Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Gourmet Burger: Relish

Relish, I like how the word reminds me of delish... I decided to actually take a look at the definition of the word and here is what I found at the Merriam-Webster dictionary online.

Main Entry: 1rel·ish
Pronunciation: \ˈre-lish\
Function: noun
Etymology: alteration of Middle English reles odor, taste, from Middle French, something left behind, release — more at release
Date: 1530

1: characteristic flavor ; especially : pleasing or zestful flavor
2: a quantity just sufficient to flavor or characterize : trace
3 a: enjoyment of or delight in something that satisfies one's tastes, inclinations, or desires b: a strong liking : inclination
4 a: something adding a zestful flavor ; especially : a condiment (as of pickles or green tomatoes) eaten with other food to add flavor b: appetizer, hors d'oeuvre

The view of the restaurant from the escalator

I think the owner was playing with all these meanings though number 4 came pretty strongly to me as this is a burger place and what is a burger without the relishes?

The bar & kitchen entrance

The menu board and entrance

It took a while for me, S and E to reach Relish as we couldn't explain clearly where Cluny Court is to the taxi driver as none of us drive in Singapore. I could picture the place in my head but I have no idea the road names and how to get there exactly. When we finally got there, the place had quieted down a lot as it was Sunday night. Once we reached the building, we spent another 5 minutes looking where exactly the restaurant is when finally we took the escalator up to the second floor, above Cold Storage.

The first thing that struck me was the space and the airiness of the restaurant. The glass windows gave everyone a clear glimpse of what the people in the restaurant are up to, not in a fishbowl kind of feeling though. The wooden chairs and tables made it felt like you were sitting outside on a patio. The windows and some potted greens on the inside also contribute to the outdoorsy feelings.

Potted plant inside making it feels like you are outside minus Singapore 100% humidity

We ended up ordering: Bacon and Cheese Beef Burger, Chicken Masak Merah Burger, Seafood Burger with Lemon Mayo and a side of onion rings. The burgers were roughly 15-18 SGD. The onion rings came with chili sauce, ketchup and mayo. P asked for the hot sauce as she's been there before. The onion rings were crunchy and the red hot sauce tasted good, but there were too much flour and not much of the onions... I think they need to let go a bit of the flour on those onion rings then it'd be just perfect.

Onion rings with various sauces: (l-r) Cholula Hot sauce, Chili, Ketchup and Mayo

Cross section of the seafood burger (you can just ask them to cut the burger in half for you)

The Seafood with Lemon Mayo burger
(The half bitten onion ring wasn't supposed to be there...)

I tried both the seafood burger, which was what I ordered and P's Chicken Masak Merah (Chicken cooked in red sauce). My seafood burger tasted seafood-y enough, but I couldn't really taste the crab, fish, prawn and octopus it said it contained. Well, I suppose that's what happened when you mince and mix them. I also wished that the lemon mayo was stronger. Don't get me wrong, the burger was good but I have always preferred a strong more decisive flavors in my food.

Chicken Masak Merah Burger

The Chicken Masak Merah was interesting as it's a fusion of fast food, Western and Malaysian. The chicken fillet was crunchy and I could taste the red sauce but how lovely would it be if it was more pronounced. The breads were fluffy enough and the fries were crisp and soft.

Bacon and Cheese Beef Burger

Cross section of Bacon and Cheese Beef Burger

So, is this Relish a definition of the word? Sure, the burgers were pleasing, the atmosphere was an enjoyment and the patties varieties are a delight to one's taste.

Would I come again? Probably yes, but perhaps not in a hurry. Next time I go there, it would probably for the atmosphere, to have some chillaxing time with friends or to try the Blue Cheese & William Pear Burger. Oh, and I would tell them to go a little crazy on the sauces.

Relish
Cluny Court
#02-01, 501 Bukit Timah Rd
Singapore
Click here for website
+65 6763 1547

2 comments:

  1. I found this comment really useful as am going here tonight with friends. I printed out the address to show the cab driver and I think I will stear clear of the seafood burgers and ask for more sauce!!! So thank you!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Glad this post could be of help! Did your cabby managed to find the place without getting lost? Hope you found the burgers alright.

    ReplyDelete

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