Hans Im Glück, the well-known German burger grill and bar, opened its first international outlet in Singapore in late 2017. I was excited as working for a German firm has entitled me to a fair bit of culinary exploration on my work trips to Deutschland and at our in-house events in Singapore, so I knew a trip over was long overdue.
For the uninitiated, Hans Im Glück is a famous fairytale of German origin written by the Grimm brothers. The namesake restaurant takes great pride in recreating a rustic German experience, in a quaint corner amidst the racing traffic and buzzing crowds of Orchard; right here in Singapore. As you walk in, you are transported to a lush green forest of birch trees and other elements that recreate the fairytale. A menu that resembles a book, attentive and super friendly staff, and delightful veg options contribute to the fairy-tale experience.
As I sat down, a couple of things that caught my eye are worth a mention. These folks live upto their philosophy of making a difference in every little detail. There are tiny allergen cards at the tables, which painstakingly list out the possible allergens in each dish on the menu, ensuring that the guests make an informed choice while ordering. Secondly, at Hans, water isn’t served free of charge. Before you get annoyed, know that 100% of the revenue from the sale of water goes to a charitable cause.
The seating is very garden like and each table has a rosemary plant and a set of sauces that are vegan. Choose from orange mustard, mayonnaise, chilli or spicy bbq to complement your meal. With all this, no wonder that Hans’s burgers find a place in our list of 11 Best Vegetarian and Vegan Burgers in Singapore.
A Fairy-Tale like setting (Image source: Hans Im Glück’s FB page)Vegan & Vegetarian Burgers & Sides at Hans Im Glück
The menu is exhaustive – with plentiful options for vegans and vegetarians too. We began our evening with a portion of the Beer Battered Onion Rings ($10). A light and flaky exterior cooked to perfection, these rings will likely disappear in no time.
Time to choose the burgers! You can opt to have them in sourdough bun, multigrain bun or naked (without any bun). There is also a good selection of sides and drinks, both alcoholic and non alcoholic, to go with your meal. As part of their evening meal options, each burger can be teamed up with a side and a drink (cocktail/mocktail or beer) at a nominal top-up of S$15. All burgers are served on a bed of lettuce, sliced onion rings, sun-dried tomatoes and the secret Hans Im Glück sauce (hint – don’t miss the whiff of wasabi in the sauce).
Vegan Fabulhafter with a thick wheat patty, generous layers of avocado cream, orange-mustard sauce and herb salad in a multi-grain bun; alongside Krautknolle, a traditional German white cabbage salad with potato dressingWe ordered the Fabulhafter (S$17), a vegan burger with a thick wheat patty coated with generous layers of avocado cream, orange-mustard sauce and herb salad in the multigrainbun. The patty was slightly dry but chewy and made for a good base. The soft avocado cream mixed with the veggies, the orange-mustard and the Hans sauce tantalised the tastebuds and had me reaching for more. The bun was soft and stayed that way even when it cooled down which was a big plus. There are 4 vegan burgers on the menu, another popular vegan burger option here (that we unfortnately, had to leave for next time) is the Juglans, which has a wheat patty with lingonberries, sprouts & walnuts.
Vegetarian Wolpertinger in a sourdough bun – a spicy patty of carrot and corn with avocado cream and aged cheddar cheeseFrom the choice of available 7 vegetarian burgers, we tried the Wolpertinger (S$16) in a sourdough bun – a spicy patty of carrot and corn with avocado cream and aged cheddar cheese. A dash of the vegan bbq sauce and you’ll be biting into a delectable combination that you will relish. The sourdough bun makes for a buffer base to the fiery patty, not everyone might be able to take this one naked.
For the sides, we tried Krautknolle (S$6), a traditional German white cabbage salad with potato dressing. The salad was moist with a mildly tangy flavour, and retained its crunchy texture, refreshing our taste buds in between bites of the burger. However, the winning side dish was Süsskartoffel-Fritten aka Sweet Potato Fries (S$6) – crunchy, healthier, well flavoured and perfect when dipped into the orange mustard or the bbq sauce.
Related: 11 Best Vegetarian and Vegan Burgers in Singapore
The Drinks at Hans Im Glück
For drinks, some interesting-sounding cocktails caught my attention: Dragon’s Tongue (Rum based), Ginger Dream (Bourbon and Vodka based) and Chilli Mojito (your regular lime Mojito with Chilli Padi). I was told that these have been curated at the grill recently and have been super popular since. However, I opted for the mocktail Minne (S$10), an interesting and refreshing concoction of lingonberry, lime, fresh ginger and Fever-Tree ginger beer. Eating at a German grill and nor ordering a beer would just be wrong, so Ganesh opted for the smooth and mild Bavaria Keller (S$13).
Verdict
The burgers at Hans Im Glück are fresh, healthy and handcrafted – a far cry from the greasy, calorie rich burgers that a fast food joint offers. The taste, along with the reassurance of measured calories, makes it a happier meal. The fairy-tale like ambience and the fun cheerful staff make sure your dining experience is memorable. The eye for detail and the endeavour to make a difference to the community is heartening.
A hearty meal for two would cost you around S$60-80 for a burger, side and a drink as part of the evening dinner promotion. However, a-la carte vegan and vegetarian burgers are priced between S$14-17 each, and the sides cost S$6-10 each. They also offer a wide assortment of drinks, ranging from beers to wines to cocktails & mocktails priced between S$8-14.
Overall, Hans Im Glück scores high on my repeat-o-meter and I am sure I will be headed back soon. Maltzeit ot Guten Appetit – Hans Im Glück beckons!
Hans Im Glück: Orchard Road 362, 238887 Singapore. P: +65 97501488 | 9 Raffles Place. #01-01 Republic Plaza, Singapore 048619 | 71 Boat Quay, Singapore 049860
Preethi & Ganesh are our favourite writer-photographer duo. While Preethi is juggling two hats being mom to a naughty and adorable three-nager, and working as a HR Marketer; Ganesh is a Technology Sales Professional by week and a sports enthusiastic and passionate photographer over the weekend. While Preethi is a foodie, music lover, ardent toastmaster and a travel buff; Ganesh enjoys running (6 full marathons and counting) and plays cricket for a Singapore League team. Luckily for us, they share a common love for all things food (as long as its vegetarian) and enjoy working together on articles – his captures add the spice to her words.