Scarpetta opens Smash Street at Amoy, a smash burger bar with juicy double-patty burgers

Smash burgers — known for its thin, crispy-edged patties pressed onto a hot griddle — have been steadily gaining traction in Singapore, with concepts such as Smash by BurgerLabo popping up in the past year.

Now, the team behind Scarpetta, the popular pasta bar known for its bold, modern Italian flavours and its neverending queues, is jumping onto the burger bandwagon with its newest concept, Smash Street.

Opening this Friday (April 3), Smash Street is located a few doors down from Scarpetta and brings the same no-frills approach to its food. 

It is also giving out free items to mark its opening, as Scarpetta did when it first opened earlier this year, giving out 1,000 free burgers over Friday and Saturday. There will be 500 burgers given out each day, split across its lunch and dinner services. 

Like Scarpetta, it also operates on a walk-in only approach, so expect queues, especially during peak hours. Else, you could always grab a burger for takeaway.

We managed to visit Smash Street ahead of its opening this weekend, before the crowds descended.

At first glance, the space is bright and compact, yet cosy — it’s clear Smash Street is purpose-built for a quick grab-and-go experience, with a long standing counter that faces the open kitchen.

You’ll get a front-row view of the burger patties being smashed on the grill, yes, but do be prepared for a little smoke. 

If you prefer to be away from the smoke and heat, there are more tables further in but they’re mostly high tables for standing around. 

There are some seats, just four, to be exact — so you’d want to be prepared for a predominantly standing experience if you’re thinking of heading down. 

Succulent, smashed patties

Smash Street keeps things simple with a compact menu — so small that it fits into a palm-sized card — built around its Classic burger (S$14) and its House burger (S$14). 

The Classic features two succulent smashed beef patties in a soft, toasted potato bun, layered with cheese and a robust-tasting house sauce.

As smash patties are thinner and more seared, owing to the way they are cooked, they can sometimes lean slightly dry. Doubling up ensures a good balance of juiciness and bite, and more heft, of course — because who doesn’t enjoy more protein? 

With two patties, each Classic burger packs about 160 to 180g of beef in total.

Chomping into it, it’s clear that Smash Street has nailed the smash burger to a T — the simply seasoned patties come with perfectly crispy, caramelised edges with a rich, savoury finish. The soft, fluffy, slightly greasy buns are also a great complement. 

In short, the Classic is straightforward, no-nonsense, and very easy to down. 

For those with a bigger appetite, you’d want to get the House burger (S$17), which ups the level of indulgence with a total of three patties in your burger instead of the regular two.

Those who love their burgers with plenty of embellishments will be glad to know that pickles or jalapenos can be added for free.

However the more “premium” toppings of bacon (S$3) and onion relish (S$2) will require additional top-ups.

Since there were only so many combinations to try with its simple menu, we opted to add every topping that there was to our House burger. 

The jalapenos stood out for its tangy crunch and slight kick, helping to cut through the richness, the bacon was adequately crispy, while the onion relish was also a great addition, bringing a caramelised, slightly sweet and savoury depth to each bite.

If that’s not enough, there’s a limited selection of three sides. 

There are the fries (S$6) — thin-cut and twice-fried for a crisp, indulgently addictive bite — so thin and crispy that it almost reminds us of the well-loved Calbee Jagabee potato sticks. 

We enjoyed the crunch, but those who are a fan of softer, fluffier fries may not enjoy Smash Street’s version. 

We also got to try the chicken poppers paired with chilli crunch aioli (S$10). 

The dip is a mix of house-made mayonnaise and chilli crunch, a grittier version of the fragrant chilli oils commonly found in Chinese fare, and leans more creamy than punchy, with little to no heat. 

It was tasty, when combined with the mini chicken bites that reminded us of regular Popcorn chicken, but we were definitely hoping for a sauce with more heat, especially with “chilli crunch” in its name.

We didn’t manage to try the last side, the onion rings (S$6), but the two sides were promising enough, so we’re confident the rings will deliver. 

Drinks-wise, you can expect a nostalgic twist in the form of a cornflakes milkshake (S$8), alongside Coke, bottled water, and beer. 

And if you need a dessert, there’s also a cereal milk soft serve (S$6). 

Unfortunately both cereal items were not ready at the time of our visit either, so we guess we’ll have to wait till it officially opens to try them. 

If you’re a little tired of standing after your burger meal, you might be glad to know that Smash Street is intending to open a cosy drinks-led concept known as Blind Tiger, above the burger bar, though that’s only slated for later this year. 

In the meantime, as the folks at Smash Street state on their menu: Walk in, smash burger, walk out — no frills, no nonsense, just you and your burger. 

This was a hosted tasting.

For more on what to eat, check out Les Canons, an affordable French dining spot in the CBD, and new openings around town in March.