Shiok Burger

Shiok Burger is a fast-casual eatery offering a fusion of western-style burgers with Chinese culinary influences at an affordable price to boot. They mainly operate as a dine-in mini restaurant, as well as counter kiosks in Shopping malls all around Singapore. Let’s take a dine-in at one of the restaurants in Paya Lebar Square.

In a nutshell, Shiok Burger’s menu centers around burgers that blend traditional Chinese elements with Western fast food. Their mascot is themed after a panda. It gives it a rather Chinese and oriental outlook in the node to the barrage of Chinese F&B outlets raiding Singapore F&B scene. Though Shiok Burger actually more local then you expect, operated by the Delibowl Group. Notably, it is the same company behind Nuodle and Delibowl. Shiok Burger occupies a space that was formerly part of a Delibowl outlet. Since its inception, it has expanded to a second location at Raffles City Shopping Centre, and including this dine-in outlet here at Paya Lebar Square itself.

Menu Highlights

Signature menu items include their Classic Wagyu Burger ($7.99 itself). It is a traditional take featuring a wagyu patty, topped with an egg melted cheese as well as a piece lettuce vegetable and a tomato slice. Also, you can’t go wrong with their chicken options. This includes their Grilled Chicken Burger ($7.99) or their Spicy Chicken Burger ($5.75), with the latter being the deep-fried fillet option.

The grilled chicken takes my pick for its flavour, where you can also better taste the texture of the meat as opposed to the deep-fried fillet variant. Their Ebiko Chicken Burger ($6.75) offers a breaded chicken patty topped with ebiko mayo. It has a creamy and umami-rich taste, but not much flavour of the chicken itself, which is soft and soggy, quite a letdown.

Also, a distinctive feature is the use of Chinese-style buns, reminiscent of roujiamo. These thin-like pau buns offering a unique texture that combines softness with a slight chew. Furthermore, their burger flavour offers are a nod towards the mala culture too, given its Chinese inspiration.

Moreover, your burgers have their peat patties served with over a bed of green fresh lettuce, topped with sparsely sesame buns. Notably, the burgers are great for small eater, they are small, simple and squashed.

Menu options

Nicely themed

The spread

Also, the burgers also do not appear as appetizing as they look as on camera. Interestingly, Shiok burgers has the sloppiness and messiness you similar get from Ramly burgers. They are messy, laced and dripping with sauce and packed tightly in a wrapper between two thin buns. The burgers are adequate but not fantastic, more like a basic meal to fill you up than to enjoy in particular.

Mala burger anyone?

Interesting takes includes their Mala range of burgers. There is their Mala Wagyu Burger ($10.99 set). Here, you get a wagyu beef patty complemented by mala sauce, cheese, and fresh vegetables, served in a Chinese-style bun. The last time we seen an east-meet-west burger contraption was that from the now defunct KEK Wok in burgers many years back at Alexendra. Moreover, Shiok Burger’s Mala chicken Burger offers a very budget proposition (priced at $2.99 single patty, $5.99 set) is served with Beef Cheese Fries and Lemon Sprite. The mala burger is overflowing with mala sauce, but is not too spicy that it deters those who has lower tolerance for spicy foods.

Additionally, Shiok burger portions might also be tad too small for larger eaters. The burgers are not anywhere close to gourmet burger offerings, with pretty flat burger buns. It does give a hint or two that this is still a non-premium offering. But what you pay is also what you get.

To make up for the small burgers, Shiok burger offers set meals with a pairing of drink and fries sides. Their Big Ebiko Totes ($4.50) is a suitable recommended pairing. It is served with cheese, mayo and drizzle of minced beef. Sides options feature items like beef cheese fries and ebiko tater tots. While the fries are generally well-received, the beef toppings can be dry.

Ambience and Dining Experience

Moreover, the restaurant features a modest, functional interior with wooden furnishings and promotional posters adorning the walls. There is air-conditioned seating with a few tables and a large takeout counter for deliveries too. Still, its compact size results in limited seating, which may be a consideration during peak hours. However, the establishment is noted for its quick service and is considered family-friendly. Notably, Shiok burger restaurants are halal-certified, appealing to the Singapore general masses, though there were notably had been some controversy previously regarding its official certification status.

The burgers are budgety and reasonably priced under the $10 range for a meal. This is about half of what you get at gourmet burger places which can cost twice more. Menu ranges on average in the $6-8 price range. Their cheapest chicken burger’s $2.99 price point is quite unheard of in this economy, though the portions are too small for a viable meal. This puts Shiok Burger offerings priced right in MacDonald range and even rivalling hawker garment burger places we had at Ashes Burnnit Burgers at Alexandra village and Ministry of Burgers Downtown East E!Hub, similarly priced in the $6-8 range.

Wrapping up

All in all, that wraps up for the offerings at Shiok Burger. It is not something I would recommend to go out for, but more for something along the way to shortlist if you desire a cheap and adequate meal. The outlet tad offers a unique dining experience by merging Chinese and Western culinary traditions. Its budget-focused approach to burgers, coupled with affordable pricing, makes it an appealing option for those seeking something different from conventional fast food.

This review is not sponsored by the establishment nor did they provide any editorial input or reimbursements into the content and outcome of this review. All meals were paid for in full out of my own pocket as a regular and anonymous patron.