Fries are awesome. They make great sides for your burgers, they’re there for you when your stomach begs for food at midnight, and they never judge — even when you feel like a blob of grease after having one too many. So it’s no wonder several eateries have come up with wickedly creative concoctions starring fries as the main draw.
From sweet s’mores renditions to umami mentaiko crisps to chilli crab toppings, these alternative versions have nothing to do with salted egg yolk or truffle (at least not much, anyway). And that’s what we love about them.
Sweet potato s’mores fries at Wolf Burgers
This is for those of you who, given the chance, would eat sweet stuff for breakfast, lunch and dinner – all the time. Order a serving of this and you’ll get burnt, gooey marshmallows and crunchy cereal bits sitting on a bed of crispy sweet potato fries. It’s like a dessert companion for your burger.
Char siew chili fries at Redpan
Redpan’s idea of taking basic fries and infusing them with a local touch is this plate topped with char siew ragout and jalapeno. Alternatively, there’s the truffle floss fries for anyone who wants something different from regular truffle ones.
Kimchi fries at Chicken Up
Resistance is futile – especially when it comes to ordering a side of kimchi fries to go with your fried chicken when you pay this Korean eatery a visit. We’ve lost count of how many times we wolfed down the entire basket (by ourselves) with great relish.
Chilli crab fries at Loof
A crowd favourite at this rooftop bar, the chilli crab fries have been recently tweaked a little, but fret not, they’re still as delicious as ever. Think waffle-cut ones drizzled in housemade chilli sauce, served with a cold blue crab dip. And if you wanna go crazy for potatoes, try the ‘prosperity flies’ with truffle black pepper sauce or ‘umami fries’ of sweet potato with furikake and kewpie.
Mentaiko fries at Grub
The Japanese-style fries at this Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park cafe come with generous doses of seaweed and creamy mentaiko aioli. And they make for a good post-run snack — y’know, something to look forward to when your lungs are burning and your legs feel like jelly.
Pumpkin hazelnut fries at House
When it comes to fries, you’re spoilt for choice at House. Besides the usual truffle and sweet potato offerings, you’ve also got curry mustard, smokey lime and truffle taro options on the menu. But what we love is the pumpkin sticks that are coated with crispy hazelnut, paprika and chilli powder for a nutty mix of sweet and spicy. Plus, you won’t feel too guilty about it, ‘cause at least pumpkin (although deep fried) triumphs potato when it comes to healthy eating… right?
Sweet potato fries with pulled pork at Roots Kitchen Bar
A bowl of fried sweet potato strips loaded with pulled pork, jalapeno, olives, melted cheese and feta crumbs? Heck yea. It’s like they were all made to complement each other, in an unexpected way.
Shambal fries at MEATliquor
The burger joint’s sambal-inspired concoction sees crispy fries drizzled in sweet and spicy sauce then topped with fried hae bee (dried shrimp), fried onions and a fried egg.
