Daniel Boulud’s name is synonymous with fine dining in New York, and his signature Manhattan restaurant DB Bistro Moderne at Marina Bay Sands needs no introduction.

While the general taste is not fantastically out of the world, the food is always consistently good. These days, sadly, even the better restaurants have neglected this point. There is nothing more disappointing than to return to a restaurant only to find that your favourite dish is not as good as before. And it is especially not acceptable at fine dining restaurants where we have to pay so much for a meal.

However, this is not the case at DB Bistro Moderne. we have dined there on many occasions and we are glad to say that they have always maintained a high standard.

The Wild Mushroom Soup ($15) came first. It was decent, but nothing much to speak about. This was followed by the Seared Foie Gras ($39) with a brioche toast and spiced apple marmalade. The foie gras was a mouthful of delicious richness bite after bite. I would be hard-pressed to find a better one in town.

The Lobster Salad ($36) – with avocado, tomatoes, green beans, artichoke and basil aioli – while good, was nothing fantastic. DB Bistro also features other salads such as the Frisee Salad Lyonnaise ($24), Roasted Beetroot Salad ($25), Iceberg & Blue Cheese ($23).

For appetisers, we would recommend the Ratatouille ($20). The classic vegetable stew was hearty and very comforting. It was the perfect start to the meal and whetted my appetite for the main courses.

Rested on a bed of greens – tomatoes, artichokes, carrots and salsa verde – the Line Caught Tuna ($39( was meaty and very fresh.

The Saffron Tagliolini ($24 appetiser, $36 main course), on the other hand, did not leave a strong impression. It was not mindbogglingly good, but it was decent with the delicious spanner crab. The other pasta option on the menu is the Tagliatelle Nero ($24 appetiser, $36 main course), but if I was you, I would skip the pastas and go for the main courses.

Coq au Vin ($34), a traditional French dish, is one of the highlights of the menu. DB Bistro’s rendition was very good. I would strongly recommend to go for this.

Our favourite dish was DB Bistro’s Duck Confit ($36), cooked so that the skin was crisp, but the meat tender and flavourful, and served with savoy cabbage and olive oil crushed potatoes.

The DB Burger ($42), pictured in the first photo, also lived up to its name. A juicy and superb burger with seared foie gras in the middle. This was heaven on a plate. Definitely one of the best burgers around. That said, I am not sure if I would pay so much for a burger.

We had the Australian Flank ($45) and USDA Prime Ribeye ($80). The former was pretty decent, but in no way comparable to the latter. The ribeye was tender and full of flavour, with a good proportion of fat to lean meat. If I close my eyes, I can still imagine the tender steak. The fries were excellent, too.

For their winter menu, DB Bistro had a Chestnut Souffle ($15). It was nicely paired with a blackcurrant sorbet, which provided a good counterbalance to the hot chocolate sauce. However, on a recent visit, we found out that it was replaced by a Durian Royal Souffle ($15) with mangosteen sorbet.

We also sampled the Chocolate Passionfruit Fondant – a luscious mix of the rich and sweet dark chocolate with a slightly sourish passionfruit.

The de-constructed Apple Mille-Feuille ($15) — apple confit, phyllo dough, mascarpone mousse, green apple sorbet — was also delightful with its contrast of textures and flavours.

If you are too full for desserts, you must at least order the Madeleine ($8) for the table to share.

A meal at DB Bistro Moderne, I must say, is not cheap. But it offers an excellent value considering that it is all delivered well on the plates in a sexy venue. For those who are on a budget, go for their pre-theatre dinner (5.30pm – 7pm) at $68++/pax for a three course prix fixe menu.

DB Bistro Moderne
10 Bayfront Avenue
#B1-48 Galleria Level, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
Tel: +65 6688 8525

Mon to Fri (Lunch): 12pm – 5pm
Sat & Sun (Brunch): 11am – 5pm
Sun & Mon (Dinner): 5.30pm – 10pm
Tue to Sat (Dinner): 5.30pm – 11pm

I am big fan of burgers. To me, nothing beats a good juicy burger. I have gone on a guest to find the best burgers in Singapore, and here are the results.

DB Bistro

The DB Burger ($42) lived up to its name. A juicy and superb burger with seared foie gras in the middle. This was heaven on a plate. Definitely one of the best burgers around. But with its price tag, it is not something that we can eat on a regular basis.

10 Bayfront Avenue
#B1-48 Galleria Level
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
Tel: +65 6688 8525
Nearest Station: Bayfront

De Burg Burger

De Burg has pretty good burgers and most of them are priced reasonably. Their tag-line is “Burgers are not fast food”, and we wholeheartedly agree. Come here for a no-frills and well-prepared burger.

119 Bukit Merah Lane 1
#01-40 Stall 1&2 Singapore
Nearest Station: Tiong Bahru

Epicurious Cafe

When I am having brunch at Epicurious Cafe – besides ordering the egg dishes – I also like to go for their Epicurious Burger ($18). And for the “full epicurious burger experience”, add cheese, bacon and egg ($4 for all 3 toppings).

392 Upper Bukit Timah Road
The Rail Mall
Tel: +65 6894 5926
Nearest Station: Clementi

Fatboy’s Burger Bar

Fatboy’s Burger Bar has many options on the menu, but what makes them special is that there is the option of building your own burger. Otherwise, just go for their signature Fatboy’s Bastard Burger.

187 Upper Thomson Road
Tel: +65 6252 8780
Nearest Station: Marymount

Huber’s Butchery & Bistro

Huber’s Butchery & Bistro has a very good burger ($15) with a solid beef patty topped with caramelised onions, melted cheese sandwiched between a softly-toasted and buttery bun.

18A Dempsey Road
Tel: +65 6737 1588
Tue to Fri: 11am – 7pm
Sat & Sun: 9.30am – 7pm
Closed on Mon
Nearest Station: Orchard

Roadhouse Restaurant

There are many options on Roadhouse’s menu, but my favourite choice is the Bacon Marinated Burger ($23) – homemade bun, streaky bacons, caramelised onions, sauteed mushrooms, and 170g Josper-grilled wagyu patty. Utterly delicious.

13 Dempsey Road #01-07
Tel: +65 6476 2922
Mon to Fri: 10.30am – 2.30pm, 6.30pm – 10pm
Sat & Sun: 9am – 4pm, 6.30pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Orchard

Morton’s The Steakhouse Bar

With a price tag of $30, one would expect a lot from the Morton’s USDA Prime Burger. Does it really live up to expectations? We are happy to report that it is excellent. Juicy, tender, and flavourful, the prime burger from the bar at Morton’s Steakhouse sets a high benchmark for the other places in the market.

5 Raffles Avenue 4F
Mandarin Oriental Singapore
Tel: +65 6339 3740
Nearest Station: City Hall

Omakase Burger

Omakase cheeseburger ($13.90) is made up of a delicious hand-ground beef patty with melted cheese, lettuce, tomato and sauce in a nicely toasted bun. The perfect burger? Almost. Omakase’s burger was indeed very good, but it was tiny and not exactly as satisfying. That said, I have had plenty of mediocre burgers with much higher price tags, so it is still probably one of the better burgers around.

200 Turf Club Road
#01-05 The Grandstand
Tel: +65 6763 2698
Mon to Thu: 11.30am – 3.30pm, 5pm – 9.30pm
Fri to Sun: 11am to 10pm
Nearest Station: Clementi

OverEasy One Fullerton

The “To-die-for” Burger at OverEasy isn’t exactly to-die-for. But it is one of the few places (except 24 hours McDonald’s) that allows you to have your burger late at night, with a pint of beer no less.

1 Fullerton Road
#01-06 One Fullerton
Tel: +65 6423 0701
Nearest Station: Raffles City

Relish Restaurant

Relish by Wild Rocket is an upmarket burger restaurant in Singapore. Most of the burgers are priced between $14 – 18, which I have to say is excellent value for the quality. The Wild Rocket Burger - a medium-rare beef patty sandwiched between two toasted bun, with arugula, sarawak pepper cream and sun-dried tomato relish – is comfort food at its best, and something that you can eat on a regular basis.

Other burgers on the menu include: Blue Cheese & William Pear Beef Burger ($18.50), Chicken Satay Burger ($14.60), Bacon & Cheese Beef Burger ($16.40), and a Soft Shell Chilli Crab Burger ($15.60), which was surprisingly good.

1 Maju Avenue
#02-07/09 myVillage at Serangoon Garden
Tel: +65 6634 3422
Mon to Fri: 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 11pm
Sat & Sun: 12pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Serangoon

Riders Cafe

The Riders Burger ($17) is very good. Nothing too fanciful, just a solid burger with nicely seasoned fries. Definitely one of the best burgers that you can get for under @$20.

51 Fairways Drive
Bukit Timah Saddle Club
Tel: +65 6466 9819
Sun to Thu: 8am – 9pm
Fri & Sat: 8am – 10pm
Closed on Mon

Smok’Inn Frogz Kitchen

For a good and satisfying beef burger, head to Smok’Inn Frogz Kitchen. And the best part is you do not have to break the bank for it.

879 Bukit Timah Road
Bar Bar Black Sheep

Suprette

Another burger that we like is the Suprette Burger ($24). It comes with a tasty beef patty topped with gruyere cheese in a nicely-toasted bun. There is the option of adding sides – such as bacon, mushroom, avocado, or foie gras – but the burger is so good on its own that you won’t need them.

383 Jalan Besar
Kam Leng Hotel
Tel: +65 6298 8962
Daily: 7am – 12 midnight
Nearest Station: Lavender

&Made

&Made is a burger joint by the Delicia Group and Chef Bruno Menard, who previously helmed a 3-Michelin Star restaurant in Tokyo.

I have been to &Made several times, and while their burgers are made of good quality ingredients, they lack a certain ‘oomph’. In short, they are decent, but not life-changing.

That said, I still believe that &Made is worth a visit for two reasons. First, the location at Pacific Plaza is not only very convenient, but also relatively quiet – I can have a nice dinner without facing the crazy crowd in town. Second, the burgers, while not out-of-this-world good, are simple and comforting.

#01-04/05/06 Pacific Plaza
9 Scotts Road
Tel: +65 6690 7566
Sun to Thu: 10am – 10pm
Fri & Sat: 10am – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Orchard