I'd tried Five Guys once or twice back in the States, but it didn't leave a big impression on me. So I never really bothered going when they opened an outlet at Plaza Singapura late last year (68 Orchard Road #01-32, 6976-4385). Yet burgers were requested again for dinner tonight, and I'm realizing now that I've been missing out all of this time. It was delicious, including not just the beefy patties (double patties are standard - yay!), but also those potato-ey fries.
One reason why I didn't like Five Guys before was because my expectations were too high. More importantly though, I finally got my selection of toppings correct this time: just lettuce, tomato, raw onion, and mayonnaise. Sure, the lettuce and onion here were rather sad, giving Shake Shack a clear lead in quality and care. But I can't stand Shake Shack's boring crinkle cut fries; I'd much rather get these fresh-tasting grease bombs instead, and finish off with a bacon and salted caramel shake.
This looks much nicer than what 5 Guys sells in the USA. In the USA 5 Guys serves their burgers cooked beyond well done and they are shriveled up hockey pucks. The buns have no substance and aren't toasted and the burgers are all served squished so that they look like the doggies dinner. I think they realized that they can't compete with that product in Singapore -- land of connoisseurship -- and upped their game.
ReplyDeleteSo the question remains, which burgers are better: SS or 5G ?
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, despite the care & attention SS gives you much of the menu, its shockingly slip shot the decision to use the boring (and less tasty) crinkle fries!
T
There is a story behind the Shack Shack fries. A few years ago they realized that the fries could be improved and replaced the frozen crinkle cuts with fresh in the USA, and were subject to immediate backlash. So much so that they switched back to the mediocre crinkle cuts, which Americans like because they're generally considered for kids and had a certain nostalgia factor. SS also replaced their cheap wafer cones with "higher quality" sugar cones, and frankly I preferred the old cheap ones. In my opinion though, Shack Shake is a much higher quality operation -- at least in the USA -- than Five Guys.
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