Little Hiro

I came here with big expectations as I read about it online, I was expecting it being the Singaporean version of L&L Hawaiian BBQ, which is a US food chain so it might be me, but this was a bit disappointing. So why 4 stars? Let me explain…
As the previous reviewers said: the place is super charming and cute but a big minus is the confusing menu and as you need to order your food at the counter: I felt a bit dazzled by the menu and in combination of the eternal stress of choosing food of a menu I returned to my seat not sure if I really ordered what I wanted. Yes, I admit, I have a bit of «food FOMO».
Anyways, I decided to get the BBQ Blue Ramen Burger with Spam Fries and a Triple Scoop Cookies n Cream Milkshake. This is where the disappointment kicked in: both the burger and the spam fries were just mediocre. The beef patty was on the dry side but overall the burger was still ok thanks to the «Ramen-​bun» which gave it some grease (yes, sometimes grease is good!), I really looked forward to the spam fries but again, it did not meet my high expectations: I found them too thick, I like my spam fries to be like Mickey D Fries: thin and crispy.
However, huge brownie points for Spam can the fries came served in: this was a cute little addition to my meal. Additionally, the milkshake was great: it was thick and tasty, not like the watery concoctions you get at the earlier mentioned fast food chain. I also tasted the regular fries my friend had and they were really well seasoned and crispy.
So verdict:
4 stars for the concept as it is something you don’t see everyday in Singapore and the restaurant has a nice look and feel.
3 stars for the food as the main dishes were not perfectly executed, but were acceptable.
I would give 3.5 stars if possible, but since Unilocal does not allow this, I’ll grant them 4 stars for now, which might sound strange as the quality of the food should always be the main driver but I am giving them the benefit of the doubt as my expectations were maybe too high and they managed to spark my interest sufficiently to go back and try the short ribs.

If you visit, I recommend getting the fries, all by themselves. They were quite thin and nicely cooked, similar to a McDonald’s style. We tried the nacho supreme fries, which had cheese sauce and sour crème, but were pretty much what you’d make at home by slopping on a cartoned or compressed-​air cheese and cream combo. The homemade lemonade was watery, which is too bad, because that would be a good selling point if it was made well. I suspect that the Cuban grilled corn was neither Cuban nor grilled (nor corn?). The ramen burger could have been novel, but the noodles were limp and soggy.
The menu is a complete design disaster. It’s like looking at something invisible, yet simultaneously splashed with tons of words and colors, hence incomprehensible. It really makes it hard to see what is even available.

Let’s start with the good. Little Hiro is a really cute, Instagram-​worthy spot on Bukit Timah. I love their colour scheme, the space gives off good vibes, and their branding is visually pleasing. Walking in, they were playing pop music from the mid-2000’s. It wasn’t bad in the sense of «Ugh, they’re so behind»; it was more, «Oh yeah, I forgot about that song, this is a good song!»
The menu is displayed above the cashier, and it can seem really overwhelming due to the design. There’s so much going on. The sections blend together, and you don’t know where to look first. Though they’re a Hawaiian grill, they offer ramen burgers, which really piqued my interest because I missed out on that food fad back in NYC.
I was torn between the Bacon Bleu and the chicken karaage ramen burger, but because the Bacon Bleu had a star next to it I figured I should give it a shot. The verdict? Well, it was simply a-​ok. The flavours were all «as expected», but with glued together ramen instead of bread. Then again, as I was here for a lunch meeting, I didn’t have the opportunity to eat the burger with my hands. Did eating this with a fork and knife take the novelty away?
I also ordered a side of cuban corn, which I don’t think was prepared correctly. According to the menu, it should be grilled, but I didn’t see any grill marks on mine. It seemed as if it was just steamed corn with too much seasoning and barely any shredded cheese. It didn’t seem to have any butter, and to be honest it was a bit difficult to get through.
Neat concept, but the food needs a bit of tweaking. Believe it or not, I’d still want to go back because I want to try the chicken ramen burger next time (and eat it with my hands!)

Hawaiian-​Japanese burger joint. Mostly a novelty, the burgers fall flat for certain menu items.
Located at the same place where Burger Shack used to be. The owners decided to bring in a new concept when revamping the place.
Hawaiian-​Japanese places are strewn all over the Hawaiian islands, especially on Oahu. The potential to be interesting is there, however this place needs to up the standard with regards to the burgers themselves.