Chef Malcolm Lee of one-Michelin-starred Candlenut fronts a Peranakan Shake Shack burger

The limited-edition buah keluak burger and curry fries will only be available for one day only.

By Kenneth SZ Goh / 3 Nov 2022

Candlenut, Food, Malcolm Lee, Peranakan Cuisine, Shake Shack

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Chef Malcolm Lee is known for pushing the boundaries of Peranakan cuisines with dishes such as buah keluak ice-cream and bonbons at his restaurants Pangium and Candlenut, which is the first Peranakan restaurant in the world to receive a Michelin star. Now, Lee can add another feather to his cap — the first Singaporean chef to collaborate with American burger chain Shake Shack on a burger.

Staying true to his Peranakan roots, Lee will present the Buah Keluak Burger and Curry Fries on 5 November at the one-day pop-up event at Shake Shack’s Neil Road outlet, which is a stone's throw away from the original outlet of Candlenut. It opened at Neil Road in 2010.

The hefty burger comprises an Angus beef patty slathered in rich and earthy buah keluak sauce, which features the pungent Indonesian black nut and buah keluak sambal and chicken curry sauce made from Chef Lee’s mother’s recipe. Completing the umami-laden burger are ikan bilis sambal, a sunny-side-up egg, cheese, diced pickles, and fluffy potato buns lightly toasted with garlic butter. Certain elements of the burger are also used in dishes in Candlenut.

The limited edition burger collaboration is a deeply personal one for Lee, who first tried a ShackBurger when he visited New York City in 2011 for a Candlenut collaboration.

Started as a staff meal item

Candlenut

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The Buah Keluak Burger originated as a staff meal item at Candlenut. On the inspiration behind the burger, which took 6 months to create, he shares with The Peak: "I love to eat buah keluak and I know it goes well with beef with the dishes that we have created. buak keluak has earthy, rich flavours that complements red meat. At home we would eat buah keluak with sambal and toast, and we also make roast beef and buah keluak for Christmas feasts."

The most challenging aspect of making the buah keluak burger is finding the right balance of flavours. He says: "The layers of flavours have to come through in a single bite without one overpowering the other. It should bring you joy and a sense of great curiosity to find out what is in the burger, and makes you want to keep eating more!"

Also making a day-long appearance is the Curry Fries, which are seasoned with curry powder, dry spices and salt, paying homage to the Mum’s Chicken Curry, a signature dish at Candlenut and kam heong stir-fries. Lee adds with a grin that he was inspired by the curry-flavoured Twisties corn snack.

Mark Rosati, culinary director of Shake Shack, says: “I first dined at Candlenut back in 2019 and was inspired by Chef Malcolm's inventive take on Peranakan cuisine and his team’s warm hospitality. He is a talented and thoughtful chef, and we bonded over burgers since he worked at Harry’s Tap Room in the U.S.”

Shake Shack is well-known for hosting collaborations with various Michelin-starred restaurants across its outlets globally. Some of the notable chefs that the chain has partnered with include Dominique Ansel in New York, David Chang of Momofuku in New York, Kang Mingoo of Mingles in Seoul, and Zaiyu Hasegawa of Den in Tokyo.

Lee hopes that such collaborations can help increase awareness of Peranakan food culture. He says: "Peranakans, in general, are creative, innovative with a deep sense of curiosity. It shows strongly from the cuisine, how they inquisitively find ways to create new flavours from Chinese and Malay cuisine. I see this in my mom and family, who are always open to new ideas and having that spirit of discovery to explore using ingredients in different ways."

Related: The Eat List – News & Updates from Singapore’s Restaurant Scene (Nov 2022)

Candlenut, Food, Malcolm Lee, Peranakan Cuisine, Shake Shack