The Handburger at 313 Somerset

It's been awhile since we had a good burger, and my previous post on the Fergburger did prove to be one of my most read posts. So, we decided to head to 313's The Handburger place to try it out.

We had heard so much about this gourmet burger joint, and had previously walked past this place many times during our shopping stints in 313.

The burger place is nicely laid out in plain but comforting colors, and diners are seated along long tables instead of individual ones. Whilst it did feel a bit compact at times, it was really quite suitable for the type of food they were serving.

Speaking of food, The Handburger is distinguishing itself by coming up with clever twists on the simple burger theme, by mixing gourmet cuisine with traditional burger concepts. The result was pretty good, if not, great at times.

Onion Rings

We started off with some onion rings and they were certainly done right. Nice crispy batter, and well deep fried, they did look pretty yummy when they landed on our table.

Chilled Stuff Tomato

The chilled stuffed tomato sounded like one of those things that should not have turned out as good as it eventually did, but it was one of our highlights of this meal. Tangy coleslaw was embedded in this cold dish, and somehow, the chilled aspect of this tomato really paired well with the coleslaw. Never too sour or tangy, the flavors were just nicely balanced.

The Works

As the name implied, the works basically had everything but the kitchen sink thrown in. Crispy bacon, mushrooms, egg and a nicely done NZ beef patty, it was a delicious burger by any standard. But, for me, the Fergburger still reigns supreme.

Duck Confit Burger

The duck confit burger was a bold experiment, and I felt it succeeded to a certain extent. The duck meat itself was a bit dry and slighly chewy, but the nice acidity of the mandarin orange on top, with a dose of orange sauce did bring out the flavors of a classic duck confit dish nicely.

If you like burgers, and like them with a different twist, then The Handburger is a good place to try. It was very packed the Saturday that we were there, and it was a mostly hip and young crowd. If anything else, it is always good to have more interesting burger places in town to try besides the usual suspects.

The Handburger @313
#B-17/18/19
313 Somerset, Orchard Road