relishing!

digging deep into the mojito archives reveal that the inaugural trip to relish was way back in 2007! a good two years later (i did go back there one more time like in early 08), g and i decided to treat my sis, mom and the kids to a burger bonanza at relish...so we packed ourselves into the odyssey and headed across town for some major burger relishing!

to be really honest, i was a little worried that chef willin's burger concept might not be such a hit with singaporeans, but i guess i am wrong, with relish not only full with family and friends alike, just by the shear number of recent burger joint openings make me think maybe chef willin really was onto something. relish, in my book, pretty much is singapore's very first burger concept joint and he has definitely set some high standards to beat. the place was as cheery as i remembered it, with classic wood tables, soft warm lighting and myriad of pristine white chairs. the menu has evolved and expanded quite a bit, really displaying chef willin's innovation, creativity and understanding of fusing the classic burger with that of local flavors.

new on the menu included a lamb cutlet dish, morphed from a lamb in pita concoction from before, a mirin & teriyaki chicken rice burger and chicken mesak merah. they all seriously sounded really yum, but having committed to share the bacon & cheese burger with e, i let g, my mom and my sis indulge in the lamb and chicken rice burgers. the b&c burger continues to be a classic hit at relish. think nice sizeable slab of pure beef ground into a juicy patty, crispy bacon strips and melted emmenthal cheese slapped in between fresh veggies and a sesame seed bun. it was slightly messy but still oh-so good! g's open lamb cutlet on focaccia was a nice refreshing surprise. I was slightly worried that it might be a tad too oily and spiced up but it had a good balance of the flavors from the lamb marinated with a bunch of classic mediterranean spices. served on a bed of caramelized onions and freshly baked focaccia, you can tell that a lot of thought had gone in to ensure the perfect balance of sweet, salty and spicy with no overdose on unnecessary carbs. the rice burger added a nice asian touch to the otherwise bun based menu. unlike the rice burgers served at mos burger, relish used a mixture of brown and unpolished rice to form the bed of the burger. laying on the rice bed was a generous mirin & teriyaki marinated chicken fillet, which was then topped with crispy bits of taro (i think!) strips. again, relish concocted this with precision, ensuring that no one would be overly stuffed from the rice to enjoy the yummy sweet, tender and juicy chicken.

i have to of course mention that the fries that accompany every burger are purely fantastic. fried till crisp on the outside, but warm and creamy on the inside, just dipping it in classic ketchup makes one go into french fry heaven! relish's onion rings are another definite must try...think ultra sweet white onions, battered and deep fried again till crisp. the sweetness of the rings combined with the crunch and slightly salty batter are so yum that i can't decide which is better, relish's fries or rings! i think it is pretty much a tie but do pay relish a visit and let me know what your votes are....fries or rings *grin*

relish
#02-01 cluny court
501 bukit timah road
(65) 6763 1547
http://www.wildrocket.com.sg/relish.htm

p.s. we had dessert at island creamery (located next door at the serene centre) this time. again a definite must go for fantastic homemade ice creams!