The intricacy of making a tasty pork patty is underrated especially and ironically in a community that prides itself in its love of pork.
I for one was skeptical of good pork patties sold outside the realm of my kitchen as it is no easy task of bringing the easily dried and subtle tasting meat to even an acceptable level, let alone in a setting that requires hundreds of orders a day. What Spoinks has managed to do, is bring simple, overlooked food science to achieve a truly smashing foodie experience.
Spoinks – a burger stand of proud owners, Reuben and William, named after a combination of a pink Pokemon and “Oinks”, the sound a pig makes, currently only serves one kind of burger. Their solo signature burger, the “Smashing Pork Burger” served in hipster like fashion on a wooden chopping board, is as the name suggests is “smashed” smashingly.
According to co-owner Reuben, “What I want to do, is to create a niche market of pork while being professional at it”.
At first glance, what looks like a thick patty in the sandwich is actually two. This is no gimmick as it serves the purpose of not only to increase the amount of meat, but also to cut short cooking time and increase the surface area of a char that is achieved by searing their pork balls into patties by “smashing” them.
Each detail of this burger has their handiwork from the way their soft and sweet brioche bun that they have specially contracted a supplier for is able to hold the full weight of the burger, to their home-made barbeque sauce and fresh condiments of slaw and buttery caramelized onions. Something that is also nice to try when available is the presence of their juicy yet crispy home-made cured bacon. After sitting down for a chat with the friendly Reuben, he could not speak enough about the pride of consistently producing fresh ingredients for all their condiments barring the cheese.
Spoinks does a lot right, but condiments like the slaw are of low abundance, which is a shame because one needs the crunchy, fresh texture of vege to balance the heavy and juicy burger. What is also left to be desired on a personal preference is the presence of cheese and mayo which although provides texture, to me does not enhance the flavor of the burger. The cheese is neither sharp enough nor melted onto the patty and the mayo’s soft creamy texture does not add to the already juicy sandwich. It is important to note that this is a minor gripe and can all be rectified by ordering them without.
Overall, the gripes only exist because Spoinks have put themselves up on a level that demands excellence, and because the burger itself is just that good. There are personal things one would prefer from this author, yes but it shouldn’t deter one from giving this place a try in front of the Public Bank in Stutong where they open from Tuesdays to Saturdays at 6:30 pm till 11:00 pm. Also check out their Facebook page where they regularly post updates on their whereabouts and availability.
