The Place Located in Chijmes, Honbo is a casual burger restaurant from Hong Kong which will be opening its first overseas outpost in Singapore. The burger restaurant first opened in 2017 along Sun Street in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, and the Chijmes’s space consists of light wooden banquette seats as well as high stool counter seats. The brand prides itself as serving straightforward American-style burgers made from fresh ingredients. It is also not a fast-food concept since there is proper table service from taking your orders and serving your food. 

The Food The menu is straightforward where you get to choose your burger flavour where you can go along with some sides and drinks. As I understand from the team, Honbo’s beef is ground fresh daily in-house, free from preservatives, MSG, and additives, with each patty smashed on a flattop griddle upon order. To ensure consistency, Honbo exclusively imports its own USDA Double Gold Beef directly from Wisconsin, USA, standing as the solitary burger joint worldwide to feature this premium beef. Sourced from 36-month-old Holstein and Angus breed cattle that are fed with the finest corn, this beef from mature cattle yields a deeper depth of flavour. 

The namesake Honbo (S$18) comes with two crispy beef patties, cheese, pickles, onion, and house sauce. Multiply the fun with the Honbo 1.5 (S$23) that comes with three patties and Honbo 2.0 (S$28) that offers four patties. For those looking for a small snack, there is the Honbo BB (S$15) consisting of a single crispy beef patty, cheese, pickles, onion, and ketchup. 

I decided to go big, and hence I chose The Gold Standard (S$28). This is one of the most luxe options on the menu which comes with two thick beef patties, two slices of cheese, applewood smoked bacon, cheese, pickles, lettuce, onion, and house sauce. Quite an impressive burger in my opinion as I bite into that juicy beef patty which is made even better with the crispy bacon and cheese. Sandwiching its patties are house-made potato milk buns, also made fresh daily, from an all-natural exclusive recipe developed with renowned artisanal baker Eric Kayser. 

I also tried the limited time Scallop Burger (S$26) which I thought is quite an interesting take on burger. You get fresh and thick sashimi grade Hokkaido scallops here with Japanese rocket leaves, where the pan-seared scallops are delicious. Other non-beef options include Impossible Burger (S$22) and Teriyaki Chicken Burger (S$18). 

For sides, there are options like Chilli Fries (S$15) and Buffalo Wings (S$15 for 5 pieces). In terms of beverages, Apple Pie Iced Tea (S$7), Mike’s Lemonade (S$7), Draft Beer (S$16), and more. 

Rants Prices are on the higher side if I were to compare to the likes of Shake Shack where the latter is a fast-food concept while Honbo is positioned as a restaurant. 

Will I Return Again? Another casual concept to check out in Cityhall where the burgers are quite good, and the beef patty stands out most for me. If you are a burger lover, Honbo is one to tick off your list.

This was an invited tasting, though all opinions expressed are our own.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 3.5/5
Ambience: 3.5/5
Overall Experience: 3.5/5

Honbo 
30 Victoria Street 
#01-09 Chijmes 
Singapore 187996 

Opening Hours 
Monday to Sunday: 12:00pm to 10:00pm (Last order: 9:00pm) 

Ranted by The Ranter