For a limited-time only, Shake Shack teams up with Toyo Eatery for its first-ever chef collaboration in Manila.
The salo-salo menu, created together by chef Jordy Navarra, owner of the famed Toyo Eatery — Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant in the Philippines 2023 and 42nd in Asia — and chef Mark Rosati, Shake Shack culinary director, will be served only on 11 November, from 9 a.m. until sold out at Shake Shack Central Square in BGC, Taguig City.
The exclusive menu, celebrating Filipino flavors, consists of Chicken and Cheek BBQ (P595), an all-natural, cage-free crispy chicken thigh, hand-breaded and dredged in sourdough batter, topped with Toyo Eatery’s pork jowl, BBQ sauce and a pickle medley of atsarang papaya, red onions, burong mangga, cucumber and aruy-uy (chili) — all served on a non-GMO (or genetically modified organism) potato bun.
The Inasal Fries (P325) are crinkle-cut fries dressed in inasal mayonnaise, covered with crispy garlic chips and served with fresh calamansi and vinegar chili dip. It’s creamy and mildly tart. The inasal mayo is made from scratch.
To complement the dishes, the chefs prepared Rosella at Lambanog Lemonade (P275). Yes, it’s Shack-made lemonade with Toyo Eatery’s rosella syrup, spiked with tagay portions of lambanog (coconut liquor). Made with real cane sugar, this is the first boozy lemonade in Shake Shack Philippines.
For dessert, Tsokolate at Tostadong Bigas Concrete (P355) is a frozen chocolate custard mixed with toasted rice pudding, candied Palawan cashews and candied cacao nibs. The frozen custard is made with real cane sugar, cage-free eggs and milk. The toasted rice is made with local organic black rice from Capas, Tarlac.
“I am a big fan of Shake Shack,” Navarra said. “Whenever I crave for burgers and fries I go to Shake Shack. I also see a lot of my chef-friends do collaborations. So, for me, doing a collab is a fun way to explore what we can do with Filipino ingredients.”
He added: “They got in touch with me early this year and we brainstormed. They gave us free hand to do whatever we wanted to work on. I am very honored to do this with chef Mark and his team. Our team really enjoyed figuring out how best to incorporate our flavors into Shake Shack’s. I hope this is just the first of many wonderful collabs. For me, it’s a nice way to think that Filipino perspective is very relevant with international brands like Shake Shack.”
Navarra personally enjoyed creating — and eating — the chicken burger with all the familiar Pinoy elements, such as the atchara and buro, in one solid big bite. Since he used chicken for the burger, he also made use of the inasal flavor profile for the fries.
“It was fun also concocting lemonade with rosella and lambanog,” he said.
“We have been humbled by Shake Shack’s reception in Manila and couldn’t be more excited to work with Jordy for our first-ever chef collaboration,” chef Mark said. “Chef Jordy’s passion and creativity in reimagining Filipino cuisine while staying true to its roots is nothing short of remarkable, every dish is a testament to his culinary vision and deep understanding of flavors and ingredients.”
Diners can only avail of these limited menu items for one day only at Shake Shack Central Square BGC. On the same day, the first guest will receive an exclusive Shake Shack x Toyo Eatery merchandise from the collaboration, while the first 30 dine-in customers will receive a limited edition Shake Shack x Toyo Eatery bucket hat, which is an ode to chef Jordy’s love for hats. The entire merchandise will be available on the event day only.
Specialty Food Retailers, Inc. is the exclusive franchise holder of Shake Shack in the Philippines. SFRI is a member of the SSI Group.