SINGAPORE: Walking into 8ash will immediately transport you back into the 90s American Diner. After the closing of Billy Bombers, this might be the last "Diner" with neon lights and fake leather booths in Singapore. 8ash is made up of 3 restaurants, each with its own menus.
Love Handle Burgers
Mirai Burgers
Hoshi Hill
Love Handle Burgers is fully vegan and in classic American style. Serving flavourful plant-based burgers using ingredients suitable for vegans and vegetarians. Using meat alternatives such as Impossible Meat and TiNDLE with custom vegan brioche buns, even a meat-eater like me is super impressed by it. If meat alternative is not your thing, they also have Mushroom Cheese with mushroom and vegan cheese; and Breakfast Vegan with eggless frittata, hashbrown and vegan cheese.
For me, I am here for TiNDLE (A Singapore-Based Startup making alternative chicken). I have tried alternative beef, but this is the first time I tried an alternative to chicken tight. Boy, I am impressed.
Hot TiNDLE Chicken Burger S$18
Southern-fried TiNDLE chicken brushed with a hot and spicy marinade topped with cabbage slaw and stuffed between fluffy vegan brioche.
I will not say this is 100% the same as real chicken, but I agree that the texture and bite feel the same. As the patty is deep-fried, the taste profile is absolutely delicious. Or it might be a case of "Everything Tastes Better When It's Fried!". However, I wonder how this TiNDLE meat will taste like in a stir fry or other cooking methods.
Filet-o-Fishless S$16.50
Tangy, herby tartare sauce and a whole cheddar-style slice on top of a generous stack of flakey, crumbed fishless sticks. This one’s got no allium, no fish, and we know how much you’ve missed this.
My first impression of Filet-o-Fishless was not positive. The bun didn't look soft, and it had frozen fish fingers in it. However, with my first bite, the only word I can think of was "McDonald's" !!! First of all, the bun is not what I was expecting. It is a soft bun. You can get the crunch from the fishless fingers and the familiar tanginess from the tartar sauce. Being a fan of filet-o-fish, I don't mind having this as a replacement at all. It is also the only allium free burger on the menu.
Cream Spinach Loaded Fries S$9
Get a load of this: the comfort of crispy battered straight cut fries, topped off with a nutritious serving of our house special cream spinach. Make your belly happy and your momma proud at the same time.
Tempura Broccolini S$8
Watch out for this snack attack. Golden, crunchy, tempura-battered Broccolini, sweet soy drizzle. So good, it'll take you by surprise.
There must be fries when you have a burger meal. At Love Handle Burgers, they topped it with Cream Spinach instead of the usual cheese or beef topping. This is a miss for me. I was expecting the spinach to have a meat sauce-like consistency. Unfortunately, it is a big lump of fibrous green that cannot spread evenly over the fries. I ended using my fork to break up the green lump trying to get some spinach onto my fries...I failed.
The Tempura Broccolini is as the name implied, and the taste was just as expected. For those who hate broccolini, this should be acceptable.
I am in an American Diner, and I must have a root beer float which makes the meal no longer vegan!!
On the other visit, I wanted to check Mirai Burgers and Hoshi Hill. Upon looking at the menu, my greed overtook my common sense. I ordered 2 burgers and a side to share. By side, I mean a Donburi...LOL
Wagyu Burger S$15
Wagyu, Cheddar, Provolone, Pickles, Onions
Nanban Chicken Burger S$18
Japanese Fried Chicken, Nanban Sauce, Shredded White Cabbage
Hoshi Seafood Donburi S$32
Hokkaido Scallops, amaebi, fried amaebi heads, salmon sashimi, ikura, and tobiko
I am not going to minced my words or use some fancy words to describe the burgers. I will say they are so good, and I ended up ordering the 3rd burger. Moreover, I was fascinated and eager to try other items on the menu.
For the 3rd burger, I have decided to go for pork since I have already tried beef and chicken.
Katsu Okonomiyaki Burger S$16
Pork Katsu, Bonito Flakes, Bulldog sauce, Kewpie, Lettuce
The final verdict, Wagyu Burger is the BEST. The Nanban Chicken Burger is excellent. For the Katsu Okonomiyaki Burger, it is just average. It might be because I was already full by then.
This is such a great concept. When you cannot decide between American or Japanese, or to have vegan once in a while. Just head down to 8ash and have it all.
Address: 8 Ann Siang Hill, Singapore 069788