Popular Burger Hawker Stall Hambaobao Reopens As Hip Café After Two-Year Hiatus
Its signature burgers — including a buah keluak one — are priced between $7.50 to $8 at the new 30-seater.
Everyone loves a comeback story — especially when it’s a beloved hawker brand. Punnily-named Hambaobao (a play on han bao bao, “burger” in Mandarin) is best known for dishing out affordable hipster burgers. It closed its hawker stall at Beauty World Food Centre in late 2019 and has only occasionally appeared via pop-ups ever since. Now, it’s back with a fully-fledged cafe in Little India.
The simply-decorated but colourful new eatery is on the third floor of Trio shopping mall. You can expect Hambaobao’s menu of five signature burgers and hand-cut fries here too. 8days.sg speaks to owners Ryan Wee, 32, and Clare Ng, 29, about their new digs.
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Exactly seven years since they opened hawker stall
Their September 20 reopening coincidentally fell on the brand’s seventh birthday — the couple opened their hawker stall back in September 20, 2014 after graduating from polytechnic (Ryan has a diploma in food, nutrition & culinary science, while his wife specialised in nursing). "It just happened that things fell into place and we reopened exactly on the same day [seven years later]," Ryan tells us.
Their hipster burgers — back when artisanal hawker centre burgers were still a rarity — crafted with housemade patties and sauces at affordable prices made them a hit. 8days.sg featured them back in the good old days of print.
The new digs
Their newly-opened cafe is a roomy, industrial hip 30-seater that’s fully air-conditioned. You’ll have to order and pay at the counter yourself, but the food is served to you.
"We always had plans to start again," Ryan says. "However, we couldn't open another hawker stall again due to Clare's eczema [which would flare up in the heat of a hawker centre]."
The new Hambaobao boasts an Insta-worthy mural
Great for the 'gram is this funky mural. The couple’s daughter, affectionately nicknamed ‘xiaobaobao’ (a pun on burger, which has a similar pronunciation as “baby” in Mandarin) poses in front of it.
Hambaobao’s signature burgers return at slightly higher prices
On the menu are its five signature burgers with all the house-made flourishes. Prices are a tad higher – expect to pay about $2.50 more on average for a burger versus its hawker stall days. Some examples include The Classic Beef ($7.50), the mod Sin Ayam Buah Keluak ($8) and Crispy Pork Belly ($8; pictured below) The price hike is understandable, since you’ll be seated in a comfy, air-conditioned space now.
There's also a new selection of cheekily-named bakes on the menu, like the Not Cream Pie ($5), which is actually a key lime pie; along with Peranakan-style desserts like Mama G’s Sugee Cake ($4.50) and Apom Berkuah ($5), an old-school butterfly pea flower-tinged pancake. Craft beers on tap will be available soon.
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