Shake Shack has come a full circle from when it first opened in Madison Square Park in 2001 to the first Thai flagship restaurant in CentralWorld.
Chef Danny Meyer, owner of Shake Shack and Thai artist Navin Rawanchaikul created an art installation to beautify the park, since it lay right across Meyer's three Michelin-starred restaurant, Eleven Madison Park (Meyer sold the restaurant in 2011). The "I Heart Taxi" installation featured the iconic NY City taxi cab. Meyer then took the hotdog concept and his three Michelin-starred experience and opened a hotdog stand in the park. The hotdog park was a huge success, mainly due to its quality service, and three years later, the first gourmet fast-casual restaurant Shake Shack was installed, where it still stands today.
Fast forward to 2023, when Shake Shack makes it Thai debut at CentralWorld on March 30 at 10.30am, complete with Navin’s art on the walls. “We really wanted to bring a bit of New York into Bangkok (and at all of our outlets worldwide),” says Jim Frisch, director, international culinary and product development of Shake Shack.
A thirst-quencher is of immediate need in this Bangkok heat and humidity and Shake Shack offers two — Shack Lemonade (B90, B110), made fresh daily with lemon juice, cane sugar and lemon zest. Honouring the city it is in, the lemonade also has a hint of lemongrass. The 50/50 (B90, B110) is a Shake Shack signature with Ceylon ice tea and lemonade.
It would be almost an insult to not begin with the one dish that lead to the creation of Shake Shack, the Hot dog (B150). The beef hotdog is seasoned lightly with onion, garlic and coriander powders, and is gently smoked. Shake Shack likes to butterfly the hotdog before searing to amplify the flavour. The hotdog can be ordered plain or with relish, ketchup or mustard.
I would skip the hotdog amuse bouche and move on to the most important side of any burger — fries. Shake Shack only serves Crinkle cut (B110), but in a unique shape. This is not often to see the wavy shape but it is this shape that makes them the perfect vehicle to get as much of the cheese sauce on each one as you can. "Russet potatoes are chosen because they have an earthier potato flavour," says Frisch.
“One of the things we like to talk about is that Shake Shack is born out of fine dining. Following that route, the restaurant sources the highest quality ingredients. There is no artificial cheese in the sauce, which uses Cheddar and processed American, accompanying the fries. The sauce also has liquid cream, onion and white pepper powders; super native to Shake Shack,” says Frisch. A truly indulgent way to enjoy it is to slather it all over the hotdog or to order the Cheese fries (B155).
Appetisers done and moving on to the main courses, of which there are a few choices. The Shack Burger (single B230, double B340) starts with the beef. The long queues for Shake Shack when it first opened inspired the signature phrase, “Stand For Something Good”. Following this principal, Shake Shack only uses Angus beef for its "The ShackBlend" beef patties. Shake Shack burgers are what are known as smashed burgers; when the patties are smashed into the grill while being cooked. Stringy and sweet American cheese is then smashed into burger, which is then topped with Roma tomatoes. Crisp fresh green lettuce is added to the burger.
Fun fact: it is this green leaf lettuce that is on Shake Shack’s logo. Lastly, the secret sauce aka ShackSauce goes on to completes the burger, which is encased in a potato bun.
But the fun facts do not end there. If you notice that your bun hasn’t been sliced all the way through. Every bun has a small “hinge” of bread to help cradle the patty and better catch its juices. All burgers can be enjoyed with the addition of jackfruit wood-smoked bacon for B50.
The SmokeShack (single B275, double B385) has bacon that is twice smoked, using antibiotic-free pork. on top of the bacon, pickled cherry peppers is what makes intensifies the flavour of the smoked burger, since it cuts the richness of the bacon and the sauce. If you like beef and you like spice, this is the burger for you.
The only vegetarian option is the ’Shroom burger (B320), which is a portobello mushroom burger. But this is unlike any other shroom burgers you may have eaten. It is magical, simply because it is stuffed with a tonne of Cheddar and Muenster and deep-fried in soybean oil. The portobello is first roasted, cut in half and then stuffed with a blend of cheeses, onion and cayenne powders and it is breaded in panko and deep fried. For those who want to taste it all, the Shack Stack (B395) is the best bet. Add the shroom to the regular burger and it becomes a mouthful!
Fried chicken sandwiches are very popular throughout the US and there are many competitions to determine who has the best one. Shake Shack took about two to three years in research before launching theirs. For the Chicken Shack (B210), the meat is sous vide, hand-breaded and fried. The meat is served with a housemade mayo. If you want something hot and spicy, the Hot chicken sandwich (B230) uses thigh meat and uses the same method of preparation as the chicken sandwich. The actually meat is topped with a special blend of hot spices.
The pièce de résistance at Shack Shack is their sweet nod to Thailand in the form of the Pandan sticky rice shake (B230). “We wandered around different food areas in Bangkok, tasting our way through them and came up with this unique drink. We took the sticky rice with palm sugar and blended that into our vanilla custard [Shake Shack refers to their ice cream as a custard due to a higher egg yolk content] and this rests on a pandan jelly. The shake is topped with whipped cream and pandan powder,” says Frisch.
“We always try to inject local favours to the dessert menu but in a way that stays true to Shake Shack. We have the CentralSwirled concrete (single B190, double B260), which is a blended vanilla custard with khanom ping cookies and toasted coconut, topped with fish sauce caramel. The Coconut’s About You (single B190, double B260) is another local version and is inspired by tubtim krob. It has coconut cream, crispy mung beans for texture and crispy short bread," says Frisch. Shake Shack supports local charity Equitable Education Fund and 5% of sales from Coconuts About You go to the cause. The ShackAttack (single B190, double B260) is a Chocolate swirl and is a staple Shake Shack dessert. However, the brand has partnered with After You, who makes the brownies that go into it.
Floats and hand-spun vanilla, strawberry or chocolate shakes are priced at B190. The beverage menu is also specially brewed and created for the brand, like the Shack White and Shack Red wines (B250 a glass, B990 a bottle). The Shack pours small batch craft beers from Bootleg Brothers Brewing Co microbrewery in Sukhumvit, including "Trai Hoppy Lager" (B290) and the "You Little Tart" (B290). The brand's ShackMeister Ale (B290) remains an exclusive from the Brooklyn Brewery. Furry friends aren't forgotten in this outlet and as with all branches, a Bag O’Bones can be ordered for B35.
“We try to find a price point that we think is approachable for everybody while still being able to cover the cost of the high-quality ingredients. Most of our produce and ingredients are imported, including our buns. There is inherently a premium that you pay for Shake Shack, but we think it the quality is worth the price,” says Frisch.
“Stay tuned” is what Frisch says if you’re looking for a Thai-inspired burger. “We hold our secrets back for the first six months to a year when we launch in any market before we bring all the exciting Thai-inspired products and commercial items,” he adds. Insider’s tip: It will not be what other fast food establishments are doing.
Though Shake Shack has merch, they aren’t available for sale. They are giveaways and the first 100 people at the restaurant, when it opens on March 30, will get t-shirts. To celebrate the opening, Shake Shack will have live music, portrait drawing and dance performances. Each week the first guest in line will receive a free burger set until Dec 31.
Shake Shack at CentralWorld is on the 1st Floor, Central World Plaza, Ratchadamri Road. It opens Monday to Sunday, 11am–10pm. Visit fb.com/shakeshackthailand.
