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I recently had to visit Singapore for a work trip and training which gave me the opportunity to catch up with a lot of great friends, as well as investigate some of the many excellent new restaurants that have opened since I left. Top of the list was Meat Liquor Singapore http://meatliquor.com/singapore/ a burger and cocktail bar which is owned by a friend of mine from the UK who, in the time that I have been overseas, has gone from selling burgers out of the back of a van (as a hobby) in Peckham to owning several restaurants in London as well as Leeds and Brighton and now Singapore (Siem Reap can’t be far behind surely;-))
It is safe to say I was somewhat excited at the prospect of dinner, so much so I arrived some 40 minutes prior to when I was supposed to be meeting my friends which gave me ample time to start investigating the cocktail list, starting with the New Cross Negroni ($22) made with gin, Aperol and sweet vermouth and served in a wax sealed bottle ready to be poured into a tumbler filled with ice. So far, so good!
The menu is much larger than I was expecting with 5 types of beef burgers, 3 chicken burgers, a chilli loaded hot dog and both fish and vegetarian options all listed, as well as 5 varieties of fries and 6 “Bits and Bobs” or appetizer/side orders so there really is something for everyone.
We started by sharing a portion of Onion Rings ($9) Fried Pickles with a blue cheese dip ($9) and some Thai Thighs ($15) which despite their rather saucy name, were simply panko crusted boneless chicken wings with a chilli, lime and fresh herb dipping sauce served on the side.
I thought the presentation was great, really perfect for sharing and a nice way to leave the table uncluttered. Whilst I had been most excited about the fried pickle, it was the onion rings that were the star for me. I’m not sure my photos do justice to just how big they were, let alone how crunchy and un-greasy they were. I had finished the Negroni by this stage and had moved on to a Gibson ($22) made with Tanqueray gin and Dolin vermouth and garnished with a local pickle which was certainly a good accompaniment to all the fried food (if not particularly classic!)
For the main courses we (despite my protestations) shared a portion of Shambal Fries ($12) an irreverent take on the Singaporean chilli sambal, which were topped with their house made “sort of” sambal, fried onions and a fried egg and then ordered a burger each. I really don’t eat beef and so was very happy with the Halloumi and Mushroom Burger ($18) whilst the rest of the gang ordered a mixture of Bacon Cheese Burgers ($23) and the “Dead Hippie” ($22) which is 2 mustard fried burger patties slathered in “Dead Hippie Sauce” (a top-secret recipe that I guess involves mustard, mayonnaise and pickles as well as a few other ingredients) before being topped with cheese and all the usual garnishes.
As soon as the food arrived it was clear why we had shared a portion of fries between the 6 of us. They were HUGE. Thank heavens for friends who know what they are talking about, we waddled out as it was and anther portion would have been the end of me! My halloumi burger was very nice indeed, I thought all the burgers looked to be a good size and the buns were simply perfect , clearly baked in-house and none of that horrible synthetic tasting bread you usually see.
Then I decided we should have their signature shot, the Pickleback ($14) and inadvertently set the tone of the rest of the week!! For the uninitiated, the pickle back is basically a shot of Boubon (Bulleit in this case) which is followed swiftly with a shot of pickle brine. It is a fantastic shot as the brine immediately soothes the whisky “burn” leaving you more than ready for another one (or 3) and I made the gang return for more later in the week (as well as having them at 28 Hong Kong Street later on) Such fun!
Anyway, long story short, Meat Liquor is delicious and a heck of a lot of fun. Go. Now. Or better still, try their weekend brunch ($90++) where you can enjoy free flow burgers and special side orders as well as free flow beer, rose wine and select cocktails…. what could go wrong 😉
99 Duxton Road 089543
info@MEATliquor.com.sg
+65 6221 5343
A British Girl Abroad 