FILIPINOS who have eaten in a Shake Shack outlet in the United States—or even in London (England), Hong Kong and Shanghai (China), Istanbul (Turkey), Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Tokyo (Japan), Moscow (Russia) and Seoul (South Korea)—have long wished that the burger brand would eventually find its way to the Philippines.
And it has! In fact, Shake Shack is opening its first Philippine store at the Ground Floor of Central Square, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, today (May 10, 2019), at 11:00 a.m. The modern-day “roadside” burger, whose first ever store opened in New York City’s Madison Square Park as a burger stand in 2004, is known for its 100% all-natural Angus beef burgers and hormone- and antibiotic-free flat-top Vienna beef hotdogs.
With Stand for Something Good as its mission, Shake Shack brings its specialties to the Philippines.
A definite must-try is its signature ShackBurger (Php250), which is a cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato slices and ShackSauce. The burger is huge and filling and good for a meal, especially when paired with Crinkle-Cut Fries (Php130) or Cheese Fries (Php180).
For burger lovers who are looking for something more than just a really good cheeseburger, Shake Shack offers SmokeShack (Php365), a cheeseburger with all-natural Applewood smoked bacon, chopped cherry pepper and ShackSauce.
My favorite is the meat-free but oh-so-good ‘Shroom Burger (Php445), a crisp-fried Portobello mushroom filled with melted muenster and cheddar cheese, topped with lettuce, tomato and ShackSauce. The Portobello mushroom is sliced in half, filled with gooey cheese and then breaded and fried to a golden crisp. So when you bite into it, melted cheese oozes out. The cheese has an incredible stretch similar to mozzarella cheese on pizza.
Diners with a hearty appetite can opt for the Shack Stack (Php545), which pairs a cheeseburger and a ‘Shroom Burger. Should you not like cheese on your burger, you can order the Hamburger (Php245) with lettuce, tomato, pickle or onion, and to which you can add Applewoood Smoked Bacon for an additional Php115.
Aside from burgers, the brand is also famous for its flat-top Vienna beef hotdog sandwiches. Choices include Shack-cago Dog (Php250). It packs in Rick’s Picks Shack relish, onion, cucumber, pickle, tomato, sport pepper, celery salt and mustard with the hotdog. Another choice is a simple all-beef Hotdog (Php200), to which you can add Shack cheese sauce for an extra Php50.
Shake Shack has also brought in its Classic Hand-Spun Shakes (Php190), including the Manila Exclusives’ Ube Shake (Vanilla frozen custard blended with ube). It has been formulated for the sole enjoyment of the Philippine market. So is Calamansi Limeade (Php130 for Small and Php160 for Large), a local twist on a Shack classic.
Also part of Shake Shack’s Manila Exclusives menu are the three variants of Concretes (frozen custard ice cream, made in-Shack every day, blended with mix-ins)—Uuube-by Baby, Calamansi Pie Oh My, and Shack Attack (Php250). The mix-ins are either favorite Filipino ingredients, local artisanal products, or brownies and pies baked by local bakers.
Uuube-by Baby is vanilla custard mixed with ube, coconut marshmallow, ube cookie, toasted coconut and crispy pinipig, topped with leche flan.
Calamansi Pie Oh My is also vanilla custard ice cream, this time mixed with calamansi pie baked by local favorite Wildflour Bakery.
Shack Attack means chocolate overload, as chocolate custard ice cream is mixed with original chocolate brownies from Bucky’s, chunks of 55% cacao chocolate from local bean-to-bar Auro chocolate.
Shake Shack also offers craft beer from Engkanto Brewery and Monkey Eagle, and Shack Red and White wines, and—would you believe?—doggie treats for diners’ beloved pets.
Specialty Food Retailers Inc. (SFRI), a member of the SSI Group headed by its president Anton Huang, is the exclusive franchise holder of Shake Shack in the Philippines.
