Dude food for Dad's Day

IF being a father means always letting their kids choose what to eat and making sure their wives get more attention on Mother's Day, then maybe this is the weekend when they get to call the shots. No salads. No namby-pamby tweezer food. No elaborate tasting menus. Just real food that doesn't revolve around the colours of a food rainbow. Brown is good. Maybe a touch of red for ketchup. You know, dude food.

With Father's Day restaurant dining plans scuppered this weekend - and dining out not likely to happen just yet, food delivery remains the default option. But it doesn't mean Dad's options are limited as we gather some ideas to quell manly appetites, especially during Euro Cup season.

Carne

If you've been wondering how the chefs of the famed three Michelin-starred Mirazur are passing their time in Singapore while their much-hyped pop up has been on hold for at least a month, you might find them in the burger eatery Carne on Amoy Street. Carne is a joint venture between the ilLido group and Mirazur's acclaimed chef-owner Mauro Colagreco, and is all about sustainability with its use of hormone-free, grass-fed beef, locally grown or organic greens, and homemade organic condiments.

While the burgers got a mixed reaction when Carne first opened, the chefs have since been tweaking the recipes and latest versions look good with the right balance of meat patty, garnishes, and tender brioche bun. It's our first encounter with a Carne burger and it's all we want - a patty that's barely charred on the surface but still with a scent of the grill, layered with very fresh arugula leaves on a bun that's soft enough to yield but not collapse. The chimichurri burger (S$22.50) is a Singapore exclusive, with an amped up sauce and nice kick from pickled jalapenos and melted scarmoza cheese. But we lean more towards its latest creation - beef and double mushroom (S$23) - for its extra umami from the layer of mushroom druxelles and fat local shiitakes smothering the beef patty.

The triple-cooked Agria fries (S$8.90) and its cream-cheese-and-bacon-bits alter ego (S$12.90) are a must have. The potato wedges still retain a decent crisp exterior and fluffy insides, and they're addictive with the mild cream cheese dip and bacon bits. Pile on the calories with a thick chocolate milk shake (S$10) with surprise bits of praline in the mix for good measure. For Father's Day, there are combo packs for two or four people priced from S$68.80 to S$125.80. The health-conscious family members may not approve, but if you're going to cross over to the dark side, why not go all the way?

88 Amoy Street. To order, go to carneburgers.sg

Larry & the Birds

Speaking of the dark side, a new online supper joint not only makes Carne look like a detox spa, it might also be the headquarters of a secret cult that kidnaps nutritionists and strings them up as a warning to other nutritionists. Mysterious Larry takes the drumsticks of GG Poulet chickens, brines and soaks them in buttermilk, batters and rolls them in crushed instant noodles and deep fries them for some of the zaniest, crunchiest and juiciest fried chicken we've had, ever. It's called ramen fried chicken and costs S$21 for three pieces but then you're getting two snacks - fried chicken and ramen - for the price of one.

The only pain about Larry is his nocturnal ways. He only sells from 8pm to 2am. Which is fine if you're peckish between football matches, but annoying when you don't care about the Euro Cup. But since this is Dad's weekend, fortify him with not just the chicken but a toasted cheese sandwich (S$16) - thick slices of sourdough sandwiched with four kinds of cheese and sorry, not grilled but fried in chicken fat. It's a nightmare sandwich that's dreamy good.

And don't forget the H.S.P (S$18) - a gruesome (to the strung-up nutritionist) sight of shredded beef cheek, curly fries and lard bits smothered in a trio of hot sauce, mayo and lao gan ma chilli oil. Larry doesn't take himself seriously, but there are serious cooking chops behind his tongue-in-cheek menu.

And you can wash it all washed down with various kinds of craft beer that Larry, via Freehouse - a bottle shop in Gemmill Lane - also sells. So yes, it's not for the faint-hearted. It's for Dad.

To order, go to freehouse.oddle.me

Salted & Hung

Pork and lard. What's not to like for the He-Dad in your life? Salted & Hung reprises the popular porchetta set that appeared in last year's Circuit Breaker and is now only available for pre-order this weekend. Chef Drew Nocente - known for having a way with curing and ageing and generally counts all meat as his friends - creates a rolled boneless pork roast that's layered with enough fat so the meat retains all its juicy goodness. Its wrapping of golden skin is blistered and burnished and still passes the crunch test admirably even after its ride to your home.

Priced at S$125 that feeds four, the package deal comes with its signature sourdough bread and whipped lard to spread over, along with a cold crab salad to start off with, and roasted potatoes, carrots and sprouts to assuage any guilt.

12 Purvis Street. To order, go to saltedandhung.com.sg

Decker Barbecue

While we're new to Decker Barbecue - styled as an authentic Texas barbecue joint in Robertson Quay, it's a favourite of chefs like Drew Nocente and Han Li Guang who love man-sized hunks of smoky ribs and brisket grilled with minimal intervention. Pork shoulders are smoked for 10 to 12 hours before they're shredded into ubiquitous pulled pork, and they also make their own spicy lamb and mixed beef and pork sausages.

They're also known for their smoked chicken, pork spare ribs and wagyu brisket burnt ends. For Father's Day, they've pulled together a combination feast for S$230 that's dominated by a monster beef rib rack spanning three ribs and smoked for 12 hours. The set comes with 10-piece buffalo wings and a choice of four different side dishes including coleslaw, brisket baked beans, potato salad and dirty rice.

Never mind that it's Euro Cup and not Superbowl - anytime's a good time to get your teeth into this meat-fest.

#01-17 The Quayside. To order, go to deckerbarbecue.com

Artichoke

The pioneer of dude food has got to be Bjorn Shen of Artichoke, and for Father's Day, he took inspiration from the Aussie chicken shack and the current dine-in ban to create a value-for-money takeaway menu themed around poultry and chosen for its ability to travel better than other dishes.

A Middle Eastern-influenced meal for four is priced at S$160 and kicks off with Turkish bread, hummus, baba ganoush and rainbow slaw, and then your pick of mains. There's hearty chicken fried or roasted, lamb leg, grilled fish and pork belly to choose from. Add onion rice and chicken salt fries, and sweeten the whole deal with Turkish tea and milk pudding topped with apricots. If you're lucky, there might be some special Baklava Donuts that you can order on the side.

Orders are currently full for dinner on Saturday and Sunday, but some lunch slots are still available this weekend.

161 Middle Road. To order, go to bjornshen.com/artichoke