But as much as Chan talks about the importance of a no-frills core burger offering, Honbo does not shy away from unconventional options either. On the menu is the scallop burger, which features seared, fresh scallops smothered in pesto sauce. “It's a fresh take on what a burger can be, because burgers are basically just protein between two buns, right?” he says. “What's special about Honbo is that we’re here to give you a really good cheeseburger. The other stuff that we add on is for when you are tired of eating a cheeseburger.”

And if you were wondering about the quality of the burgers, Honbo imports 36-month-old Holstein and Angus beef directly from Wisconsin under an exclusive agreement, so that it can only be found in Honbo outlets in Hong Kong and Singapore. Made from slightly older cattle, this particular type of beef has a more intense flavour. It is also ground in-house and kept free of preservatives, chemicals, and additives. Honbo’s buns are also worth drooling over, made with mashed potatoes so they are extra pillowy yet firm, and don’t get soggy when you’re only halfway through your burger.

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A quest for the best

Chan’s pursuit of quality has been a process of trial-and-error over the past six years. And whatever he’s doing, it seems to be working, with Honbo Singapore being the brand’s sixth outlet so far. So while Chan may not have had prior experience in food, it’s sufficient that the former doctor has had “a lot of experience eating it”. “Once you eat enough, and you chat with the people making it, you’ll go deeper into the origin and science behind food,” he says. “But I will tell you that seven years ago I didn't know anything.” 

When asked what he would do differently if he had a chance to go back to the beginnings of Honbo, Chan says he would have worked at McDonald’s first. “If I had learnt more about the operations of a big chain restaurant, it would have saved me a lot of mistakes,” Chan says. “I have great admiration for chain restaurants who can put out a product that's the same everywhere in the world.” When it comes to localisation, it also seems that larger chains spare no expense at making their burgers sync with their host countries’ cultures. With that in mind, Chan has his eye on creating Singapore-exclusive flavours as Honbo evolves and grows its fanbase here.

Chan’s razor-sharp focus on attitudes and desires of consumers is obvious. And while challenging, it also happens to be the most fulfilling part of the job. “Just seeing it physically, seeing it happen, people enjoying the food… this is a real thing,” he says. “Seeing it start to come together slowly, piece by piece… It's kind of like building Lego when you're a child, when you see that all these pieces are fitting together, you'll see that they actually fit quite well.”

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