Perfect Substitute # 5: Burgers @ Botak Jones

In QuirkieKai's burger rankings, McDonald's is right at the bottom, all the waaaaay doooowwwn theeerreeee... It's small, it's got zero nutritional value (in fact, it's got negative nutritional value.. it takes away from your health rather than add to it!) and it's yucky. Ick. Do yourself a favour and don't ever go McD's for meals. Go spend your $6 at a hawker centre and knock yourself out with char kway tiao instead. Even if you eat up all the lard bits, it's probably still healthier than one of their upsized meals with all the trans-fats choked fries and DNA altering-soft drinks :P

Burger King used to be better, but recently their burgers also CMI (cannot make it). Their mushroom swiss burger used to be a thing of delight! A glorious, cheesy, mushroomy mess of calories and cholesterol! But now, it's small, dry and a sad shadow of what it once was.

The burger scene in Singapore would have been downright sad if not for the entry of Carl's Junior, with all the droolworthy messy burger ads. I love their burgers and their criss-cut fries with that tangy salsa sauce! The grilled chicken burger and the mushroom burger are yummilicious! However, their meals aren't exactly cheap, though you could easily share some of the meals.

Thanks to Singing Tigger (again :P hahah! she's my food resource person!), who introduced me to Botak Jones, there is a light at the end of the Burger Tunnel... the tunnel being lined with cholesteral, but sometimes we have to live life on the edge. The patties are THICK and juicy, nothing like the paper-mache pieces they pass off as beef patties at McD's, and they are completely coated in cheeeese... For an additional $1, you get a mountain of coleslaw and fries that threatens to overflow from the big plate the burger comes in. You can also customize your burger.. wanna add bacon? more cheese? more veg? Just let them know, and they'll bill you accordingly =) Think Billy Bomber portions at just-slightly-above-Burger King prices, with home-made beef patties. Heavenly, no?

The strategy for eating at Botak Jones is to make sure that half the crowd DON'T order the side-dishes! Share the coleslaw and fries! I assure you, there will be more than enough to go around :P When I went to the one at Depot Road last Thursday, there were many plates with fries and coleslaw still untouched in it... It's a sad sight to see good food go to waste =( While I'm all for indulging, let's just play our part and not over-order when we know that food will go to waste. Will be going to the Toa Payoh branch with my colleagues tomorrow =) Shall take some pictures then!