I waited 2 hours for this amazing burger – The Spotted Pig, New York City, USA

Many people would probably behave like me. When on holiday, we literally brush off our doctor’s dietary instructions. Less red meat, eat more vegetables, drink more water… blah, blah, blah. C’mon, I’m on holiday! Can’t I give my health diet a break? And so, during my most recent trip to the States, I threw all the ‘boring’ advice out of the window and indulged in one of my favourite food – Hamburger!

Although I love my burger very much, I can never bring myself to spend an obscene amount of money for a gourmet burger in Singapore. Something of a similar standard, sometimes even better, would have cost much lesser in New York. This is the reason why I let myself go when I’m in the land of the free!

This time, I laid my eyes on The Spotted Pig at West Village, New York, voted by the camaraderie of burger lovers as one of the best places to have a burger in New York City.

The Spotted Pig at West Village, New York City, has an English Pub-like atmosphere

After my partner and I had our must-have cupcakes at the famous Magnolia Bakery at West Village and shopping at Tomas Maier, we reckoned that the lunch crowd would have thinned out and it was a good time to try our luck at The Spotted Pig, since the restaurant doesn’t take reservation. But we were wrong. Even at 1.30pm, the crowd was still going strong and there was no table for us. The only consolation was that the next table will be available in probably 45 minutes and we could have a drink at the bar. Thanks goodness, we had our Hendrick’s Gin and Tonic to keep us company for the next 60 minutes before our table was available.

My Gin & Tonic kept me company while I waited for my table

Helmed by celebrity chef, Ms April Bloomfield, The Spotted Pig has earned its list of Michelin stars under her stewardship. The display of pig ornaments and paintings makes the place a little quirky for burgers. But who cares since the food is really good.

By the time, we got our table, we were about 4 hours away from our dinner appointment with our NYC friends. Bearing in mind of that commitment, we decided that we would not order that much food. My partner decided to have the Asparagus Soup with Lemon Crème Fraiche & Black Mint. And me, nothing but the authentic Chargrilled Burger with Roquefort Cheese & Shoestring Fries.

See all the piggy ornaments?

10 minutes went passed, followed by another 10 minutes, the next ten came and our food was still nowhere in sight! My partner was dozing off and if not because I had my cupcake, my hunger pangs would have made me a very angry person. Guess what, our food wasn’t served until another 15 minutes later. It was a near two hours’ wait to have my burger at The Spotted Pig!

But thank goodness, the food was amazing! My partner raved about the asparagus soup. He said it has a nice consistency and was not overly thick, just perfect for his palate. The flavour was equally good. For someone who prefers Asian Cantonese soup over its ‘angmoh’ (colloquial term for Caucasian) counterpart to say that, the soup must be really good.

Asparagus Soup with Lemon Crème Fraiche & Black Mint

But wait till you read about my Chargrilled Burger with Roquefort Cheese & Shoestring Fries. First, this burger is not for everyone. From a distance, I could smell the distinctive (to some, it might be pungent) aroma of the sheep milk blue cheese. And when the burger arrived, I could see a thick layer of the Roquefort cheese on top of the beef patty. This moment could be heaven or hell to you, depending on your tolerance for blue cheese. If you’re a cheese lover, specifically blue cheese, you’re in gastronomical heaven. Otherwise, you probably wish you had not ordered this burger. Truthfully, I am not a blue cheese fan either. What I did was to remove half of the blue cheese and ate the rest with the delectable burger. OMG! The beef patty was so flavourful and juicy. It was outrageously good! For that split second, I totally forgot that I had waited for two hours for this burger. And the shoestring fries, which were tossed with rosemary, were so addictive.

Chargrilled Burger with Roquefort Cheese & Shoestring Fries

Yes, the Chargrilled Burger with Roquefort Cheese & Shoestring Fries at The Spotted Pig was gorgeous. And although I visit New York City every year, I just feel that time is too precious to be wasted waiting for a table. The burger was great but I doubt I will wait another two hours for it.

The Spotted Pig
314 W. 11th Street, New York, NY, 10014
Tel: +1 212-620-0393
www.thespottedpig.com

 

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