Fish and Bones by SM Butchery at UE Square

This place is just one surprise right after the other. Ostensibly, the open tanks inside make it look like a small seafood purveyor (81 Clemenceau Avenue #01-13). But as the name suggests, it's also a butcher. And to be more specific, it's a Korean butcher, meaning that they have a variety of cuts like kalbi for you to wash down with soju. They even serve cooked dishes like budaejjigae and haemulpajeon.

So one must be wondering why there is a burger in the photo above. It turns out that they do S$10 (US$7) burgers at lunch, and that classic angus burger above was impressively good. The smell of grilled beef emanating from the kitchen was already an encouraging sign, reminding me of my first experience with Shake Shack in Madison Square Park. The patty turned out to be thin but deliciously umami, and was wrapped in fresh veggies and a wonderful brioche, all without being overdressed. I'm usually quite picky about my burgers and this one can stand up against my usual go-to places like Five Guys and Phat Burger Bro.

To be sure, their fries can't compare to either of those places. And their buttermilk chicken burger was a bit overbattered and overdressed. But their crispy tempura snapper burger was a delightful alternate choice, featuring actual dill weed and onions to go with that fresh and lightly fried fish. Calling it an upscale Filet-O-Fish might not sound like a compliment, but this is how I imagine it would be when properly made from scratch instead of being mass produced at a fast food chain. It was good.