Popular burger joint Wildfire Burgers has undergone a bold rebranding exercise and is now rekindled as WILD/FIRE at Mohamed Sultan Road, complete with a revamped menu. Founded in 2015, Wildfire Burgers was crowned Asia’s Best Burger within a year of its opening. After several years of franchising and expansion not only locally but in China, founder Michel Lu has decided to focus on a single flagship outlet serving up great burgers made from premium ingredients.
The result is a new and reborn WILD/FIRE–fire-driven cooking, with many new dishes that include exciting small plates, caviar and cocktails.
The new WILD/FIRE at Mohamed Sultan Road. Photo © Fen Chia
The drinks list at WILD/FIRE is expansive and exciting. It retains a variety of curated craft beers, and introduces several cocktails, wines, and a thoughtful range of specialty coffees. We had the refreshing Wildfire Lemonade (S$8) and Signature Spritz (S$19), the house aperol spritz. There’s a happy hour deal daily before 7pm with all cocktails going at S$16, so that is one reason to visit WILD/FIRE on another afternoon, the comprehensive specialty coffee menu being another.
Wildfire Lemonade. Photo © Fen Chia
Signature Spritz. Photo © Fen Chia
Diving into our appetisers, we get dips (S$12 each) for a Levantine prequel to our meal; indeed, the dishes do reflect a varied geographical influence. The Baba Ganoush (a mix of smoked eggplant, tahini and yoghurt) and pretty-in-pink Beets (roasted beetroot, tahini, chickpeas, feta cheese and pine nuts) pair well with the accompanying flatbread and make for relatively light vegetarian starters before we go WILD-ly carnivorous.
Baba Ganoush. Photo © Fen Chia
Beets. Photo © Fen Chia
From the Small Plates menu, we get the Heirloom Tomatoes (S$13), an assortment of tomatoes topped with a surprising chilli crisp (a la Lao Gan Ma) that brings spice and crunch, with sour cream and onions for balance.
Heirloom Tomatoes. Photo © WILD/FIRE
And if you do not mind raw beef, go for the Steak Tartare (S$28). The version here is made with black wagyu hanger topped with that obligatory egg yolk for that extra creamy finish and served with flatbread. This is one dish that you should get at a place with reliably good beef like WILD/FIRE.
Steak Tartare. Photo © Fen Chia
WILD/FIRE remains true to its roots where burgers are concerned. They are as good as ever, flame-grilled to juicy perfection with a price point that remains friendly. The beef burgers comprise Stone Axe full-blood Wagyu and premium beef from supplier Butcher Box, while the buttery brioche buns are from Bakery Brera, known for its artisanal bakes with fine flours from France and Japan.
We go straight for the recommended The Bear (S$20), the ultimate gooeyness with chilli con carne, truffled mayo, four cheeses, mushrooms, onions and cornichons added to the wagyu. Then there’s the Triple Bacon (S$19). No surprises here, but there’re just some of us who love bacon everything. And of course, bacon pairs perfectly with beef, especially when there’s also bacon jam and baconnoise.
The Bear. Photo © WILD/FIRE
Triple Bacon. Photo © WILD/FIRE
There are also other burger options that are not beef-based. The Hot Honey Butter Chicken (S$18) was a favourite among some of us. It is a crowd-pleaser that takes a Korean spin, with a crispy fried chicken patty enlivened by hot honey butter, kimchi slow, Korean chilli powder and garlic mayo.
Hot Honey Butter Chicken. Photo © WILD/FIRE
There is also a fish option – the Black Halibut (S$18) comprises beer battered Norwegian black halibut, cheddar, caramelised onions and romaine lettuce. Though the toppings sound quite banal, WILD/FIRE offers caviar (starting from S$55 for a 30g Oscietra portion) to elevate your meal, and that was exactly what we did for our fish burger, adding the extra briny and umami pearls for the ultimate fish experience.
Caviar. Photo © Fen Chia
Black Halibut. Photo © WILD/FIRE
From the myriad of options under the Wood Fire Grill section of the menu, we had the Picanha (S$33), a 200g portion of stone-axe, full blood wagyu with a 9+ marbling score from Australia. Despite the fact that we requested it closer to well done, which may be heresy to steak purists, we gave kudos to the chef that the beef was still cooked to perfection and amazingly tender, juicy and delicious. If you want the full steak-frites experience, WILD/FIRE retains its Umami Fries (S$8) from its early days. Again, for non-beef eaters, WILD/FIRE has catered for many choices including octopus, hamachi, lamb and French poussin (a young chicken).
Picanha. Photo © WILD/FIRE
For dessert, there are options of Burnt Cheesecake (S$9.50), Brownie with Soft Serve (S$13) and Fior di Panna, a creamy milk and cream-based soft serve with a variety of toppings that include savoury ones on top of the usual sweet. We went all out to conclude our indulgent meal with the equally indulgent Fior di Panna + Oscietra (S$25), topped with arbequina olive oil and caviar for a unique sweet and salty combination.
Fior Di Panna + Royal Oscietra. Photo © WILD/FIRE
It is comforting to know that WILD/FIRE brings new creations, but also returns to its strong foundations with well-executed yet well-priced wood-fired meats. With the wide-ranging menu featuring excellent coffee and alcohol options, it is a space for gatherings both day and night. And if it helps, the outdoor terrace is also pet-friendly.
WILD/FIRE
207 River Valley Road
#01-59 UE Square (Entrance via Mohd Sultan Road)
Singapore 238275
Opening hours:
Tuesday – Thursday 12pm – 10pm (Closed 2.30pm – 4.30pm) | Friday 12pm – 11pm (Closed 2.30pm – 4.30pm)
Saturday 11am – 11pm | Sunday 11am – 10pm
Closed on Mondays
Discussion about this post