Update 19 Jan 2025: Lil’s Taproom has closed.
Burger hunters and craft beer lovers, mark this place as your new hideout. Lil’s Taproom & Kitchen Playground has been around as a gastropub for a fair bit, but recently revamped its burger menu after taking over the reins from HAMBAOBAO, a hawker stall-turned-local burger brand.
Tucked away on the third level of Trio Building in Jalan Besar, one would never have guessed this nondescript building would be home to a hidden gem of gastronomic pleasures.
Lil’s Taproom & Kitchen Playground is fitted with an eclectic selection of furnitures and fixtures that don’t quite go together visually, yet somehow works. While it’s relatively calm on weekend afternoons, I imagine this place gets quite packed and lively come nighttime, especially with its craft beer and wine selection.
Pricing is also on the unique side, with an “order more, pay less” concept. If you’re confused by the menu (or Hum Sup Cuisine V.1 as it’s cheekily named), it’s $18+ for 1 dish ordered, $17+ per dish for 3 dishes ordered, and $16+ per dish ($1 off for members) for 5 dishes ordered. No girl math required.
Burgers at Lil’s Taproom & Kitchen Playground are a messy affair, but that’s part of the fun.
While I never got around to trying HAMBAOBAO before it closed, I was curious to see where Lil’s Taproom’s kitchen experiments had taken them. The aptly-named Cheeseburger ($18+), born from the kitchen’s attempt “to make the best patty”, boasts a hefty 150g MS8/9+ wagyu layered with melted cheese and fresh onions. The result is a mouthwatering stack of umami, saucy flavours.
A Cheese Burger ($18+)
The fan favourite, Crispy Pork Belly Burger from the HAMBAOBAO days lives on in some way, through the Bossam Burger ($18+). This Asian-inspired creation bears Chinese and Korean influences, from the fatty steamed pork belly to the spicy and sour kimchi.
The star of the show here is the pork belly which is fatty and tender, with a sweet taste added by the sticky espresso miso glaze. Overall, it’s another deliciously messy affair, generously portioned and decadent to the last bite.
Bossam Burger ($18+)
Aside from its hearty burgers and sharing plates, customers can also pair their beers with snacks and desserts from the Huat Snacks ($8+ each). The Asian Polygon is somewhat like a DIY snack plate comprising your favourite bar snacks, such as wasabi peas, seaweed, muruku, and two sticks of Thai spicy squid.
Asian Polygon ($8+)
For the sweet-toothed, there is Ginger Key Lime Tart and Kaya Toast Crème Brûlée. I found the sweetness for the latter to be on the intense side, with the pandan coconut egg custard pudding veering on the slightly watery side.
If you’re feeling on the adventurous side, check out Some Random Shit which gets you whatever the team has cooked up for the day.
Kaya Toast Crème Brûlée ($8+)
Lil’s Taproom & Kitchen Playground lives up to its name as an experimental gastropub that dishes up some mean, if not slightly pricey creations. I’d be curious to see what they cook up for V.2 of Hum Sup Cuisine!
Address: 11 Sam Leong Road, Trio Building, 03-08, Singapore 207903
Google Maps
Nearest MRT: Jalan Besar DT22
Opening Hours:
Monday, Wednesday and Thursday: 2pm – 11pm
Friday: 2pm – 12mn
Saturday: 12pm – 12mn
Sunday: 12pm – 11pm
Closed on Tuesday
Contact: +65 9475 1457
chueonit.
Chue On It 