Moderne Burger

For the longest time, I've been wanting to do a revisit of Moderne Burger because it has been nearly 4 years I last ate there. Since then, there have been a rash of new "gourmet" burger joints and existing restaurants offering their version of a "deluxe" burger. Sometimes, there are so many toppings on these burgers, it almost becomes unrecognizable. Hence, I really felt that I had to go back to the basics. And Moderne Burger was the place to experience this. You see, their burgers are pretty simple - unseasoned ground beef and only a handful of optional toppings. That's it. Sometimes, simple may be better.

Much like last time, I headed over to Moderne after getting my haircut (this time around, I brought my son). We were welcomed by the same personable owner who chatted me up last time (he chats it up with everyone, which is nice). Unlike last time, I started with a Creamsicle Shake. In addition to the serving found in the glass, I was supplied with the usual tin of "excess shake". Well, this excess was practically half of the tin. That was a lot of shake especially since my son didn't want any of it. He likes chocolate, not orange... I enjoyed the flavour as it did really taste like a creamsicle. Furthermore, it was not crazy sweet. However, it was slightly icy. Same as last time, I went for the Cheeseburger, which came with fresh leaf lettuce, tomatoes and red onion on a firm bun (surprise, it wasn't brioche like everywhere else these days...). Okay, let's get one thing clear here: the burger ain't fancy. In fact, it is darn basic. However, for me at least, I still continue to enjoy it. It's just a good burger. The meat wasn't exactly juicy, but it wasn't dry. The good quality ingredients shone and the bun held up all the way. As much as I love brioche, it was nice to see none of that here because the sweet egg bun would've been overkill with the unseasoned beef.

Predictably, my son had the Grilled Cheese, even though he does enjoy the occasional burger. Essentially a pressed hamburger bun with 2 slices of cheddar, this was a grilled cheese that my son liked very much. He remarked that by using real cheddar it wasn't as salty. Nice to see he is developing discerning tastes... We ended up splitting the Fresh-Cut Fries because we wouldn't have finished 2 orders. These were very similar to White Spot fries except they were crispier. We liked the fries and my son actually was beginning to stash away a portion for himself since he thought I was eating too much of it. And that pretty much sums it up. Although the food is pretty basic, it does what it does without relying on fancy ingredients or gimmicks.

The Good:
- Simple, good burger
- Personable service
- Nice diner ambiance

The Bad:
- Menu is pretty focused, don't expect anything crazy here
- Tight booths, especially for 4 people