Ggoburger: Self-taught chef serves up honest & handmade burgers for delivery
Residents of the Hougang and Serangoon area, you might’ve noticed a new burger joint pop up on your delivery apps as of late— Ggoburger. Helmed by a self-taught chef, Edmund Chew, Ggoburger has one goal in mind: to serve good and honest handmade burgers, without any of the additional oil or preservatives that make a burger so sinfully unhealthy.
Ggoburger only held its soft launch on 9 October 2022, making it easily the newest kid on the block. Not literally though, as Ggoburger is only available through the holy trinity of delivery apps— GrabFood, foodpanda and Deliveroo.
It operates out of a cloud kitchen in Serangoon North, and I was fortunate enough to drop by to catch a look at how Edmund prepares his burgers.
We were shocked to learn that Edmund is the only person running the burger show for now. While that in itself is a feat, what’s more impressive is knowing that all of Ggoburger’s patties are made by hand!
If you’re asking how Edmund keeps his burgers healthy, don’t worry. We wondered the same thing too.
Each patty is formed using freshly minced beef or chicken meat, without any preservatives or seasoning (you read that right!), to ensure that the natural juices of each protein are allowed to shine.
Not to mention, Edmund doesn’t use oil or butter at all throughout his cooking process. Yes, not even when grilling the buns or patties!
“I wanted to create a ‘healthier’ version of burgers. This means using handmade patties instead of pre-made patties, and more importantly, without any commercial seasoning or preservatives,” shared Edmund. “I only use salted water during grilling to help the patties remain moist, but nothing else.”
What I tried at Ggoburger
We started the ball rolling with the GB Classic Single Handcraft Beef Patty (S$9.40 for à la carte, S$13.40 for a set meal).
Ggoburger’s beef burger came with a brioche bun, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, a freshly grilled 100g patty made of minced beef, and your choice of sauce. Options for sauces were pretty classic and included chilli, tomato, mustard and nacho cheese.
The set meal comes with one side (mashed potatoes, corn or baked beans) and one canned drink.
This was your classic beef burger. The brioche buns were sturdy enough to hold all the fillings and sauces together, and for once, I managed to sneak in an entire bite of the burger without anything dropping.
The first thing I tasted was the natural sweet juices of the beef, followed by the crunch from the lettuce and lettuce. This burger instantly gave me homemade vibes because of how no-fuss and non-commercial it was. Though simple, you can never go wrong with this classic combination of brioche bun, beef patty and leafy vegetables.
Some part of me wished that the buns had been buttered before being toasted, or that more sauces had been used, but I suppose that’s because I’m so used to the commercial burger that this stripped, natural version seems unfamiliar to me.
Apart from the Classic Single Handcraft Beef Patty, Ggoburger only offers one other variation of the beef burger: GB Classic Beef Cheese Turkey Bacon (S$11.90 for à la carte, S$15.90 for a set meal). We also chose to add on Sliced Cheddar Cheese for S$1.50.
I loved the addition of turkey bacon, as it gave that well-needed kick of salty flavour which complemented the natural sweetness of the beef patty. Plus, the addition of Cheddar Cheese had been grilled on the stove prior to assembly, making it delectably melty and added that extra tinge of moisture to the burger.
Ggoburger’s chicken burgers are made the same way as its beef counterpart. Freshly minced chicken meat is formed into a 100g ball before being chilled.
When the orders come in, Edmund places them on the stove and flattens them with his spatula, creating that beautiful sear. Similarly, he sprinkles salted water on the patties when grilling to keep the meat moist and juicy.
For this burger, we decided to go all out and ordered the GGO Classic Double Handcraft Chicken Patty (S$11.40 for à la carte, S$15.40 for a set meal) and added Turkey Bacon (S$1.50) and Sliced Cheddar Cheese (S$1.50).
This was one hefty chicken burger. The chicken patties were juicy, but I could definitely tell through its flavour that it hadn’t been marinated with any seasoning, as it tasted entirely natural— almost oddly too natural, as there were prominent gamey notes from the poultry.
Having said that, the rest of the flavours of the burger— the dense fluffiness of the brioche buns, refreshing crunch from the lettuce and tomatoes, savoury notes from the melted cheese and turkey bacon— all came together in a simple and fuss-free way that made it enjoyable to devour. I just wish that the chicken patty had been marinated with some form of seasoning, be it with spices or even just ground black pepper.
Final thoughts
Edmund’s vision for Ggoburger is certainly one-of-a-kind. I’ve come across burger brands who go for heavily zhng-ed burgers stuffed with all sorts of things— lobster and even mac and cheese, just to name a few— but these stripped down versions of the classic beef and chicken burger are refreshing. They remind me of homemade burgers on a weekday night: simple, and honest.
Edmund admits that he still has some kinks to work out, especially given how new Ggoburger is. “I’ll see how the responses are like and improvise along the way,” he says. But he shares with us that if demand is good, he’d like to try out new sauces, side dishes and burger toppings— like sambal sauce and mac and cheese as a side, the latter of which he’s intending to roll out in the coming weeks.
It’s humbling to see young Singaporeans like Edmund braving it out with nothing but a dream and pure grit. We wish you all the best, Edmund. Good luck!
* This post was brought to you in partnership with Ggoburger.
Expected damage: S$8 – S$16 per pax
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