event, burger lovers across the island would be able to feast on four headliner burgers for the entire month of June – our very own Satay Burger, a Giardiniera Deli Burger from Chicago, the Golden Gate Burger out of San Francisco, and my personal favourite, the Big Little Italy Burger of New York – along with five unique cocktail creations to wash down your burger and fries.
From fruitier blends of orange, lime, cucumber and Hendricks to spicier concoctions of ABSOLUT Peppar, Ginger Liqueur with a red pepper garnish, these cocktails are bound to tease the palate before, during and after your evening is over.
Big Little Italy Burger, New York
I’d like to think of this as the “Give Me Another. Now.” burger. With a thick beef patty, topped by pepperoni, sautéed mushrooms, and fried mozzarella cheese sticks all drenched in a tomato-y pizza sauce, this makes for the most gratifying heart-attack on a bun you would be happy to go into cardiac arrest over. Every bit of the flavor and texture spectrum was present, representing the wonderful hallmark of a good dish. With a hearty bite, a crunch, and a soft fluffiness experienced alongside the chewy tang of mozzarella, herby sautéed mushrooms and juicy beef, this pizza-burger was just sheer comfort food which fills the soul. And if you need some extra crunch, get some fries and dip them in some spicy mayo on the side. All I can say is give me another. Now.
Satay Burger, Singapore
I was never a big fan of ‘local creations’, although this one got me pretty hooked. Maybe it was the subtle blend of such unexpected flavor notes; the right amount of sweet peanut sauce which wasn’t overpowering, the crispy, refreshing cucumber planks adding a crunch, a spicy and creamy sriracha mayo for a kick and body, and peppery arugula leaves which came together really nicely. To add a further dimension to the play on your tongue, throw in diced red onions to make everything spring to greater heights, and the flavors pop even further. A huge kudos to the creator of this unassuming burger, and just one question to the café: when will this feature on the usual menu?
Giardiniera Deli Burger, Chicago, Illinois
The Giardiniera Deli layers a wonderfully generous amount of sliced roast beef on top of its beef patty (how could you go wrong with double meats?), roasted red peppers, giardiniera pepper, and mild, soft provolone cheese. ‘Giardiniera’ refers to peppers or vegetables pickled in vinegar or oil. For fans who just enjoy succulent meat and cheese without any extra frills with their food, this burger is for you.
Golden Gate Burger, San Francisco
This burger is really more of a sandwich, and despite the name, it definitely reminds me more of a grilled cheese sandwich than a burger. With a layer of sliced salami, grilled onions, Swiss cheese and pickles, this “burger” had as strong a scent as its burst of flavor in each bite. Cheese lovers who enjoy their dairy and the tangy mix of pickles would fall in love with this creation.
While it is no closed secret that the burger scene on our tiny island is still lacking, we would like to give a salute to Hard Rock for taking an amazing step forward in bringing proper thick, flavourful, kick-ass burgers to our doorstep. Here’s one Singaporean hoping that the World Burger Tour will take their goals and spur more restaurateurs to look into building the scene with their own creative meaty mixtures.
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