Potato Head Folk & Three Buns
36 Keong Saik Road
http://www.pttheadfolk.com/
http://www.threebuns.com/
Eclectic, Whimsical, Vintage Decor & Tasty But Overpriced Burgers
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 9
Food & Beverage: 7
Service: 6
Value for Money: 4
Spent about SGD $55 per person.
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Opening in June 2014 along Keong Saik Road, the Potato Head Folk, in partnership with Three Buns, is the latest fashionable eatery under the umbrella of the Potato Head lifestyle group. Potato Head Folk & Three Buns looks set to be just as popular as their other, internationally reowned outlets in Indonesia, including the Potato Head Brasserie and Potato Head Garage in Jakarta, and Potato Head Beach Club in Bali. A tie-up with Australian artist David Bromley to decorate the place has resulted in a quirky aesthetic, a big part of the appeal of dining here.
Ambience at Potato Head Folk & Three Buns is novel, vibrant, and whimsical. Housed in a historic building, the 'Kitchen' on the 1st level is an organic community space, created for takeaway, counter dining, or street side dining, with a bustling, open atmosphere. The 'Dining Room' on the 2nd level is adorned with whimsical hand painted murals, well curated sculptures and art pieces, as well as eclectic vintage furniture that is functional, spacious, and comfortable, for casual sit-down dining. 'Studio1939' on the 3rd level is a cozy, intimate lounge and bar, whose elegant, sophisticated decor, and plush leather or rattan lounge chairs, lend well to long, relaxing conversations. Finally, 'The Rooftop' is a relaxing, bohemian tiki alfresco / outdoor dining space with an urban herb garden, offering views of the surrounding heritage shophouses and tall skyscrapers in the nearby business district.
Service at Potato Head Folk & Three Buns is decent enough. Staff give a good first impression with their snappy dressing and greetings, and will seat you quickly. They're also knowledgable enough about the various items on the menu, able to provide simple descriptions when asked, and able to offer recommendations. This also extends to drinks, as staff are able to describe the various alcohol available. However, they stike me as rather aloof and somewhat impatient when taking orders, like they're rushing you to make up your mind. While they do clear empty / dirty tables quickly and efficiently, they're not proactive, as they don't check on your meal, or whether you require more drinks. Decent service overall, but could be so much better.
Food at Potato Head Folk is provided by Three Buns, a Western gourmet burger joint. Opened by Executive Chef Adam Penney; who worked in various restaurants in London, England, including under Chef Gordon Ramsay in Aubergine Restaurant; the food here is mostly handmade, including the burger patties, sauces (even the ketchup and mayonnaise is home made), and the artisanal burger buns, which are baked fresh twice a day for lunch and dinner. Their burgers are juicy and packed with flavour, but the use of premium ingredients and a bespoke approach means that prices are high as well. Burgers are priced ala-carte, without any side dishes, not even fries. Budget about SGD $35 per person for a burger, side, and drink here. Portions are decently sized for 1, or 2, people at most. Overall good food, but be prepared to spend!
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While the whole building belongs to them, each level is styled differently. While the 1st level resembles a takeaway joint styled after a retro Singaporean coffee shop, the casual, whimisical atmosphere on the 2nd level reminds me of Cirque Du Soleil.
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| Potato Head Folk Signage |
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| Potato Head Folk Building |
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| Potato Head Folk - Three Buns Seating |
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| Potato Head Folk - Three Buns Decor |
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| Potato Head Folk - Three Buns Paintings & Sculptures |
Eclectic paintings, furniture, and decor abound, each a thought provoking / startling piece on its own. As befitting of its roots, there are homages to Balinese culture, as well as Burger culture! The Potato Head Folk & Three Buns menu is clear and has good descriptions of each item.
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| Wolf & Bird |
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| Boy & Flying Fox |
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| Burger Stool |
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| Burger Lamp |
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| Three Buns Menu 01 |
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| Three Buns Menu 02 |
The Cider Albens Original Apple (SGD $16) is a fine English style cider, brewed by cold filtering apples that were matured naturally. This cool, clear golden beverage is refreshing and crisp, with a medium sweetness and light body. And it's actually produced in Bali, Indonesia!
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| Cider Albens Original Apple |
The rather weak Cocktail Moscow Mule (SGD $17) may have the necessary ingredients of Wyborowa vodka, lime juice, and ginger beer, but lacks that strong, burning punch I usually associate with this cocktail. Seems a lot more tame and watered down than elsewhere. Skip this.
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| Cocktail Moscow Mule |
The taste profile of the Ginger Ninja (SGD $7) was so similar to the Cocktail Moscow Mule, I swear it's made with exactly the same ingredients, save for the addition of some fizzy ginger beer. Too alike, terrible!
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| Ginger Ninja |
You can always get a refreshing cup of Ice Water With Lemon Slice (SGD $0), which is complimentary here. Noticed they actually serve it with a custom designed cup!
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| Ice Water With Lemon Slice |
The deliciously named Naughty Fries (SGD $10) feature piping hot, thickly sliced, hand cut potatoes, topped with American style minced beef chili con carne, crisp fried shallots, parmesan cheese, sesame seeds, and a spicy, tangy bearnaise sauce. Incredibly tasty, the combination of flavours; sweet, savoury, spicy, make this, in my opinion, an outstanding dish! It also won approval from the ladies in our group!
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| Naughty Fries |
The Wing-Its (SGD $10) consist of a basket of twice cooked drumettes and winglets, tossed in smoky, savoury, slightly sweet, slightly tangy barbecue / BBQ sauce, and garnished with scallions and chili. The chicken skin is not soggy despite the sauce, while the meat is tender and fresh, peeling off the bone easily. Decent side dish / appetizer, but not something truely memorable.
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| Wing-Its |
The Johnny Drum Private Stock Bourbon Pickled Onions (SGD $9) feature pearl onions pickled in the 15 year aged Johnny Drum bourbon from Kentucky, United States Of America. This makes the pearl onions juicy and tangy, with a slightly sour, slightly sweet, palate cleansing refreshing taste. Pretty good, pity about the small portion though, which makes this way overpriced in my opinion.
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| Johnny Drum Private Stock Bourbon Pickled Onions |
The much raved about Burger Baby Huey (SGD $20) features a thick, meaty, 150g juicy slab of prime beef patty, grilled perfectly, topped with cheese, lettuce, pickles, a spiced mayonnaise, and the house 'Notorious T.O.M.' sauce, all sandwiched between demi brioche burger buns. Utterly satisfiying, meaty burger, albeit with a messy presentation, the combination of heat from the sauces gives it that extra oomph. No surprise that it's a bestseller here, and even McDonald's has recently 'borrowed' their sauce recipe for their latest creation, the Fiery Pepper Chicken burger. Skip the McDonald's version, and get the original, the Burger Baby Huey, here instead!
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| Burger Baby Huey 01 |
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| Burger Baby Huey 02 |
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| Burger Baby Huey 03 |
The Burger Smokin' B-Boy (SGD $28) features a thick, 150g slab of prime beef patty, juicy and savoury, topped with double smoked cheese, smoky bacon that's been cured with Dingley Dell beer and treacle, a smoky mayonnaise sauce, and crisp onions, sandwiched between a demi brioche bun. The burger is alright at best, tasty enough on its own, but lacking somewhat the full flavour of a typical American barbecue sauce, missing that sweet and tangy taste. Not the best item on the menu here.
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| Burger Smokin' B-Boy 01 |
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| Burger Smokin' B-Boy 02 |
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| Burger Smokin' B-Boy 03 |
The Burger James Brown A.K.A. The Codfather Of Soul (SGD $26) is a pretty good fish burger! Thick cut, fresh, flaky cod fish fingers, battered in a crisp and light crumb batter, with mushy peas, lettuce, and bread & butter pickle tartare sauce, sandwiched between fluffy rice burger buns. An amount of money, SGD $1, from each burger is donated to Soul Food Enterprise, which teaches special needs children creative cooking. Good for the tummy, and good for the soul, I would definitely recommend this burger!
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| Burger James Brown A.K.A. The Codfather Of Soul 01 |
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| Burger James Brown A.K.A. The Codfather Of Soul 02 |
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| Burger James Brown A.K.A. The Codfather Of Soul 03 |
SpongeBob SquarePants would approve of this Burger Krabby Patty (SGD $28), a 150g hand moulded blue swimmer crab patty, with a crisp, light crumb batter. Served with coriander, fried shallots, chili, lime juice, lettuce, and a tasty salted egg mayonnaise, all sandwiched between fluffy rice burger buns. Succulent, meaty, non-greasy, and fresh, a true delight. Highly recommended!
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| Burger Krabby Patty 01 |
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| Burger Krabby Patty 02 |
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| Burger Krabby Patty 03 |
The Zesty Lemon (SGD $6) dessert is a creamy citrus posset, rich with lemon flavour. A posset is a British cold set curdled milk dessert, often made with cream and lemon. The texture is like a thick yoghurt pudding, wobbly and semi-solid, with a tangy, sour, zesty flavour from the lemon. Worth trying!
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| Zesty Lemon 01 |
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| Zesty Lemon 02 |
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CONVERSATION