Everytime I passed by smok'inn frogz kitchen, it seemed almost surreal... It's populated by people who seem to have no cares in the world - just chillin' with their friends, soaking in the relaxed atmosphere.

Having said that, being inside the 'restaurant/coffeeshop/premises', it actually just feels like a coffeeshop. heh. I suppose, a feel somewhat like Botak Jones.

I must say that while everyone comes here to try out the famous beef burger, I am more captivated by its seemingly more boring counterpart - the chicken burger.

I have tried the beef burger on my first visit (i mean, it IS customary right?) and i found it to be above average - not bad but not oh-my-gosh-its-so-good inducing. It has a nice beefy taste, not too dry, lovely buttered bun that is lightly toasted.

But the chicken burger on the other hand, it really impressed me. the chicken pieces are juicy and succulent with a lovely sweet thai sauce (if i'm not wrong) coating each piece! and they are really quite generous with the meat. it also comes with the nicely toasted bun =) the fries are quite outstanding too! AND it is value for money in my opinion.

and so now everytime I pass by smok'inn frogz kitchen, i dream about eating a chicken burger. mmm...

Hooray for me, because I work nearby and have trouped down to this outlet for dinner a few times. I've had...

- a chunky beef burger that comes with grilled onions and cheese and what-not (no sunny eggs though but that suits me perfectly). The soft and tasty bun was actually the best part of it to me, as were the thick-cut chips!

- simple prawn aglio olio. The number of prawns was generous and they were plump and juicy, the pasta had a nice bite and the spiciness was just enough to make my mouth glow (I requested for less chili).

- a braised chicken leg in garlic sauce, plus mash and salad. The gravy wasn't too pungent, the chicken was tender and tasty, and it wasn't too dry either. I'm still bad at distinguishing butter from margarine so I won't comment on the mash.

The folks at the stall provide friendly service and the nice part is that it's all prepared-to-order. There are copies of Banter to read and take away while you're waiting, and there's draught and bottled beer of all kinds at the next stall if you so like.

I was first alerted to this place by Cloudgal and Contrarian who raved about this little known eatery so I figured I had to check it out. After a long day at work, I trotted down to this outlet in Upper Bukit Timah to check it out.

Located in a wooden built-up area, this is an informal area ideal for friends to catch up for a cheap drink after along day at the office.
Started by Francois of Flutes of The Fort, this little eatery whips out a mean and affordable western fare.

I started with the Calamari, which left me disappointed as it was too chewy and the batter was over-fried.

For my main course I tried the Beef Steak, which was a nice tender medium rare beef and priced very affordably at less than $20. The meat was juicy and the bouquet of vegetables on the side were delicious as well. Certainly good value for money.

The stall serves an interesting beef pasta but I decided not to adventurous and tried a little of the Prawn Aglio Olio. With six juicy succulent large prawns, this dish was another winner.

Service staff were very enthusiastic and eager to please. At this price point, I must say it is very good value for money. I left pretty impressed.

Heard many good things about this tiny little stall serving up handmade beef burgers that were purportedly one of the best around. Apparently its burger is so well known that it featured in one of the recent articles in the Straits Times.

Occupying one of the four F&B units at a small alfresco dining area along Bukit Timah Road, Smok'inn Frogz plays neighbour to an Indian food stall, a Thai food stall and a small bar counter. And that is where its charm lies. Seating on high wooden stools against the backdrop of million dollar homes, all in a fan induced cool environment has a certain laid back charm to it.

Calamari ($8) - At $8 a basket, the calamari wasn't too expensive really and came rather well done. The batter wasn't too thick and didn't come across as too oily while the squid retained some of its elasticity and chewiness. Only thing that I thought could have been improved was the frying time. The batter was deep fried for a little too long, rendering it a darker shade of golden brown.

Homemade Beef Burger ($12)- Being a fan of beef burgers, I was most eager to try out their much raved about homemade beef burger. While the burger was very decent with the texture of the patty uneven and full of bite yet retaining its tenderness, I did find it lacking in the inherent beefy taste, which kinda took some points off the score. $12 gets you the burger and some fries with a small serving of salad as well.

$20 for a meal is rather reasonable for the quantity and quality of food. Drinks can be bought from the neighbouring stall at $1.50 per can of soft drink and if you need a quick Thai or Indian fix, there's the other stalls as well.

See all my pictures here.

Gonna keep this short and sweet. Kind of sleepy now, typing this review at almost 12mn.

Had the Beer Battered Fish and Chips ($12) instead of the famous Beef Burger ($12). Fren was having the burger and I pinched a bit instead.
The Fish and Chips were actually average. Felt that the seasoning of the fish fillet could be better. Hmm. I think I still like M** M**'s version. The Fish and Chips were served with a salad and vinagrette dressing and huge pile of fries. Fries were nice tho. Yummy! Portion was really big and so its advisable for ppl with small appetites to share.

Pinched a bit of my fren's burger and found it slightly dry. :/ So much for being famous. But according to my fren who had tried the burger many times, this was the only time that somehow the burger standard not up to par. Hmm. Maybe I am just suay that day. Duh.

Well, perhaps will chk it out again when I have the chance since there is a testimony that the usual standard is not like that. :)