Wednesday, April 29, 2009

US$5K Burger Shocker!

A Mediterannean cruise, exquisite jewellery, designer wear - luxuries that people wouldn't bat an eyelid if you paid S$7,500 for any of them. But would you be willing to pay that same price for a burger? Given that they're not exactly gold crusted sesame-seed buns with gold bar patties, you just have very expensive ingredients going into the burger. Plus, it's paired with a bottle of French vintage wine that dates back to 1990.

Never have I heard of a fine-dining burger meal until now! Well okay, we did have Uber Burger - Singapore's first (and last) gourmet burger restaurant and bar formerly at Millenia Walk. It closed just over two years ago despite the hype surrounding it's premium wagyu beef burger with a S$101 price tag. Now that I've met the chef behind a S$7,500 burger meal, a hundred bucks is pittance for my favourite 'bun-wich'!

According to Master Chef Laurent Pillard of Burger Bar fame in Las Vegas, the ingredients used for this ostentatious burger are:
Kobe beef with foie gras and black truffles, served with fries and potatoes cooked in olive oil with herbs like thyme, basil, rosemary and garlic. Plus truffle jus and pink and black salt from Hawaii.


I told myself that I had to make it down to the media tasting of Chef Laurent's spread. This burger that would wipe out two to three months of the average worker's wages intrigued me. So off I sped to The Prime Society - the host restaurant for Chef Laurent during his participation in this year's World Gourmet Summit.

I admit I was disappointed the burger that had made headlines wasn't making my dinner table! Otherwise, I would have given you an informed review on whether the price was reasonable (FAR FROM IT!), worth paying for (NEVER EVEN IF I WAS AT THE BRINK OF DEATH FROM STARVATION!) or way under-priced ("IS THIS THE GATE TO HEAVEN?").

Would Chef Laurent pay US$5,000 for the baffling burger? He leaned back in his seat, folded his arms and half whispered a 'no'. Enough said. But those burgers are still moving at Burger Bar (though not the fastest-selling of what's on the menu, where you have the option of 'building' your own burger).

He tells me his restaurant also serves milkshakes where you can choose to blend in gummies, marshmellows and other sweet delights!

But what captured my attention were the sweet burgers on the menu which I thought were real novel and instead of scribbling down what they served up there, here's a photo of that portion of the menu Chef Laurent had brought along with him.

For all its casinos, Las Vegas was never an attraction for me until I laid eyes on the menu of Burger Bar! The price of a sweet burger? Sweet! So sweet your dentist would love you!

* * *

In town for the World Gourmet Summit, Chef Laurent Pillard presents
an Epicurean Delights menu at
The Prime Society till 1st May.
Call 6474-7427 for reservations.
(Selected photos of his dishes are presented below)









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