Carl’s Jr

C says:

Just when I thought that I’d be having lots more Carl’s Jr after moving office to One Raffles Quay, the Robinson Road outlet closed down shortly before I moved office to make way for Harry’s @ Raffles Quay. Talk about sucky timing.

Thankfully, Carl’s Jr is one of the many many MANY stores that have opened or are opening at the new Vivo City. Random aside: it’s quite fun to play ‘Guess what brand isn’t at Vivo City”. A and I decided to brave the throngs of people on Hari Raya Puasa and visited Vivo City. Lots of the food outlets aren’t open yet but Carl’s Jr is, and compared to Crystal Jade and the food courts, it was relatively empty so we went for it.

For anyone who hasn’t yet been to Carl’s Jr, do note that it isn’t in the same league as Macs or Burger King, both in terms of quality and price. A burger alone will set you back between $6 and $9, and add another $4 or so to that if you want a combo meal with a drink and fries. The burgers are much bigger though, and the burger patties are far superior – meaty and juicy and, dare I say, better than the dry patties at Uberburger.

I used to like the Guacamole and Bacon burger, but it’s ridiculously messy to eat, with guacamole oozing and dripping everywhere, and can also get a little gelak because of the richness of the guacamole. My latest favourite is the Portobello Mushroom burger, a fairly recent addition to their menu. Think of this as a much better and much higher-end version of the BK Mushroom Swiss. The Carl’s one has either one or two patties, tomato, lettuce, onion, cheese, a delicious mushroom sauce and sliced portobello mushrooms. Delicious! A had their latest burger, a sort-of limited edition “Try Now” promotion called the Pastrami burger, with thinly sliced pastrami slices on top of the beef patty, so it’s essentially two different types of meat. I’ll leave him to tell you about it.

I actually think that the Robinson Road branch served slightly better and juicier burgers but oh well, it’s a moot point now that it’s closed down. Still, as burgers go Carl’s is still pretty good. Just don’t expect fast food prices. Oh, and the servers at the Vivo City branch certainly left a lot to be desired. No “Hi” or “Welcome to Carl’s Jr”, just sullen faces waiting for us to place our order. Quite different from almost all the other stores at Vivo City who are so eager to please because they’ve just opened.

A says:

C’s said everything. Good burgers. Not cheap. Not consistent. Worth a try. Definitely a must for burger lovers.

Also, the pastrami in the Pastrami Burger (Hurry, limited time only!) did overpower the beef patty but I’m not complaining. Almost like having a Reuben.

Note to self: try the cookies and cream shake next time.