Shaker Lakers is one of the new additions to Yishun Park Hawker Centre. Started by Irish chef Michael Quinn who cooked in New York City for 12 years and Singaporean chef Gillian Puah, the stall aims to serve food infused with flavours from both the east and west. The Republican Post’s Fairuze Iqbal checked out five dishes from the stall.
1. Truffle Parmesan Potato Wedges
I started with one of their newest items on the menu, the Truffle Parmesan Potato Wedges. Priced at $5.50, the dish came with hand-cut potato wedges served with blue cheese dressing.
The wedges were soft, but what really enhanced its flavour was the truffle and parmesan powder that covered them. The blue cheese dressing had a nice sweet taste and texture – the perfect condiment for the wedges.
Rating: 3.5/5
2. Lakers Truffle Burger
One of the chefs’ recommendations was the Lakers Truffle Burger.
The $9.90 dish came with a thick burger, potato wedges and mixed Japanese BBQ sauce.
The burger comprised a beef patty, portobello mushroom, truffle mayo, tomato and cheese. As I cut through it with a knife, I could see the juices from the ground beef oozing out. As the patty was coated with cheese before being cooked, the cheese was slightly melted and this gave it a juicy crunch.
I took a big bite of the burger, and safe to say that I was quite impressed – the different flavours complemented each other, and it tasted better than your average beef burger.
The mixed Japanese BBQ sauce, however, wasn’t up to my liking. It had a very tangy taste and it was watery as well. The wedges tasted better with the blue cheese, and I could make do eating them without the BBQ sauce as well.
Rating: 4/5
3. Laksa Prawn Linguine
One of the stall’s newest additions to the menu was the Laksa Prawn Linguine which was priced at $8.00. This dish was the perfect example of the stall’s concept: a local favourite given a western twist. The noodles came with two prawns that were partially peeled.
The prawns were quite juicy as you bit into them and they tasted fresh. The noodles were covered with sauce that gave out the rich Laksa taste, but it wasn’t as strong as you would get from a traditional dish. But the dish needed more spice and ‘kick’ the more I tucked into it.
However, the dish was a good innovation as it represents the idea of their stall, and it was their special dish of the week.
Rating: 3/5
4. Fish and Chips
The next dish that I was quite excited to try was their Fish and Chips, as I was a huge Fish and Chips lover since young. Priced at $9.00, the dish was exactly what you would expect: A huge piece of fish fillet, but served with potato wedges instead of fries, and mayonnaise dressing by the side.
The fish was crispy on the outside but juicy on the inside. The batter was quite light, and it wasn’t as oily as you would expect it to be. Though the mayonnaise was made in-house, it had the authentic creamy and sweet taste, and the fish dipped in the sauce was a perfect combination.
Although the dish didn’t have any new or unexpected twists, it was comfort food for me.
Rating: 3/5
5. Chicken Merah Pasta
The second chef’s recommendation and final dish I tried was their Chicken Merah Pasta. As their signature dish and priced at $8.00, it was a twist on the local Ayam Masak Merah. It came with a huge portion of chicken, linguine and two battered lady’s fingers.
The chicken was the best part of the dish – it was crispy on the outside and the meat inside was tender. As I bit onto it, I realised that it was really chewy as well, which was perfect for my liking.
The battered lady’s fingers by the side didn’t work for me. As new as the idea was, I didn’t understand the rationale behind adding it to the dish. Though the batter was crispy and flaky like how it’s supposed to be, it didn’t go well with the lady’s fingers.
The dish was also topped with a spicy yet sweet sambal sauce, but it wasn’t spicy enough for me such that I needed cups of water to douse the heat.
Rating: 3/5
FINAL VERDICT:
Western food has always been one of my favourite cuisines since young, but it’s usually quite pricey. However, at Shaker Lakers, the price is definitely worth it for its portion. The innovative fusion food is freshly prepared and is worth a visit to try the food.
The food stall was crowded when I visited, but the food was served within 15 to 20 minutes after I had placed my orders – a reasonable wait. I would definitely go back to them when I have my cravings for Western food.
Address: 51 Yishun Avenue 11, #1-24, Yishun Park Hawker Centre,
Singapore 768867
Opening Hours: 11.30am – 2pm, 5pm – 8.30pm daily (Closed on Mondays)
Shaker Lakers is not halal certified.
