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FOOD REVIEW: 2280 Burger — “It’s perfectly agreeable”

Exterior (PHOTO: Zat Astha/Yahoo Lifestyle SEA)
Exterior (PHOTO: Zat Astha/Yahoo Lifestyle SEA)

SINGAPORE — My wild and entirely unscientific guess is that when F&B maestro, Ken Loon—of Gillman Barracks’ Naked Finn and BurgerLabo—opened 2280 Burger, he never imagined it as a place where diners such as myself would traipse to on a Thursday afternoon for lunch, all the way from Serangoon North where I stay. First, it’s located at Henderson Industrial Estate, its entrance far from prying eyes such that a journey here is an exercise in intentionality. Secondly, the menu is, in a word, lean. And by lean, I mean bare—one burger (2 sizes), one milkshake, one iced lemon tea, coffee, and a smattering of alcoholic beverages.

Having read what little reviews there are of 2280 Burger, the common observational thought seems to be praise and joy for a menu that doesn’t burden you with choice. While I agree with that logic to some extent, it’s also entirely reasonable to worry when the alternative is scant. There’s a certain audacity and nerve to offer up so little for so dear a price (S$9.50 for a single stack; S$13.50 for a double).

Double stack burger (PHOTO: Zat Astha/Yahoo Lifestyle SEA)
Double stack burger (PHOTO: Zat Astha/Yahoo Lifestyle SEA)

To mirror the fabulousness that is its big brother, BurgerLabo, the burgers also come with little else but cheddar, onions, and house-made shio kombu. It’s a take-it-or-leave-it kind of vibe here at 2280, which might rub some people adversely. Thankfully the patties, made from grass-fed Aberdeen Angus neck, are well seasoned with beef garum and cooked to a perfect medium, with the onions and kombu lending subtle acidity to the entire presentation. If anything, it’s perfectly agreeable.

Like other speciality burger joints, 2280 also sells fries separately, priced at S$4.50 for shoestring fries with as much personality as a nine-dollar IKEA lamp. The more I munched into this basket of golden stems, the more I’m reminded of another gourmet burger alternate, Wildfire Burger, with their Stealth Fries that I simply cannot get enough of. Here, it’s alright, but with this little options on the menu, it’s imperative that everything on offer is exemplary, right down to the one side on offer.

Shoestring Fries (PHOTO: Zat Astha/Yahoo Lifestyle SEA)
Shoestring Fries (PHOTO: Zat Astha/Yahoo Lifestyle SEA)

In an interview with 8 Days, Ken Loon mentioned that 2280 is also a production facility for BurgerLabo, a stone’s throw away at Gillman Barracks. Ah, now everything is starting to make sense although it does beg the question. Which came first? The kitchen or the affordably priced burgers? It’s hard to tell, at least not with equally nondescript furniture and mise en scene as if someone cobbled together a bunch of practical furniture together, painted everything in a simple shade of dark, and called it a day. Everything is just so, you know, functional, right down to the self-service kiosk that is the epitome of efficiency and a number counter that tells you which order is being prepared and ready for collection.

I also had a go at the mysteriously named Milkshake (S$9.80) in Vanilla flavour, I reckon, since it’s not indicated anywhere on the menu. Further research led me to discover that 2280 has partnered with Apiary for this milkshake—a perplexing proposition given that I love the ice cream Apiary churns out since it first opened at Neil Road. On the day of my visit, I thought the singular milkshake on offer was inconsistent in its texture, with buttery-oily bits at parts which make me wonder if the mixture has been stirred adequately in the machine before being churned into milkshakes. Others say the milkshake here is rich, decadent, sinful. For me, only the last is true, and not for the good reasons one would ascribe to such colourful adjectives. If you’re going to have one milkshake option, it must make me weep in gratitude. Anything less is unacceptable.

Milkshake (PHOTO: Zat Astha/Yahoo Lifestyle SEA)
Milkshake (PHOTO: Zat Astha/Yahoo Lifestyle SEA)

Still, for a joint that at times feels incidental, service was stellar. The staff were patient, attentive, and deeply apologetic when my friend and I had to wait 20 minutes for a table. They were also profoundly regretful when explaining why the party of five would take a while to be seated and equally apologetic when they had to turn people away. Also, If you’re wondering what 2280 means, it is an international number code abattoirs use to identify the beef neck cut used here in the patties. It makes for such a novel story—pity it’s nowhere to be found in the restaurant’s collateral.

As I wrapped up the afternoon’s lunch, I noticed a man seated opposite me on a bar stool fashioning his pair of double-stack burgers into a four-stack meaty behemoth. If good ole beef burgers are what you’re after, then a quadruple stack meat tower is simply par for the course. I want to be enamoured by 2280, especially when I’ve never been to Naked Finn nor BurgerLabo (I will, soon, my curiosity duly piqued). But from what little time I’ve spent here, I reckon it’s not unreasonable to expect just a tad more praiseworthy fare, especially coming from the same people behind Julien Royer’s favourite seafood joint. But if that’s not the ultimate goal, then I guess 2280, in its current iteration, would have to suffice.

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213 Henderson Road 01-10 Henderson Industrial Park, S159553

Mon to Sat: 11am – 10pm